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Ext 5050/43 ‘Formation of an Arab Centre in the Middle East for providing selected British officers with knowledge of Arabic, Arab countries and Middle East problems’ [‎91r] (181/190)

The record is made up of 1 file (93 folios). It was created in 17 Sep 1943-5 Jan 1948. 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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Note by the Minister of state
In order to provide l body or young men with some
knowledge of the Arabic language and an adequate background of
Arabic, Islamic and Middle Eastern history, as well as of the
problems with which H.ii. Government is faced now in the Middle
Kast and which will become more acute in the future, it is
proposed to establish a Centre of Arab studies in a suitaole
location in the Middle East. These officers, when trained,
will constitute at t.,e end of the war, or before, a * J oul from
which military, diplomatic and administrative uemands lor
personnel may be met. 3 uch demands may be expected irom
political missions, intelligence organisations, anu Occupied
Itoeay Territory Administration, while the existence of a
number of office rs with a first hand knowledge of the Middle
East and its problems can be of general advantage.
2. It is anticipated that the Centre will remain in
existence for at least the duration of the war and should it
be found to justify its existence it seems quite conceivable
that it might be advantageous to continue it after the
termination of hostilities though this, of course, must depend
upon future commitments in this part of the world and the
general development of the situation.
3. The need for officers with such a training has already
been acutely felt in the past two years and it is not likely
that this need will grow any less as the direct military control
tends to relax.
4. As a nucleus of students, it is proposed to draw on
the pool of Political Officers set up in February 1^42 on the
authority of Troopers telegram 66010 (SD2b) of 1 February 42.
This authorised an establishment of twenty officers which has
now been reduced to twelve. There would also be a certain
number of students from O.S.T.A. and possibly from the British
iCouncil, though the latter would presumably be a charge against
iBritish Council funds. The total of students, however, should
not exceed twenty.
5. The idea behind the formation of the political Ollicers
pool was, in fact, the same as that inspiring the present scheme
though the needs tobe met were more immediate. liow that the
immediate threat appears to have been removed from Arabic
countries the scheme can be envisaged on rather more thorough
lines than were contemplated in 1^41.
6 . The officers to be selected to unaergo training must be
of a high standard and one of the advantages of carrying out
their training in the middle East is that in addition to the
opportunities it offers to obtaining lirst hand knowledge of the
peoples with whom the students may ultimately deal, it a^so
enables officers, who are either found unsuitable or tnemselves
find that the atmosphere and the work is distasteful, to be
eliminated before they are committed to any career.
7. It is suggested that the students would, at the
outset, be attached to the Centre for a period of six months
to learn Arabic ana attend lectures on geography, history,
religion, culture, and politics of the Middle Fast as a whole, as
well as on such administrative questions as arc likely to oe mat
with by them in the future. At the end of six months the
students/

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Content

The file contains papers regarding the establishment of the Middle East Centre of Arabic Studies at Jerusalem and the appointment of Bertram Sidney Thomas as its first director; the purpose of the Centre was to provide training in Arabic and the ‘Arab Countries’ to British personnel for wartime and post-war administrative, diplomatic, and military demands in the Middle East. It also contains information on the Centre's early syllabus, some details of its students, and discussion related to desirability of recruiting its graduates to the Indian Political Service The branch of the British Government of India with responsibility for managing political relations between British-ruled India and its surrounding states, and by extension the Gulf, during the period 1937-47. for service in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .

For information related to the syllabus see f 25, ff 32-42, and ff 55-71.

For information related to the students see ff 26-27, ff 29-30, and ff 72-75.

The main correspondents are as follows: the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. 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. (Sir Geoffrey Prior), officials of 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. (Roland Tennyson Peel and Francis Anthony Kitchener Harrison), and representatives of the Government of India.

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.

Extent and format
1 file (93 folios)
Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 95; 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.

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English in Latin script
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Ext 5050/43 ‘Formation of an Arab Centre in the Middle East for providing selected British officers with knowledge of Arabic, Arab countries and Middle East problems’ [‎91r] (181/190), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/857, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100044161144.0x0000b6> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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