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File 2182/1913 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Policy towards Bin Saud (Capt. Shakespear's Mission)' [‎48r] (92/426)

The record is made up of 1 item (211 folios). It was created in 22 Sep 1914-17 Jan 1916. 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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CONFIDENTIAL.
Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel ^ . G. Grey, Indian Army, 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, to the Secretary, Political Department, 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. .
Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Kuwait,
Dear Sir Arthur Hirtzel, 16th June 1915.
I he enclosed is perhaps important or interesting enough to send
to \ on direct in view of the time which correspondence takes to reach 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. , particularly now that the mail journey from India is extended
by a week. The position has materially improved during the past few
days ; the waverers among Arabs are more soundly converted to us by our
success than by any other form of persuasion.
Yours very truly,
\Y . G. Grey.
From Lieutenant-Colonel Y\ . G. Grey, Indian Army, 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,
to 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. , Bushire, No. C/8 of 1915,
dated Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Kuwait, 9th June 1915.
Sir,
According to the Times, Lord Curzon of Kedleston is reported to
have remarked as follows on the occasion of an address by Mr. P. Landon
on Basrah and the Shatt-ul-Arab, at the Society of Arts, on 15th April
last: —
“ Hitherto we had had most friendly relations with the Arabs. It was
rather a puzzle to him why at those earlier stages of the fighting the
Arabs appeared to have sided with the Turks, and it certainly
should be the object of our diplomacy to detach them from the side
of the Turks and to resume those pleasant relations with them which
had characterized our policy during the last 50 years.”
And again in the House of Lords on 2uth April :—
“ And they (the Turks) appeared to have succeeded in pressing into
their service the greater part of the Arab tribes in the lower part of
Mesopotamia. This was a matter of extreme importance, for we
had always maintained, and he thought were still maintaining,
friendly relations with the tribes in that part of the world.”
The Right Honourable the Secretary of State for India is reported to
have replied on the latter occasion that:—
A considerable number of Arabs had joined the Turks in the attacks.
A t the battle of Shaiba, where there were certainly not less than 10,000
Turkish troops engaged, probably approaching the same number of
Arabs took part in the operations. It had been perhaps too hastily
assumed at first that all Arabs, when Turkey joined the Germans,
would take part in breaking the Turkish yoke. Of some Arabs,
particularly many of the desert tribes, this was no doubt true.
How far it applied to the more sedentary Arabs who, he took it,
supplied the Arab forces now operating, it was not so easy to say.
It was reasonable to suppose that probably a considerable number
bad proved willing to join Turkey now because the}’ had had it
* S. 274.

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Part 4 primarily concerns British policy towards Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd], following the outbreak of the First World War. It includes the following:

  • discussion regarding Bin Saud's relations with the Ottoman government, and the need for the British to secure Bin Saud's goodwill, especially in the event of the Ottoman government entering the war on the German side;
  • details of Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear's mission (as a political officer on special duty) to meet with Bin Saud, with the aim of ensuring that, in the event of hostilities between Britain and the Ottomans, no assistance is offered to the latter by Bin Saud;
  • translated copies of letters from Shaikh Mubarak [Shaikh Mubarak bin Ṣabāḥ Āl Ṣabāḥ], Ruler of Kuwait, to Bin Saud, urging the latter to side with the British Government;
  • details of a proposed preliminary treaty between the British and Bin Saud;
  • reports of Captain Shakespear's death;
  • reports on Bin Saud's military engagements against Bin Rashid [Saʿūd bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Rashīd];
  • a copy of a draft of a preliminary treaty between the British government and Bin Saud;
  • details of proposed gifts from the British to Bin Saud of arms and ammunition captured from the Ottomans, plus a £20,000 loan.

The principal correspondents are the following:

Extent and format
1 item (211 folios)
Written in
English in Latin script
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File 2182/1913 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Policy towards Bin Saud (Capt. Shakespear's Mission)' [‎48r] (92/426), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/387/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100034341123.0x000066> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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