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File 2182/1913 Pt 6 'Arabia Relations with Bin Saud' [‎196v] (400/547)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (270 folios). It was created in 3 Dec 1916-30 Dec 1917. It was written in English and French. 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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secured it, overran the-Hasa, ejected without difficulty the small Turkish
garrisons and established himself on the coast at Qatif and O jair. Captain
Shakespear, on his return to England in June 1914 from a long projected
journey across Arabia, in the course of which he had visited Riyadh, bore
witness to the strong personal domination which Ibn Sa’ud’s vigorous and
commanding personality had established, and from other reports it was
clear that he was regarded beyond iris own frontiers as the coming man.
He proved more than a match for the ineffective efforts of the Turks to
retake the Hasa: they resorted to diplomacy and opened negotiations with
him through Saiyid Talib of Basrah. Early in May Tal’at Beg had
formulated in private eonversationr at the British Embassy the expectations
of the Ottoman Government in terms which seemed to his hearers little
consonant with actual conditions. He proposed to establish a strictly
delimited frontier between Ibn Sa’ud and Ibn Rashid, place representatives
of the Sultan at Riyadh and at Hail, and rely upon the guile of these
officials to control without the aid of force the actions of the two Amirs. As
* for the Hasa, Ibn Sa’ud would be appointed Mutasarrif of the province, but
the collection of the Customs would remain in Turkish hands and Turkish
garrisons would be replaced in the ports.
3. Nothing was more certain than that Ibn Sa’ud’s appearance on the coast
must ultimately bring him into direct contact with ourselves, whether we
welcomed it or sought to avoid it ; and this anxiety underlay and possibly
accelerated the action of the Porte. But at the moment Turkish fears were
groundless. We were concerned wholly with the conclusion of prolonged
negotiations with Constantinople, touching interests in Mesopotamia and the
Gulf which were of vital importance, and were less inclined, if possible,
than before for Arabian adventure. We made a friendly offer of mediation
which was refused, and when in April 1914 the Amir met the British Agent,
Colonel Grey, outside Kuwait, he was given to understand that we had
recently concluded a comprehensive agreement with Turkey and could hold
out to him no hope of support. Ibn Sa’ud was thrown back on his own
resources, but these were considerable, and the secret treaty which was
signed in May by himself and the Wali of Basrah fell short of Tal’at Beg’s
anticipations. He accepted the title of Wali and Military Commandant of
Najd which was offered to himself and bis descendants as long as they
should remain loyal, and engaged to fly the Turkish flag, but he was to have
charge of the Customs on behalf of the Ottoman Government, raise his
own levies and provide the garrisons - for Qatif and Ojair. Deficiencies in
the Najd budget were to be met from the Customs, and no revenue from any
local income was to be paid to Constantinople until such time as there was
a surplus, an eventuality of doubtful occurrence. But while exercising in his
own territories an authority which was in all but the name that of an inde
pendent ruler, his correspondence with foreign Powers was to’ be conducted
solely through the Porte, and in case of war he was to come to the assistance
of the Sultan.
4. What would have been the upshot of a treaty which so imperfectly
reflected the convictions of the contracting parties can scarcely admit of
doubt. The guiding trait of Ibn Sa’ud’s character is what must be called a
racial rather than a national patriotism, but this sentiment was not likely to
evoke sympathetic consideration from the leaders of the Committee of Union
and Progress, who were blindly determined on the Ottomanization of the
Arabs. As a strict Wahabi, the new Wali of Najd looked with abhorrence
on the loose religious principles -of the Turks and was far from admitting
their pretensions to represent and direct Islam. He had, in conversation
with Captain Shakespear, spoken with unexpected vehemence on this point,
saying that in his eyes the Infidel was preferable to the Turk, since the
latter broke the rule he professed to follow while the former acted in
accordance with his own law : and to the same listener he declared that he
had accepted the terms of the agreement only because he was assured
privately that even the small measure of sovereignty accorded to Turkey
would never be claimed. The Kuwait treaty was put to the test bv the
outbreak of European war and found wanting.

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Content

This volume contains part 6 of the subject 'Persia Gulf'. It concerns British relations with Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd]. Much of the volume's correspondence discusses whether the British should offer Bin Saud inducements (in the form of money, titles, arms or personnel) to take action against both Shaikh Saud bin Abdul Aziz bin Rashid, Amir of Hail [Saʿūd bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Rashīd, Emir of Ha'il, also referred to by the British as Bin Rashid and Ibn Rashid] and the Turks. The volume includes the following:

The volume features the following principal correspondents:

The volume also contains copies of correspondence between 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. , Aden (Major General James Marshall Stewart) and both Saiyid Mohamed bin Ali bin Idris, the Idrisi [Sayyid Muḥammad bin ‘Alī Āl al-Idrīsi] and Imam Mahomed Yahya bin Hamid-ul-Din [Yaḥyā Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn].

The part includes a divider that gives the subject and part number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in the part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (270 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The subject 2182 (Persia Gulf) consists of 8 volumes: IOR/L/PS/10/384-391. The volumes are divided into 12 parts with part 1 comprising the first volume, part 2 comprising the second volume, part 3 comprising the third volume, parts 4-5 comprising the fourth volume, part 6 comprising the fifth volume, parts 7-8 comprising the sixth volume, parts 9-10 comprising the seventh volume, and parts 11-12 comprising the eighth volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 269; 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.

The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the one leading flyleaf.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 2182/1913 Pt 6 'Arabia Relations with Bin Saud' [‎196v] (400/547), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/388, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100035784057.0x000001> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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