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Coll 30/21 'Persian Gulf: Koweit. Blockade by Ibn Saud. Koweit-Nejd Relations' [‎149v] (309/1142)

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The record is made up of 1 file (562 folios). It was created in 15 Mar 1932-13 May 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. .

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Sir Andrew Ryan stated that he had been impressed by the apparent
weakness of His Majesty’s Government’s position vis-d-vis of Ibn Sand with
regard to Koweit. His Majesty’s Government were not strongly placed when it
became necessary to warn Ibn Sand to keep his hands off Koweit, since they were
committed to maintaining that Koweit was technically an independent State, p.-
A case in point had been the Saudi intrusions into Koweit territory, referred to^ .
in paragraph 3 of his note, when Saudi officials had performed acts of authority
within the limits of the sheikhdom.
Colonel Fowle pointed out that, in fact, our treaty engagements did entitle
us to prevent foreign Powers from dealing direct with the Sheikh. Ibn Sand
had certainly been informed of the special relations existing between the Sheikh
and His Majesty’s Government. Speaking generally, he added that, in fact,
little trouble was likely to be experienced with foreigners in Koweit, so long as
it remained a Bedouin town ruled by a Bedouin sheikh, and not, like Bahrein, a
relatively cosmopolitan commercial centre. If, however, oil were discovered
within the sheikhdom, it was possible that difficulties might arise.
Mr. Rendel pointed out that the Arabian air route was likely to develop
quickly. If Iraq were to adopt an anti-foreign policy, and Koweit became
correspondingly more important as a centre of international traffic, other
countries might well wish to take advantage of the facilities there. We might
well find many foreign Powers becoming increasingly interested in Koweit. We
could not have it both ways, and should sooner or later have to define our position.
His Majesty’s Government ought, therefore, to orient their policy definitely
either towards the greater independence of the sheikhdom or towards a tightening
of their own control.
Mr. Laithwaite agreed, and added that, in his view, our policy should be
directed towards a closer control, but that it was undesirable to hasten any overt
declaration of full control, such as the establishment of a protectorate would be.
Such a declaration might well frighten the Sheikhs of Bahrein and of the Trucial
Coast, and do more harm than good. The policy to be followed was, therefore,
one of occasional minor adjustments, as these became necessary, tending to
increase, or at any rate not to relax, our control over the sheikhdom.
Reveiting to the question of Saudi-Koweiti relations, Sir Andrew Ryan
diew attention to the toleration extended by His Majesty’s Government to direct
correspondence on business matters between the Sheikh and Ibn Saud. This,
no less than the independence formula, placed us in a weak position in defending
Koweit, and the correspondence in question was of such long standing that it was
difficult now for us to take the line that Ibn Saud should write to us rather than
to the Sheikh. What was desirable was that we should be able to tell Ibn Saud
openly that we were responsible for defending the Sheikh’s interests in anv given
dispute. J &
Mr. Laithwaite said that the explanation of the system of direct correspon-
dence between the Sheikh and Ibn Saud was, he thought, that it dated from a
Lime when the latter was not so important a ruler as he had since become, and
when we had taken the view that it was unnecessary to take too strict a view of
correspondence between sheikh and sheikh. That'position was now changed
and reconsideration seemed desirable. Ibn Saud was well aware both that His
Majesty s Government conducted the foreign relations of Koweit and that the
Sheikh had undertaken certain obligations towards us. He agreed that it was
now necessary to exert stricter control over the correspondence in question and
to emphasise our own special position in Koweit vis-a-vis of Ibn Saud more
definitely tfian had been the case while Iraq was still under British control He
suggested that we might (a) check Ibn Saud when he appeared to be presuming
too far with regard to Koweit-a policy which we were, in fact, now prepare!
to follow m regard to the Saudi-Koweit blockade; and (b) !nforce P stricter
regulations on the Sheikh in the matter of direct correspondence.
0 Colonel agreed. Such action would show both the Sheikh and Ibn
^aud that we considered the Sheikh to be under our direction If we did not
take some such step as this, we might be in danger of finding ourselves faced with
the results of a kind of conspiracy between the Sheikh and Ibn Saud. We ought
therefore, to write to tV Sheikh in the sense that we noted that his private

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Content

This volume contains correspondence between British officials regarding a trade blockade that was imposed on Kuwait by the King of Saudi Arabia, Ibn Sa'ud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd]. In addition to this specific topic, the correspondence also contains lengthy discussions regarding Britain's relations with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait more broadly.

As well as internal correspondence between British officials (primarily Britain's Minister in Jeddah, officials at the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Kuwait, the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Bushire, 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 Foreign Office), the volume also contains translated copies of letters that were sent to British officials by Ibn Sa'ud, two of his close advisors (Yusuf Yassin and Fuad Hamza) and the Ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah.

It also contains a number of extracts from Kuwait Intelligence Summaries produced by the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Kuwait and the following documents:

  • 'Draft Note of a meeting held at the Foreign Office on Monday, October 8th [1934], regarding the Claims of the Sheikh of Kuwait Against King Ibn Saud' (folios 109-110)
  • 'Final Record of Meeting on Matters affecting Kuwait' 8 June 1934 (folios 132-133)
  • 'Final Record of a Meeting held at the Foreign Office on October 5 [1933] to Discuss Relations Between His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Sheikh of Koweit' (folios 148-154)
  • 'Ibn Saud's attitude towards Kowait' by Sir Andrew Ryan, 16 August 1933 (folios 202-206)
  • 'Note on the Contraband Problem of Iraq with Her Neighbours, and in Particular How it Affects Kuwait' by 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. in Kuwait, Harold Richard Patrick Dickson, 29 May 1933 (folios 259-269)
  • 'Record of an Interdepartmental Meeting held at the Foreign Office on the 28th April, 1933, to consider the question of the blockade of Koweit by King Ibn Saud' (folios 292-295)
  • 'A Note on the present position of Trade between Iraq and Najd' (folios 420-421)
  • 'Notes on his Excellency Shaikh Ahmad's Trip to Riath [Riyadh]', 1932 (folios 487-496)
  • 'Draft Record of a Meeting Held at the Foreign Office on August 12th, 1931, to Consider Certain Questions Connected with Koweit' (folios 543-562).

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.

Extent and format
1 file (562 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 562; 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, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 30/21 'Persian Gulf: Koweit. Blockade by Ibn Saud. Koweit-Nejd Relations' [‎149v] (309/1142), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3732, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100050207067.0x00006e> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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