Coll 6/66 'Saudi-Arabia: Saudi-Transjordan Frontier' [52r] (103/427)
The record is made up of 1 file (212 folios). It was created in 3 Apr 1934-6 Mar 1940. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
complete variance with what King Abdul Aziz and Sir G. Clayton were trying
to lay down, would be entirely artiliciai and unnatural, and would probably prove
to operate just as much to the disadvantage of Saudi Arabia as to that of
Transjordan
Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan
.
13. As regards your second suggestion, I explained that we were not trying
to escape from the Hadda Agreement, but, on the contrary, to give the fullest
possible effect to it. We were quite ready to agree to the physical features being
allotted to
Transjordan
Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan
or to Saudi Arabia, according to whether they lay on the
Transjordan
Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan
or the Saudi side of the Hadda line as plotted on the Hadda map.
1 he difficulty was that, particularly at the southern end of the frontier, these
features were largely unrecognisable and that they lay in an entirely different
relationship to each other from that shown on the map. It was therefore
necessary to have some principle of interpretation if an entirely fantastic line were
to be avoided. You will remember that, at this point, Mr. Malcolm drew a little
diagram for you showing how the “shifting” of the physical features might
make a frontier which was intended to be straight into a quite impracticable and
unnatural series of loops.
14. I hope shortly to send you our record of the discussion, and so I need
not record it further in this letter. But my main object in writing now is to
record the definite proposals which were made; that is, the two alternative pro
posals which I put forward on behalf of His Majesty’s Government and which I
have summarised in paragraphs 5, 6 , 7 and 8 above, and your two alternative
proposals as summarised in paragraphs 10 and 11 . I have already summarised in
paragraphs 12 and 13 the difficulties which we see in the way of the adoption of
either of your proposals, and although I will, of course, submit them to the proper
authorities, I fear there is little hope of our being able to agree to either of them.
15. Meanwhile, I understand that you will submit our two alternative pro
posals to King Abdul Aziz, and I hope that, if His Majesty feels unable to agree
to the provisional maintenance of the boundary at present observed pending a
more favourable opportunity for a final settlement of the whole question as
suggested in paragraph 5 above, he will be prepared to consider the alternative
summarised in paragraphs 6 , 7 and 8 .
16. I should add that it is, of course, understood that our discussion was
concerned only with the frontier between
Transjordan
Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan
and Nejd, as laid down in
the Hadda Agreement on the 2 nd November, 1925, and that the question of the
frontier between
Transjordan
Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan
and the Hejaz. which is dealt with in notes 1 and 2
signed at the time of the Treaty of Jedda. remains entirely unaffected.
Yours very sincerely,
G. W. RENDEL.
About this item
- Content
This file primarily concerns British policy on the question of the Saudi- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier, specifically the frontier between Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan and Nejd, as initially outlined in the Hadda Agreement of 1925.
The correspondence includes discussion of the following:
- The reported disaffection of certain Saudi tribes in the Jauf [Al Jawf] and Teima [Taymā’] areas.
- Difficulties arising from inaccuracies discovered on a 1918 map of the frontier, on which the Hadda agreement was based.
- Saudi Government complaints regarding the alleged violation of the Saudi frontier by British aeroplanes and soldiers at Thaniyya Taraif [Thanīyat Ţurayf, Saudi Arabia].
- A proposal made by Fuad Bey Hamza, Deputy Minister for Saudi Foreign Affairs, during a meeting at the Foreign Office in July 1935, that the frontier should be that which is shown on the 1918 map, regardless of the map's inaccuracies (a proposal that the British authorities in Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan encourage the Foreign Office to accept).
- Reports of infringements of the existing frontier by Saudi patrols.
- The British response to Ibn Saud's [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] claim to the districts of Akaba [Aqaba] and Maan [Ma‘ān] in Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan .
The file also includes the following:
- Compiled notes of correspondence relating to the Treaty of Jedda (1927) and its modification (and more specifically, to the question of the Hejaz- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier) exchanged between Sir Gilbert Clayton and Ibn Saud (1927), and between the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Saudi Foreign Affairs (1936).
- Copies of the minutes of meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East, concerning the Saudi- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier (and, in one instance, also addressing the Island of Tamb in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ).
- Copies of the minutes of interdepartmental meetings regarding the Saudi- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier, held at the Colonial Office (7 January 1935) and Foreign Office (28 September 1934) respectively.
- Two sketch maps depicting disputed territory near the frontier.
The file features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard); His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires to Jedda (Albert Spencer Calvert); John Bagot Glubb, Acting Officer Commanding the Arab Legion; the Air Officer Commanding Palestine and Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan (Richard Edmund Charles Peirse); the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd]; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, the Air Ministry, and the War Office.
The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (212 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 213; 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 between ff 2-209; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/66 'Saudi-Arabia: Saudi-Transjordan Frontier' [52r] (103/427), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2133, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100040939863.0x000068> [accessed 29 March 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2133
- Title
- Coll 6/66 'Saudi-Arabia: Saudi-Transjordan Frontier'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:5v, 7r:7v, 9r:79v, 81r:172v, 174r:213v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence