'File 1/18 II Major Head:- Political. Subject:- Sultan of Najd's relations with Iraq.' [160v] (325/912)
The record is made up of 1 volume (452 folios). It was created in 21 Feb 1928-4 Apr 1928. It was written in English and Arabic. 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.
10
Enclo. XX of Serial Xo. (98). ! M
TklegiiaM prom the Secretary op State for the Colonies, London, to ^
the High Commissioner, Baghdad, No. 464, dated the 30th Decem
ber 1927.
(Repeated Bushire.)
Ji
HiHh Commissioner for Iraq, Baghdad, reports that on 9th December tl
Ghalidh 3 section Bani Huchaim were attacked near Ghuraibiyah in neutral e
zone by Akhwan raiding party believed to have been led by Faisal al Dawish fi
in person. Losses Ghalidh and minor tribal sections with them are estimated
at 59 men 6,000 to 6,500 sheep and 1,200 donkeys. Iraq Government have
protested against this further attack and demand full reparation. I
His Majesty’s Government have received Your Majesty s letter regarding }
Busaiyah post. r J hey find it impossible to understand on what grounds a post
50 miles nearest point of neutral zone can be held to be situated al a atraf al
hudud and consequently to contravene Article Ilf, Uquair Protocol. They
would never have assented as they did to construction of post if they had felt
any doubt as to propriety steps. Nor would they have supported Iraq Govern- [
ment in other recent measures of frontier control had they not fully been f a i
satisfied Iraq Government were acting in full accord their treaty engagement
towards Your Majesty. They can only assume some profound misunderstand- }
ino- has arisen exact nature which is not clear to them but which they consider
it their first duty to endeavour to clear up. For this purpose they are most
anxious that early meeting should take place between Your Majesty and their
representative Colonel Haworth who has instructions to discuss all outstanding
question with Your Majesty with utmost frankness and in particular to as
certain from Your Majesty the precise ground on which you regard construe- I
tion of Busaiyah post as contrary to Article III of Protocol.
Enclo. XXI of Serial No. (98).
Telegram P., prom the Secretary op State por thh Colonies, London, to
the High Commissioner, Baghdad, No. 466, dated the 30th December
1927.
(Repeated Resident, Bushire.)
Your telegram No. 622 of December 29.
Seriousness of situation fully appreciated. Question of retaliatory action
bv air is being actively considered here in consultation with Eoreign Office and
4ir Ministry and further communication as to this will be addressed to you as
soon as possible. If Air Officer Commanding has ^ not already returned from
Amman he should he recalled at once and question or suitable advance bases to
air attack against tribal headquarters in the event of such attack being deci e
upon should be examined without further delay.
Suggested blockade of Basa ports may have to be considered hereafter if
alternative plan fails but there appear to be strong objections ^ such a couise
and His Majesty’s Government would, I feel sure, be most unwilling t
crnpR U, measure unless satisfied that it was absolutely necessary and t
results would be effective.
Meanwhile instructions conveyed in my telegrams 463 and 464 shouldJ
carried out hut hereafter no further communications be made to i
pending further instructions from me.
About this item
- Content
The file deals with political relations between the King of Hejaz and Najd [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] (commonly referred to in the papers as Bin Saud or Ibn Saud) and the states of Iraq and Kuwait, particularly in terms of raids by Akhwan [Ikhwān] tribes from Najd.
The correspondence is mainly between the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Lieutenant-Colonel Lionel Berkeley Holt Haworth) and 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. , Bahrain (also spelled Bahrein, Major Cyril Charles Johnson Barrett). There is also correspondence between British officials and Bin Saud. Enclosures to correspondence from the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. include copies of correspondence with 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. , Kuwait; the office of the High Commissioner, Iraq; the Colonial Office, London; the Government of India; the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; and other British officials in the region.
The papers cover the following:
- disputes over border posts in Iraq;
- diplomatic contact between the British and Bin Saud;
- report on Bin Saud and the Iraqi press (folios 27-28);
- activities of Faisal ad Dawish [Fayṣal al-Dawīsh] and other Akhwan leaders;
- raids by Akhwan tribes, especially Mutair and Ajman;
- activities of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Marine to protect Kuwait;
- activities of the Royal Air Force (RAF) to protect Kuwait;
- use of air reconnaissance against tribes;
- the British response to the raids, including the need to protect British subjects and British property in Kuwait (e.g. folio 79);
- note on Bin Saud by Barrett, 3 March 1928 (folios 134-140);
- use of cars, aeroplanes and armoured cars to defend against attacks by Akhwan;
- threat to British oil supplies (folios 192-194);
- descriptions of plunder taken by Akhwan from desert tribes (donkeys, sheep, goats etc.);
- Akhwan 'jehad' [jihad] against non-Akhwan tribes (e.g. folios 209-210);
- provision by British of machine guns and Lewis guns for defence of Kuwait (e.g. folio 234);
- threat of extension of conflict to Trans-Jordan (folio 310).
The Arabic content of the file consists of approximately ten folios of correspondence, mainly copies of letters from 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. , Bahrain.
The date range gives the covering dates of the main run of correspondence. The earliest document in the file is an enclosure to the first item of correspondence and is dated 28 January 1928.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (452 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are filed in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file, except where enclosures of an earlier date are filed after the relevant covering letter.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 454; 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 foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 7-453; 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 and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/90
- Title
- 'File 1/18 II Major Head:- Political. Subject:- Sultan of Najd's relations with Iraq.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:105v, 107r:114v, 118r:271v, 273r:453v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence
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