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Coll 30/21 'Persian Gulf: Koweit. Blockade by Ibn Saud. Koweit-Nejd Relations' [‎197v] (405/1142)

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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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Resident .... so far as may be practicable, on each specific occasion, and subject
to the further restriction that there shall be no question of establishing a
'permanent base in Koweit territory.” As the result of considerable further
interdepartmental discussion, the Air Officer Commanding was authorised on the
25th September, at his discretion, to carry out occasional reconnaissances over
Koweit territory, both by air and car. “ His Majesty’s Government are anxious
however, that—
(1) These reconnaissances shall be carried out as infrequently and in as
unprovocative a manner as possible, and
(2) That the Sheikh shall be given no ground for supposing that responsi
bility for the defence of Koweit has been assumed by His Majesty’s
Government, or that he himself has been relieved of his obligations
in this respect. These considerations should be borne in mind by the
Air Officer Commanding in acting under the authority now given
him. (Colonial Office telegram to Bagdad, No. 306, dated the
25th September, 1928.)
3 Approval was subsequently given in view of a threatened Akhwan raid
over the border, to the concentration, subject to the approval of the Sheikh of
armoured cars in Koweit “ for protection of Iraqi tribes for so long a period
as one month.” (Colonial Office telegram to Bagdad. No. 76, dated the
23rd February, 1929.)
4 ; In April 1929 the question of the policy to be adopted by the Sheikh of
Koweit m the event of Nejdi tribesmen taking refuge from King Ibn Saud in
Koweit territory arose, the air authorities suggested that the Sheikh should be
asked to concur m the use, if necessary, of military force, the nature and extent
ot which should be determined by the Air Officer Commanding, Iraq, for the
purpose of preventing any such refugees from entering or remaining in any
prt of Koweit territory. On the 8th May, 1929, 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. , in a letter
l? q? Colomal Office, remarked: ££ \iscount Peel gathers that the attitude of
the Sheikh is no longer m question and that he has already promised to endeavour
of Si r vhiTth? f Sb 8e lh ma q> n ^ USe ° f Kow f 1 territory. As regards the question
r v bheikh milltai 7 assistance for this purpose, the Secretary of State
o>pnprfl P n e In 0U ! opmion t 1 h 1 at 11 18 undesirable to extend in any way the
Sf Kowe 1 h ^prrh hlthe f?k aCCepted by w ls Ma 3 est .y’ s Government for the defence
t Koweit territory, if this can at all be avoided It would on the whole
milft’afv Wp hnt P ?f Slble ’ to , avoid askin £ the Sheikh to concur’ in the use of
that the sIk.iI.-i-, i, ii,' ' s , UC j a le< i ues t' 18 stiU essential, he is prepared to agree
t as essenHa Wn h0U h t0 Cm T ” The other Departments regarded
necessary instrnnthfi ke * request m the sense referred to of the Sheikh and the
necessary instructions were sent to the High Commissioner on the 11th May.
the ooeratioris'nf 1098 9 q re ! :a '! ,s oor liability for protection of Koweit during
22nd P W, st t ool a be ^ stated in the India 0ffic e letters of the
While llnh k 6 8 -f th May ’ 1929 ' ( l uoted ln paragraphs 2 and 4 above,
detail the conrse nf r 1 ,i° r Protection was not investigated in any great
aDDears to bTve hA ^ a ,f 0pted m dealm 8' with thr cats to Koweit territory
sueeested bv Cnlnnel Ik, n i era consis tent with the construction of our liability
the g flth Octoter 1933 0 m P ara ^ ra P h 10 of Dnshire despatch No. 1365-S of
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. , February 6, 1934. G ‘ LAITII WAITE.
( 3 ) [Note. The paragraph referred to runs as follows : —
“The 1914 agreement states that in return for the ShoiVE’o ™ ,■ • , ,,
Turkc: £ cEqH • j • yoi rne &neiKn s co-operation against the
This, unlike the phraseology of the pre“ou?aXeme n nts P 1s°a Palit: t Bri | tiSh P rotcction ',
t e po™biiit pr ^ c ’SinX “°h iVk b A
Personally I cannot ao T pp \v:tT^fh° 6 ^ e N Sheikhdom on His Majesty’s Government.
‘ on a strict readK^mir uthiTf 6 Ylew ^ u f ed m Paragraph 15 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. note, that
Koweit and that wp a rp n t n cou ^ con fi n ed to the protection of the town of
o,n 'toe note 16 “ » -hole.' It is true, as pointed
-appear to have p'nnpnWl nei te er te 0 present Sheikh, nor his predecessors,
relieves us from our oh Hern H 6r ^ a .l es ty’s Government, but that hardly
ment’s oblic^SnTreWA d ° eS J mply> of course ’ th at His Majesty’s Govern-
The Sheikh should cerfainhA S l ® l 1 kh , co J l Pj et€ Jy of the responsibility of his own defence,
should only look for ’ e f a ^ e 4eal with any small raids across his frontiers, and
fficursions!" Thfs in W wa ° m ^ esty ’ s Government in the case of more serious
of 1928 when the Sheikh’ S P resumab Jy fhe attitude taken up after the Akhwan operations
wS wlrfmo^ted n thp €nc ? f ura ^ ed , to P urcha ^ half-a-dozen Ford vanettes, Lewis guns,
training from — of his men received

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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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Coll 30/21 'Persian Gulf: Koweit. Blockade by Ibn Saud. Koweit-Nejd Relations' [‎197v] (405/1142), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3732, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100050207068.0x000006> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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