![Coll 6/67(4) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎109v] (218/843)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0002a3/IOR_L_PS_12_2137_0221.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Coll 6/67(4) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎109v] (218/843)")
Coll 6/67(4) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [109v] (218/843)
The record is made up of 1 file (420 folios). It was created in 12 Nov 1935-27 Sep 1937. 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.
2
Enclosure.
Record of conversations in the course of interviews granted by His Majesty
King Abdul Aziz to Sir Reader Bullard and Mr. Rendel on March 20,
21 and 22, 1937. Sheikh Yusuf Yasin and Sheikh Hafiz Wahba were
present throughout, and the Amir Feisal appeared on two occasions.
Sheikh Hafiz Wahba and Sir Reader Bullard interpreted.
First Interview, March 20.
The King began by laying down the principles which governed his life :
(1) his religion, (2) his determination to keep his name above reproach, and
(3) devotion to his religion and to the interests of his subjects. He was a self-made
man, haying started with nothing in the world, and provided that he stuck
to his principles he was prepared to go back to nothing. Times were changing,
the pristine honesty of the world was declining, but he would never pursue a
crooked path. He believed in consulting everyone, but no one could lead him
by the nose. He would always speak to His Majesty’s Government frankly and
sincerely. All sorts of stories were afloat about his subservience to the Italians,
but he could assure His Majesty's Government that they were nonsense.
Mr. Rendel said how much the King’s frankness was appreciated by members of
the Government in Great Britain, and Sir Reader Bullard said that he was
sure that the King was never suspected by His Majesty’s Government of
subservience to Italy, and that His Majesty’s Government knew that his policy
was directed to what was their object as well as his, viz., the maintenance of
the independence of Saudi Arabia.
2. Ibn baud said that he was a Moslem first of all, but he believed that of
all the European Powers the one with whom it was to the advantage of the Arabs
everywhere to be on good terms was Great Britain. After some talk on these
lines Sir Reader Bullard took the opportunity to convey the thanks of His
Majesty’s Government for the advice which the King had given to the Mufti
of Jerusalem when the mufti appealed for his help recently (Foreign Office
telegram No. 12 of the 1st March). The King expressed pleasure at this mark
of appreciation of his efforts and repeated what he had said to the mufti (he
had advised him to co-operate with the British in maintaining order and to
await the result of the Royal Commission), and he said that he had also warned
the mufti not to let himself be made an instrument for Italian intrigues. He went
on to say that he wanted the whole “ bundle ” of Arab States to be°on good terms
with His Majesty’s Government. He was not thinking of Palestine for the
moment; that question was being considered, and he trusted that a solution
would be found that would be satisfactory to His Majesty’s Government, to the
people of Palestine, and to the Arabs in general. No, he was thinking of danger
which threatened the Arab world in two places, the Yemen, and Iraq.
3. First the Yemen. The Yemen was in a ferment. The whole country was
against the heir apparent. Ahmad, while the Imam said “yes” to everyone
but did nothing. When three of the sons of the Imam came on the pilorimao-e
recently, Sayyid Husain spoke to the King about the situation in the^ Yemen
and &ske<i for his advice. If there was a revolt in the Yemen, what would be
the attitude of (1) Ibn Saud, and (2) the Italians ? According to Sayyid Husain
and Ibn Saud knew it to be true—the whole population without exception hated
Ahmad and the Foreign Minister, Raghib, a Turk who is in Italian pay Thev
had asked for the removal of Raghib, but he was protected by Ahmad Thev
had sent the Imam a written protest (here the King gave us a cbpy), but without
encGt. If the\ were free they would revolt and sweep away both Racdiib and
Ahmad, and the Imam too if he opposed this popular movement
4. To this enquiry from Sayyid Husain, Ibn Saud said he had replied that
as for himself, he proposed to observe a policy of complete neutrality and
non-intervention in Yemen affairs. He had withdrawn once when he might have
occupied the Yemen, and he did not propose to reverse that policy If there
should be trouble in the Yemen, the most he could do would he to consult other
Arab countries if asked by both sides to try to make peace, and to see what could
be done to give effect to the request. As to Great Britain and Italy, Ibn Saud
had told Husain about the Rome understanding of 1927, and had said that both
the British and the Italians had assured him that it was their firm desire that
About this item
- Content
This file primarily concerns British policy regarding the eastern and south-eastern boundaries of Saudi Arabia, specifically those bordering Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat (i.e. the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman).
Much of the correspondence relates to British concerns that the boundaries should be demarcated prior to the commencement of any oil prospecting in the area. The file's principal correspondents are the following: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard); 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); 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. , Muscat (Major Ralph Ponsonby Watts); the Secretary of State for the Colonies; the Secretary of State for India; the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial 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. , and the Admiralty.
Matters discussed in the correspondence include the following:
- Whether the British should press King Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] for a settlement of the outstanding questions relating to the aforementioned boundaries.
- Sir Andrew Ryan's meeting with Ibn Saud and the Deputy Minister for Saudi Foreign Affairs, Fuad Bey Hamza, in Riyadh, in November 1935.
- The disputed territories of Jebel Naksh [Khashm an Nakhsh, Qatar] and Khor-al-Odeid [Khawr al ‘Udayd].
- Whether or not a territorial agreement between Ibn Saud and Qatar was concluded prior to the Anglo-Qatar Treaty of 1916.
- The intentions of Petroleum Concessions Limited regarding the development of its oil concession in Qatar.
- The line proposed by the British for the boundary between Saudi Arabia and the Aden Protectorate.
- The Kuwait blockade.
- Leading personalities in Oman.
- Details of Harry St John Bridger Philby's expedition to Shabwa [Shabwah, Yemen].
- Four meetings held between Sir Reader Bullard, George Rendel (Head of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department), and Ibn Saud, in Jedda, 20-22 March 1937.
Also included are the following:
- Copies of the minutes of meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East.
- Copies of correspondence dating from 1906, exchanged 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Major Percy Zachariah Cox), the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department, and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi [Shaikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan], regarding the latter's claim to Khor-al-Odeid.
- Several maps and sketch maps depicting the proposed boundaries discussed in the correspondence.
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 (420 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 421; 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. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
Coll 6/67(4) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [109v] (218/843), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2137, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100049619516.0x000015> [accessed 18 April 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100049619516.0x000015
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100049619516.0x000015">Coll 6/67(4) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎109v] (218/843)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100049619516.0x000015"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0002a3/IOR_L_PS_12_2137_0221.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0002a3/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2137
- Title
- Coll 6/67(4) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:30v, 33r:47v, 50r:60v, 64r:93v, 95r:107v, 109r:210v, 213r:304v, 313r:358v, 360r:421v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence