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File 2182/1913 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Policy towards Bin Saud (Capt. Shakespear's Mission)' [‎161r] (323/426)

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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Bth November 1914
Copy of a letter dated l^E'"^fE-&I«Ea, from Captain
Shakespear to Shaikh Ahdnl Aziz hin Ahdur Rahman al Faisal*
A. C.
I heg to inform Your Honour that I arrived here at Bahrein
yesterday and received with much pleasure your letter of the
4th Zu-al-Haj, 1332 (24th October 1914) and was much gratified
at the expressions of your good-will* i also received a letter
from our friend Abdulla bin Jalawi and understood their contents 0
Now my friend you will have received further letters from
the Resident at Bushire and will have understood their contents
and the stat£ of affairs will be apparent to you* It is very
necessary that I should meet you more especially as I have no
Arabic es^pher nor do i know how to make one* Also there will be
great delay in my reaching you from Bahrein since I shall first
have to communicate with our friend Al J&lowi and then await
his reply* i have decided therefore to go on to Bushire and
then to Ktrwait as from Kuwait I shall be nearer to you and if
you also march north wards with all your forces I shall inshallah
be able to meet you at any wells you like to name, either As-Safah
or Al Easa or Al Grara T a 0 Please send your reply to this to me
to Kuwait and if you will inform me where to meet you and about
what date I shall be there God willing. I have written this
letter in great haste as I have to go to a ship at once. As I
am now a Representative from the Precious Government to Your
Honour it will be impossible for me to come in disguise*
With my salaams to your revered father and to all the brothers*
This is what had to be explained and May you be preserved*

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Content

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)' [‎161r] (323/426), 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_100034341124.0x000085> [accessed 4 June 2026]

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