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Coll 6/67(3) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [329r] (664/830)
The record is made up of 1 volume (411 folios). It was created in 7 Feb 1935-20 Dec 1935. 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.
( J'Z*?) \
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia).
CONFIDENTIAL.
July 3, 1935.
Section 3.
[E 4111/77/91]
Fuad Bey Hamza to Mr. RJuly 3 .)
Dear Mr. Rendel, ^^^ 935 ^°“’
I AM very sorry that I was unable to prepare the note I promised you in the
course of our conversation on the 25th June on the subject of the line of frontiers
m Eastern and Southern Arabia before receiving your letter dated the 27th June
This delay was caused by unavoidable reasons of which you are no doubt aware!
„ , d . ke , t0 explain most emphatically and sincerely that the line
In t !!' I ;°! e W11 - }l 1 had the pleasure to present to Sir Andrew
L i' 6 ? rd 1935 ,. (29th Thil Hi D a > 1353 )> defined after
andXr the fo low? ga n i “.‘r the a ^HSLsltuatioi L at the present moment
and after the following important factors Rave been taken into consideration •
SaSiS-
jr"
(1) The fact that both Governments (the British and the Saudi Arabian) have
agreed to put aside the legal question so long as it was possible to
reach an honourable agreement, as it was preferable to try to draw a
new line for the frontiers which would be acceptable to all parties
concerned and which would safeguard the permanent common
interests.
( 2 ) The fact that the Government of His Majesty King Abdul Aziz did
v not adopt the wide principle which was the basis of her relations with
the tribes of the desert which had declared their allegiance and
submission to His Majesty the King as the tribes of Da-akeih, viz,
A Manahil, Ahl Kathir and Ahl Mahra—and most of the tribes of
^dMaiias^AlDaru’, A 1 ’Awamir, Beni GhafiriKEoTEe^ESTwere
content to mention the natural boundaries which were at the same time
generally recognised by the tribes inhabitating the desert as belonging , r>
to the tribes on whose members and lands His Majesty’s Government « ^
has exercised direct influence for a l ong ^period, during which their
ordinary members and their sHerkhs'were actually in His Maiestv’s
service and His Majesty’s regular army. J J >
(3) His Majesty’s Government’s realisation of the extreme difficulties which
may arise as a result of an unjust delineation of the frontiers and
particularly the great resentment which the tribes may feel if they-
were abandoned after having rendered loyal allegiance and submission
all these long years and after having built their hopes for the future
on the continuity of the system of government devised for them and
His Majesty’s Government’s wish to keep its promise and fulfil its
obligations and responsibility towards its subjects and its neighbours.
3. Having outlined to you these fundamental points, I would like to point
out that the line of the frontiers which I presented to Sir Andrew Ryan does
not contain any exaggeration nor^ does it leave any room for bargaining or
^ have pointed out above, due note was taken in delineating this
Imer'-ST tKe tribal considerations which are generally admitted by the Bedouin
population and more especially by those of them who are neutral and are therefore
not interested in proving somebody’s claim or refuting it.
4. You will no doubt remember what I told you in our last two meetino-s
that His Majesty’s Government fully appreciating the position delegated to me
the task of checking the official data concerning the frontiers by taking the
evidence of certain neutral persons among the experts of the desert.’ As a result
I became convinced that the line referred to above does not exceed the true state
of affairs and that the wells of Banaiyan, Sufuq, Battha and Bataihin bekum X
to the Ahl Murra. &
5. I would like to explain to you now certain details concerning the places
and wells belonging to the tribes which would make it easier to understand
[456 c—3]
About this item
- Content
This volume primarily concerns British policy regarding the south-eastern boundaries of Saudi Arabia, specifically those bordering Qatar, the Trucial Shaikhdoms, Muscat, the Hadramaut and the Aden Protectorate.
It includes interdepartmental discussion regarding the approach that the British Government should take in reaching a settlement with King Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] over the demarcation of the boundaries.
References are made to various existing and proposed lines, including the 'blue line' and the 'violet line' – boundary lines that formed part of the Anglo-Ottoman Conventions, concluded in 1913 and 1914 respectively, a 'green line' and a 'brown line', which represent more recent territorial concessions proposed by the British to Ibn Saud, and a 'red line', which is referred to as the Saudi Government's claim for its country's south-eastern boundary.
The volume features the following principal correspondents: 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. (Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle); the 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. , Bahrain (Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan); the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir Samuel Hoare); the Acting Chief Commissioner, Aden (Lieutenant-Colonel Morice Challoner Lake); officials of the Colonial Office, the Foreign Office, 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. , the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department.
The correspondence includes discussion of the following:
- The extent of territory that the British should be prepared to include in any concession made to Ibn Saud.
- The abandonment of the idea of a proposed 'desert zone'.
- The future of the Treaty of Jedda of 1927.
- Meetings held at the Foreign Office with Fuad Bey Hamza, Deputy Saudi Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Hafiz Wahba, Saudi Arabian Minister in London, during June and July 1935.
- The eastern boundary of the Aden Protectorate.
- The possibility of the British Government employing Bertram Thomas to carry out enquiries and investigations regarding the question of Saudi Arabia's south-eastern frontiers.
- Wells and territories of the Al Murra [Āl Murrah] tribe.
- Preparations for Sir Andrew Ryan's forthcoming visit to Riyadh for negotiations with Ibn Saud.
- Abu Dhabi's claim to Khor-al-Odeid [Khawr al ‘Udayd].
- Details of a British aerial reconnaissance of the Qatar Peninsula, which took place on 11 October 1935.
In addition to correspondence the volume includes the following: copies of the minutes of meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence's Standing Ministerial and Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East, dated 15 April 1935 and 24 September 1935 respectively; photographs of the Qatar Peninsula, taken during the aforementioned aerial reconnaissance; a map showing the route of the aerial reconnaissance.
The volume includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 4).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (411 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 411; 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.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/67(3) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [329r] (664/830), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2136, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100046787907.0x000041> [accessed 6 May 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2136
- Title
- Coll 6/67(3) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.'
- Pages
- 329r:329v
- Author
- Ḥamzah, Fu’ād
- Usage terms
- The copyright status is unknown. Please contact copyright@bl.uk with any information you have regarding this item.