Skip to item: of 392
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 6/33 'Hejaz-Nejd: Internal Administration and Constitution; Various Laws.' [‎145r] (291/392)

The record is made up of 1 file (193 folios). It was created in 7 Aug 1928-22 Feb 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.

Apply page layout

be either resident or constantly accessible in Jedda, it
was not clear which. He himself would carry on the Jedda
work until this could he arranged. The reorganisation
would soon he publicly announced.
1 welcomed this statement, provided it did not
mean that I should he thi^own hack on heads of sections
for the handling of important affairs. Fuad Bey
reassured me on this point and said that he expected to
play much the same role vis a vis of the foreign represent
atives as before. I said that as a personal matter I
should have preierred not to have had another intermediary
besides himself between me and the King.
^ 0n th is Fuad Bey made the most interesting part
of his statement. The King he said was overtired. He was
at last listening to his doctors and trying to ease off,
with a view to being able to reign rather than to rule.
It was therefore proposed to delegate extensive powers to
the Amir Faisal, who is to remain Viceroy of the Hejaz and
who will now take over much of the King T s work in respect
of foreign affairs.
^ is hardly credible that Ibn Sa f ud, masterful
and restless as he is, should abdicate so much of his
real power as the foregoing suggests but it will be
interesting to see what balance is achieved under the ne?/
arrangements.
ksb. already been announced in the "Umm-al--
Q,ura ox July 18 that one of the decisions taken during
the recent conferences was to constitute in t he Diwan
a political department under Sheikh Yusuf Yasin. I asked
Fuad Bey whether this new department would also be
concerned. .

About this item

Content

This file concerns matters relating to the administration of the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia). It contains correspondence discussing laws and regulations passed by the Hejazi/Saudi Government.

The early part of the file (1928-1929) contains copies of translations of various royal decrees regarding the following:

  • The appointment of a commission to oversee the distribution and administration of charities in the Hejaz.
  • The registration of companies in the kingdom.
  • The composition and functions of the Legislative Council.

This part of the file contains a significant amount of correspondence from local government officials in British India, which discusses how the regulations on the distribution and administration of charities in the Hejaz might affect Indian Muslims. It includes concerns raised by representatives of Indian Muslims in Bombay and Karachi that the Wahabi interpretation of Sharia law on the subject of charities does not coincide with Sunni and Shia interpretations.

Later correspondence discusses the reorganisation of the administration of the Hejaz in 1930 and the new designation of Ibn Saud's dominions as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in September 1932. This part of the file includes the following:

  • A copy of a translation of the Hejazi constitution or 'fundamental rules' of 1926, together with copies of translations of subsequent regulations and notifications amending or superseding certain articles of the constitution.
  • A copy of a translation of a royal decree marking the change of name of the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Details of various Saudi Government regulations, such as those regarding the registration of companies in Saudi Arabia and those relating to the governance of foreign residents in the country.
  • Reports of the formation of the Saudi National First Aid Society in 1935.
  • Details regarding the reorganisation of Saudi Arabia's Legislative Council.

The file's principal correspondents are the following: the British Agent and Consul, Jedda (Hugh Stonehewer Bird); His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires to Jedda (Cecil Gervase Hope Gill, Albert Spencer Calvert, and Alan Charles Trott successively); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard); officials of the Board of Trade, the Foreign Office, and the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department.

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 (193 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 194; 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 2-193; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 6/33 'Hejaz-Nejd: Internal Administration and Constitution; Various Laws.' [‎145r] (291/392), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2099, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100050156189.0x00005e> [accessed 28 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

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_100050156189.0x00005e">Coll 6/33 'Hejaz-Nejd: Internal Administration and Constitution; Various Laws.' [&lrm;145r] (291/392)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100050156189.0x00005e">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x00027d/IOR_L_PS_12_2099_0293.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

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_100000000555.0x00027d/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image