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File 2182/1913 Pt 7 'Arabia: Policy toward Ibn Saud' [‎197r] (396/420)

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The record is made up of 1 item (206 folios). It was created in 4 Jan 1918-7 Aug 1918. 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. .

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'! »
ai 3 future political atatua and to liav^ road* 3 a special
point of the introduction of a diatinctife cooper coinage for
Vtr Philby expressed himself as "vary confident that
something big can be achieved in the desired direction on the
basis of one proposal 8 * raule*; but he augr* 5 3ted as an alternative
-in case Ilia i;ajeaty 1 3 government inclined to a leas ambitious
programme - that he should b given discretion to make doles
to Bin Baud up to a maximum of yb.OOO ’’for minor objects
"actually achieved to my ritiafaction**
. On tjbe other hand, Bir M h r ingate is strongly airainst
arming Bin Baud on a large scale, as likely to precipitate a
conflict with King Husain, He believes Bin Rashid to be much
weaker then has been r presented* and does not regard the capture
of Hail as an object of sufficient importance to warrant
paying Bis Baud a "blan c cheque* 1 fot its accom lisa ient* The
uovernment of India are against the complete elimination of
Rashid, on the ground t mt it ^p&ld deprive Bin Baud of
nis normal occupation, and would tend to upset the "balance of
* power* between the latter and King Husain* They accordingly
recommend that Bin Baud should be "kept in play" b gifts of
money but that he should not be supjlsdd other vise than very
sparingly eitlier •nth arms or military personnel. This
recom ,endation lias been supported by 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. ,
b* It .may be remarked that we have already paid considerable
' ~ jj^ i - ^ * |*|— A, -~ ' l -" L advanced
him an
.. has also
been furnished with rifles, ammunition etc* It cannot be
3 id that we have had much return for our money. Bin Baud may
perhaps claim that he has held Bin Rasbid in cneck ind has
be sure t -at we really need hia cooperation or that, if
obtained its results will be vorth the price. The effect oi the
Falestibe Campaign on the Arabian situation must not be over
looked. f General Allenby’s Mediate plans this Department
has of course no knowledge^ But it nas always be assumed
that, as soon as circumstances permit, hm will make an attempt
to cut the Hejaz railway from tue Jordan villey* Should, ne
succeed to doing so, it* is difficult to see how the Turks
could mint-in their position in Medina, or at any otnor pom*
on the Southern section of the line, or what choice would be
left them but * general evacuation of North -est Aroma* ith
their dissaox>er*nce t Bin Rashid's day would be over and we
could irnooae upon him what terras we chose. In o^er words
/ iven certosin military developments (as to tae pgxjbability of
which the W*r Office representatives can perhaps speakJ we may
obtain almost automatically the eery results wriicji it is
proposed to pay bias Bin Baud heavily to accomplish - with much
dubious prospects of success*
and

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Part 7 primarily concerns relations between Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and King Hussein of Hedjaz [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī, King of Hejaz].

It includes discussion as to whether Britain should provide Bin Saud with military assistance to enable him to take decisive action against Bin Rashid (also referred to as Ibn Rashid) [Saʿūd bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Rashīd, Emir of Ha'il]. The policy advocated by the Government of India is that Bin Saud should be 'kept in play' by gifts of money but that arms and military instructors should be supplied sparingly. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Zachariah Cox and Harry St John Bridger Philby, on the other hand, favour an offensive against Hail [Ha'il] by Bin Saud, with British assistance. Also included are the following:

  • a memorandum from the War Cabinet's Middle East Committee, on the position of Bin Rashid in relation to other Arab rulers;
  • a note entitled 'Relations With Ibn Sa'ud', prepared by the Arab Bureau's Irak [Iraq] section, which provides a British perspective on Britain's relations with Bin Saud from 1899 onwards;
  • notes on conversations held between Colonel Cyril Edward Wilson and Major Kinahan Cornwallis of the Arab Bureau, and Emir Abdulla [ʿAbdullāh bin al-Ḥusayn], son of King Hussein, during December 1917;
  • a copy of a report by David George Hogarth on his interviews with King Hussein at Jeddah;
  • a memorandum 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. at Kuwait, Colonel Robert Edward Archibald Hamilton, which is primarily concerned with relations between Kuwait and Riyadh;
  • notes by Hamilton on Bin Saud, based on conversations with the latter at Riyadh in November 1917;
  • correspondence between British officials regarding King Hussein's attempt to reoccupy Khurma and its impact on his relations with Bin Saud.

This item features the following principal correspondents:

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1 item (206 folios)
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File 2182/1913 Pt 7 'Arabia: Policy toward Ibn Saud' [‎197r] (396/420), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/389/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100032845623.0x000006> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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