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'Arabia. Agreement with the Idrisi Saiyid regarding the Farasan Islands and other matters' [‎113r] (3/4)

The record is made up of 1 file (2 folios). It was created in Jan 1917. 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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them very much to the fore in Arabia and holding their own. lie cites
Lahej, Kunfida and the failure there; the slow progress of the Sherif of
Mecca, and finally Mesopotamia, and lie doubts our ability to dislodge them.
His fears to-day are two-fold. He believes that—
(1) his refusal to treat with any other Power, and his promise not to
dispose of Farasan Islands and rights therein, will draw upon
him Turkish animosity. The Turks up to now have watched
his coquetry with us but believe they can win him back to the
fold hereafter. Let them once come to know of his closer
“ " with us as regards the Islands and they will regard
him as completely ostracised. There is no arguing with a
fanatic of such preconceived notions ;
(2) this engagement will deprive him of future assistance in arms and
ammunition from Djibouti and Massowa, both of which places
have for many years very considerably assisted in the arms
traffic.
Cut off from these two sources of supply to whom; he asks, should he apply
for the necessary sinews of war, and whom should he approach hereafter
except the British Government ? The Government must therefore take the
place of these two Powers.
The sole Power the Idrisi fears now, and after the war, is Turkey aided
by Germany, and the reason given for securing not only our pnomise of
assistance in arms, but of advice in the development of his country, an
asvlum—should a crisis in the country compel his temporary withdrawal—
coupled with the assurance of a continuation of these terms after the war to
himself and successors—is this one inordinate fear of a prospectively
irate Turkey. From this obsession he could not be dissuaded. At first it
was our flac/ that would incense the Turks, and on the second visit it would
be the engagement to refrain from a cession of the Islands that was bound
to arouse Turkish resentment.
At one time in the proceedings the Idrisi had insisted on the despatch of
British troops inland, if he were attacked by the Turks, but I reminded him
that cur earlier treaty was con lined to his sea-board and to protection by
sea power.
1 may say that although this engagement in its inception was peculiar to
the Farasan Islands, yet the Idrisi was loud in predicting for the whole of
his territories the ill-forebodings he had conjured up as the likely result t>f
his agreeing to paragraph III. It was therefore not possible—given the
desideratum of securing his adhesion to this paragraph—to exclude from
the agreement this extended area of his entire sea-board. His Minister
(Ba Sabi) declared (and we cannot refute it) that the Farasan Islands were
. . the Idrisi’s before the 30th April 1915, 1
and that, though not specincally men
tioned, the Farasan became at once a part and parcel of his sea-board and
within the purview of that treaty.
One result of the present agreement will be the exclusion of Italian
influence in the Idrisi’s domains. His Minister told me that the Italians
were very desirous of concluding some agreement with the Idrisi to secure a
(/uid pro quo of their long established connection qwi the arms trade, and
that even now the Italians sent him ammunition. At the same time the
Idrisi scouted the idea of dealing with any Power save Great Britain, and to
our Government be looked for every form of assistance.
As regards paragraph V. 1 found it impolitic to insist on any fixed
number of his retainers on the Island. I had insisted on “ a number not
less than one hundred men,” but this was met by the argument that many
more might be required and the exact number had best be left to time and
circumstance. The Minister who was deputed on board said that the
Farasan Islanders were a very stout body of men who would give a good
account of themselves if necessary. 1 waived the point of numbers for I was
dealing with a peculiar cast of man, and was guided also by the principle
that (^specially with Asiatics, L it unwise to insist on what one cannot
enforce nor supervise without causing friction. It is enough that he has
engaged to ensure his ellecti\ e occupation.

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Content

Three documents are included in this file: the 'Supplementary Agreement concluded between His Majesty's Government and Saiyid Muhammad Bin Ali Bin Ahmed Bin Idrisi, the Idrisi' which was negotiated by Harold Fenton Jacob, First Assistant Resident Agent, Aden, and which recognises the ownership of the Farasan Islands by the Idrisi and guarantees British support in protecting the islands from hostile action; a letter from James Marshall Stewart, 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 Aden, relating to his views on the agreement; and a 'Memorandum on the supplementary engagement concluded with the Idrisi Saiyad on 22nd January 1917' by H F Jacob. The latter document touches upon the hostility between the Turkish [Ottomans] and the Idrisi; it also discusses the Idrisi's concerns over whether Britain will win the First World War, and how this would impact upon the agreement and on future relations with the Turks.

Extent and format
1 file (2 folios)
Arrangement

The file opens with a letter and is followed by a copy of the agreement and a memorandum about the agreement.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 112, and terminates at f 113, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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 present in parallel; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

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English in Latin script
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'Arabia. Agreement with the Idrisi Saiyid regarding the Farasan Islands and other matters' [‎113r] (3/4), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B250, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100032846153.0x000004> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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