'Historical Memorandum on the Relations of the Wahabi Amirs and Ibn Saud with Eastern Arabia and the British Government, 1800-1934' [‎18r] (35/64)

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• • • Tlie Amir Feisal bin Turki, on obtaining a pardon from the
Egyptians and returning to Nejd in 1842, was at once acclaimed as Imam,
lie also renewed the old treaty with the British Government.”
. . . the British Government showed how close were their relations with
.Aejd by sending one of their officers, Colonel Lewis Belly, to Ptiyadh, and he
renewed the old treaties and friendship, though not by an actual’ written
document.
... Since the evacuation of Qasim by the Turks in 1906 there have
been no signs of Turkish authority in Nejd and Abdul Aziz has so con
solidated his power that his word is law over the whole of Nejd from within
two days march of Hail to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. coast line excepting onlv the
actual towns of Hofuf, Katif, and where the Turks maintained garrisons, and
as far south as the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Dowasir. . . . He asserts that he had made no
professions [at the time of an expedition against him in 1910 by the Sherif of
Mecca] of being the vassal of the Sultan, and being a Wahabi does not admit
the Sultan s Nhalifate in Islam. . . . The As Saud . . . above all desired
to be in relations with the British Government so that the Turkish Govern
ment would hesitate to oppress them or to interfere in their affairs in Nejd.
The hqw i egiwie m Constantinople had already shown their aggressive policv>
and he feared that before very many years there wmuld be another attempt
to subjugate Nejd. Though the Wahabis had formerly fought us in regard
to the coastal Chiefs affairs, they saw the benefit of our rule amongst them
and^ had no wish to alter the present position, though Abdul Aziz mentioned
having leceived a letter from Dibai, whose Sheikhs had written, after the
Hyacinth' gun-running incident, asking to be taken under his protection
On enquiring how he reconciled the regular receipt of a Turkish annuity
with the claim to absolute independence, Abdul Aziz said that the annuity
dated from the time of his father’s incarceration in Bagdad, was given
then for his living expenses, and has continued ever since as personal to
Abdul Rahman ; it amounts to only £T. 6 () per mensem. The As Saud have
never received anything else from the Turks in the way of subsidies, and
on his father’s death Abdul Aziz proposes to allow his subsidy to lapse ’ All
the correspondence they had had with the Turkish officials has been of a
diplomatic nature, either to effect the removal of troops on the pretext of
a show of submission, or to settle any other difficulties as they arose.”
153. The question of policy was again considered between the 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. and
the Foreign Office on the receipt of Captain Shakespear’s report. It was agreed
however, that it seemed preferable to hold to the existing policy unless the Govern
ment of India should propose a departure from it, when the question could be
again considered.
British Negotiations with Turkey, 1911-1913.
154 Between 1911 and 1913 H.M. Government were engaged in negotiations
with the lurkish Government on the various matters in dispute between them in
^ 7 .® Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. area, which culminated in the Anglo-Turkish Conventions of July
1913 (paragraph 165) and March 1914 (paragraph 179).
Further meeting between Captain Shakespear and Ibn Saud, May 1913.
155. On 15th May 1913 Captain Shakespear, then 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. , Koweit
reported that he had met Ibn Saud in the course of a recent tour, in the Koweit
hinterland and had spent four days with him. In the course of the visit
Ibn baud had discussed his future policy with great frankness with Captain
Shakespear, who was m close personal relations with him. Captain Shakespear
submitted a detailed report of his discussions, from which the following extracts
bearing on the matters now under discussion, are relevant : •
• o 56 ‘ Pa’ Ibn Saud ’ accordin g t0 Captain Shakespear, stated that “ his power
m Central Arabia had increased till he no longer feared any of its Sheikhs or
rulers; he was, moreover, in alliance with all of them, excepting only one viz •
the Sharif of Mecca, who, fearing a second Wahabi invasion of the Heiaz had
therefore allied himself with the Turks. The As Saud were prepared to’hold
what they had recovered during the last 15 years of their ancient dominion in
Arabia, and felt capable of being able to do so comparatively easily but for the
3076
Bre. to G. of
L, 1668,
26.5 13,
P. 2448/13.
Capt.
Shakespear
to Pol. Res.,
No. G. 10,
15.5.13.