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File 2182/1913 Pt 8 'Arabia – Policy towards Bin Saud' [‎274v] (133/602)

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The record is made up of 1 item (300 folios). It was created in 7 Aug 1918-26 Dec 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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132
Memo., No. 18836-9-2, dated Baghdad, the 10th (received 30th) September 1918.
From— Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel A. T Wilson, C.M.G., C.I.E., D.S.O.,
Officiating Civil Commissioner, Baghdad,
To— _ , , ;
The U nder-Secretary of State for India, 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. , London.
The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment, Simla. .....
The High Commissioner, Cairo.
The Director, Arab Bureau, Cairo.
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. , Jeddah
Copies of the undermentioned letters are forwarded herewith with
compliments:—
From Ibn Saud to Mr. H. St. J. Philby, C.I.E , dated the 25th July 1918.
From Ibn Saud to Mr. H. St. J. Philby, C.I.E., dated the 10th August 1918.
Enclosure No. 1.
(Letter from Ihn Saud to Mr. Philby, dated the 25th July 1918.)
(In the name of the Compassionate and Merciful God.)
Praise be to the Lord, the Creator of the Universe; and may God pray
for and have mercy on our Prophet Muhammad (the most honoured Prophet)
and his family and Companions 1
Dated 25th July 1918.
Our dear loving friend Mr. Philby,
Your are well aware of the discussions which were held among us on all
points generally, and particularly on our internal and external affairs.
In stating to you our needs and what circumstances demand our object in
explaining them to you was that you should inform Sir Percy Z. Cox, the
Civil Commissioner, that we depended on him after God and consequently,
would accept his views. Realising your wide knowledge of the affairs of the
Arabs and your kindness in regard to the interests of your Government, con
fident as we were of your bond fide, and depending on you after God, we have
duly informed you verbally of what was necessary.
But having now observed certain differences on some of the points and
problems, we are prompted to write this representation, so that you may under
stand my point of you and I yours.
I. First problem .—You had proposed that we .should decide upon and
push operations against Ihn Rashid, in order that, should God help us in cap
turing him and Hayel also, both we and the British liovernment would enjoy
rest and we Arabs need have no further relations with the Turks. We tofd
you that this was our view, and the best course and, before your departure to
Hedjaz, we had settled between us certain questions and points without which
the situation could not improve, and you concurred subject to the approval of
His Britannic Majesty’s Government.
When you met us at Shanqi you rejected those views and explained to us
how it was impossible to act in accordance with them. . We then resolved to
take up the fight with Ibn Rashid, and you expressed the view that the Gov
ernment would provide us with the necessary supplies and materials for the
war if we fought with him and prosecuted the war to the utmost of our power.
Out of our sincere friendship with His Britannic Majesty’s Government and in
consideration of the fact that our interests in regard to the enemy are identi
cal, we accepted your proposals (although we realised that they involved some
trouble and loss to ourselves) and we informed you that, at the beginning of
Ramadhan, our son Turki would make a move in order to initiate the fight,
and that, after Ramadhan, w* would proceed towards Qasim. To that end I
set myself to work with all energy. *
When the messengers of Snammar came in to us for peace (on conditions
that Ibn Ajil and others should be under our control as their tribes were

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Part 8 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]. Included are the following:

  • discussion as to which ruler has the stronger claim to Khurma, and whether Bin Saud should be encouraged to begin hostilities against Bin Rashid [Saʿūd bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Rashīd, Emir of Ha'il], as a way of diverting the former's attention from other matters;
  • copies of a treaty between the British government and Bin Saud, which was signed on 26 December 1915 and ratified on 18 July 1916;
  • debate about whether the British should supply Bin Saud with more arms and ammunition (to make amends for providing him with 1000 cheap Winchester rifles);
  • discussion of the possible benefits of arranging a meeting either between King Hussein and Bin Saud or between the former's son and the latter's brother;
  • discussion about the possibility of an officer from the Egyptian service succeeding Harry St John Bridger Philby as the British representative to Bin Saud;
  • reports of Bin Saud having begun operations against Bin Rashid, and discussion as to how the British should respond;
  • speculation on King Hussein's actions in Khurma and the implications for Britain's policy in the region;
  • a copy of a memorandum from the Foreign Office's Political Intelligence Department, entitled 'Memorandum on British Commitments to Bin Saud';
  • reports of an Ikhwan force advancing towards Mecca, and discussion as to how the British should respond.

This item features the following principal correspondents:

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1 item (300 folios)
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English in Latin script
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File 2182/1913 Pt 8 'Arabia – Policy towards Bin Saud' [‎274v] (133/602), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/389/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100032845623.0x0000a3> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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