Skip to item: of 536
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎118r] (235/536)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file (266 folios). It was created in Jul 1931-Dec 1934. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

3
II.— Frontier Questions and Foreign Relations in Arabia.
176. The treaty with Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan (reference paragraph 145) was first
mentioned by the Saut-ul-Hejaz in its issue of the 8th August and at greater
length in an article on the 15th August. It is a little curious that the Umm-al-
Qura, usually regarded as the semi-official organ of the Saudi Government, should
so far have refrained from any reference to the treaty.
177. The Saudi press has been almost equally mute on the subject of the
Yemen (reference paragraphs 148 and 149), whose relations with Saudi
Arabia had reached a critical stage at the beginning of August. The detention
of the Saudi delegation against their will at Sana, which had further exacerbated
Ibn Saud, proved happily to be of short duration, as they were allowed to leave
the Yemen on the 3rd August. The Saudi Government, in informing His
Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires of this on the 6th, attributed the release to the
steps taken by His Majesty’s Government, who had requested the Italian Govern
ment to make urgent representations to the Imam Yahya. In the meantime
(on the 5th) the Minister for Foreign Affairs had addressed a further lengthy
note to Mr. Calvert for the information and comments of His Majesty’s Govern
ment, setting forth the Saudi desiderata for the settlement of their differences
with the Yemen, which included : (i) an apology and satisfaction for the
detention of the delegation at Sana; (ii) the Idrisi either to be expelled from
the Yemen, or handed over to Ibn Saud, as the shelter afforded him by the Imam
Yahya, particularly in such unsettled territory as the Asir frontier districts, was
not merely a breach of the treaty, but a token of the Imam’s intention to force a
quarrel; (iii) the Imam’s encroachments in Najran w T ere to stop and the frontier
there to be delimited; and (iv) all frontiers between the two countries were to
be settled.
178. The returning delegation brought with them a letter from the Imam
to the King, the contents of which were wirelessed to Riyadh from Jizan. Ibn
Saud replied by telegram stating his grievances and the remedies that would
satisfy him. At this juncture it was possible to mark a certain detente, in the
situation consequent upon the release of the delegation, the apparent absence of
any forward movement by Imamic troops in the Xajran, and the resumption of
direct telegraphic correspondence between the two rulers. This interlude was
interrupted by a report received from the Minister for Foreign Affairs that
Husain-ad-Dabbagh, one of the conspiratorial family of that name, had recently
landed at Medi and had joined the Idrisi, taking with him supplies and money,
and that a certain Adnan, one of Ad Dabbagh’s followers, had established
himself at Kamaran as an Idrisi agent. As the result of enquiries, His Majesty s
-O Charge d’Affaires was able to inform the Saudi Government that Adnan had left
Kamaran on the 16th August. On the 17th His Majesty’s Government replied
to the Saudi Government’s request for comments on their desiderata regretting
that the position was too obscure and their information too incomplete to enable
them to express any opinion. They, however, expressed their pleasure at the
release of the delegation and the resumption of direct communication between
Riyadh and Sana.
179. On the 25th August Sheikh Abdullah Suleiman called on Mr. Calvert
and left with him copies of two telegrams, one purporting to have been received
by Ibn Saud from King Feisal, in which the latter, speaking in the name of the
Arabs of other countries, expressed the hope that every effort would be made to
avoid the shedding of Arab blood and declared his readiness to mediate. The
other telegram contained Ibn Saud’s reply, asserting equal concern for Arab blood,
declaring his desire for peace and summarising his case against the Imam. He
expressed his gratitude, non-committally, to Feisal for his offer of mediation.
The Minister of Finance dilated, during this interview, on the impossibility of
Arab trusting Arab and again sought the counsels of His Majesty’s Government,
to whom this information was conveyed, and whose reply was received before the
end of the month, but was held up for oral communication, as Sheikh Abdullah
Suleiman had. in the meantime, returned to Taif. Before he left Jedda, however,
he informed Mr. Calvert at a further meeting that on the receipt of reports, some
three weeks earlier, of mobilisation of troops within the Yemen, Ibn baud had
ordered the reinforcement of Saudi forces in the south-west by troops from the
north-east. The Minister went on to read a series of telegrams from Ibn Saud
[907 dd—1] b 2

About this item

Content

The file contains intelligence reports on the Kingdom of Hejaz, Najd and its Dependencies (after September 1932, Saudi Arabia) written by the British Legation at Jeddah.

Between July 1931 and December 1932 the reports are issued every two months, with the exception of the January-March 1932 and April 1932 reports. From January 1933 the reports are sent on a monthly basis.

Between July 1931 and December 1932, each report is divided into sections, numbered with Roman numerals from I to IX, as follows: Internal Affairs; Frontier Questions; Relations with States outside Arabia; Air Matters; Military Matters; Naval Matters; Pilgrimage; Slavery; and Miscellaneous. Each section is then further divided into parts relating to a particular matter or place, under a sub-heading. Some reports contain an annex.

From January 1933, when the reports become monthly, they take a new format. Each is divided into sections, as follows: Internal Affairs; Frontier Questions and Foreign Relations in Arabia; Relations with Powers Outside Arabia; Miscellaneous (often containing information on slavery and the pilgrimage).

Most reports are preceded by the covering letters from the Government of India, who distributed them to Political Offices in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and elsewhere, and the original covering letter from the Jeddah Legation, who would send them to the Government of India and Government departments in London. From May 1933, most reports were sent directly to the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain from Jeddah.

Up until January 1933, each report began with an index giving a breakdown of the sections with references to the corresponding paragraph number. From January 1933 onwards no index is included.

Extent and format
1 file (266 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged chronologically.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional incomplete foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 6-11; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎118r] (235/536), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/295, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025543725.0x000024> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100025543725.0x000024">'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [&lrm;118r] (235/536)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100025543725.0x000024">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000241.0x0000d6/IOR_R_15_2_295_0235.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000241.0x0000d6/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image