Skip to item: of 794
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 6/67(1) 'Boundaries of South-Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎184r] (372/794)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (392 folios). It was created in 13 Jun 1934-13 Dec 1934. It was written in English and Arabic. 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

Colonel Felly on the Felation between the Wahabi Amirs and the Gulf Sheikhdoms.
113. In the general conversations that took place between Colonel Felly and the
Amir, the latter claimed sovereignty over all Eastern Arabia, from Koweit to Ras
al Hadd. “ Ihis land of Arabia,” he remarked, u from Koweit through Qatif, Ras
j^d Khaimah, Oman, Ras al Hud and beyond, which God has given unto us.” He
w stated that in previous years the Turks had seized some of his territories, but that
he did not fear them.
The Resident in the course of his report remarks that the “ quasi-independent
chieftains ” along the Arab littoral “ were in fact more or less the puppets of
the great inland power of Nejd ” ; and elsewhere that the Wahabi Government
“ dominates the western seaboard of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and that of Oman. It
receives tribute, whether in kind or money, from the chieftains of Bahrein, Abu
Dhabi, Dibai, Umm al Qaiwain, Ajman, Shargah and Ras al Khaimah. It holds an
advanced military post at Baraimi, astride between these chieftains and the Sultanate
of Muscat, which is also its tributary. . .” He further observed that if the Amir
Abdullah, who succeeded Feisul in 1865, were “ enabled to consolidate his power at
home and to be assured against our intervention abroad, the result would probably
be that the Wahabi confederacy would directly dominate the chiefs of the Pirate
Coast; and that all Eastern Arabia, from Koweit to Ras al Hadd, would ultimately,
whether willingly or unwillingly, fall under Wahabi influences.”
114. Later in 1865 the Resident, with the approval of the Government of India,
offered to mediate between the Amir and Muscat, and British intervention proved
necessary owing to the Wahabi activities at Sur referred to in paragraphs 67 and
68 above.
Claim by Wahabi Amir that Proceedings of his Agent at Baraimi were justified by
an Agreement with Ld.XL. Government, 1865.
115. Meanwhile, the Amir, in reply to the remonstrances addressed to him in
regard to the Sur incident, endeavoured to justify his action and defended the
proceedings of his Lieutenant at Baraimi on the ground that there existed between
the Wahabi Amirs and the British Government an agreement originally effected
in the time of the late Amir Saud, and again ratified in the time of the present
rider, Turki.
116. No trace of any such treaty as that mentioned by the Wahabi Amir could
be found in the 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. at Bushire or in the records of the Government of India.
The Government of India stated that it would be advisable “ for the Bombay
Government to inform the Wahabi Amir that the British Government is not aware
of the existence of any formal agreement between itself and the Amir, but that if
any such document does exist, a copy of it, no doubt, must be in the Amir’s
possession, and the Amir will do well to produce it for verification,,” The Amir
should likewise be given to understand that any encroachment on the territory of
Muscat would be viewed with grave concern.
British Punitive Action against Wahabis, 1866.
117. Considerable subsequent discussion and correspondence took place in regard
to the affairs of Muscat during 1866, and on the 6th January in that year a formal
warning was addressed to the Amir Abdulla, who had succeeded his father Feisul
bin Turki on the latter’s death at the end of 1865, with a request for fall and written
apologies for the Sur incident. During the month, Wahabi towers and ships were
destroyed by the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Squadron, and in February the forts at Sur were
equally destroyed by gunfire and a severe punishment inflicted on the local Wahabi
tribes. Towards the end of the month letters dated 28th January were received
from the Wahabi Amir, which were followed by the despatch of an envoy to Bushire
with definite proposals of peace.
Wahabi Undertaking of 21st April 1866.
118. The Resident arrived at Bushire on 21st April 1866 and interviewed the
Wahabi representative, whose assurances and wishes appeared to be in all respects
satisfactory. The envoy gave the following written declaration to Colonel Pelly :—•
“I, Mohamed bin Abdulla bin Maneh, am certain on the following points;
“lam authorised by Imam Abdulla bin Feisul to request the Sahib, the
Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to become the medium of friendship between
Imam Abdulla bin Feisul and the British Government ;
Para. 74.
Para. 11.
Para. 107.
Para. 113.
Lor. I, 464.
Nejd Precis,
§ 92.
Bo. to G. of
I., 21.12.65,
No. 197.
Gr. of I. to
Bo., 24.1.66,
No. 66.
Aitch. XII,
No. i, p. 260.

About this item

Content

This volume primarily concerns British policy regarding the south-eastern boundaries of Saudi Arabia.

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.

Much of the correspondence discusses the legal and international position of what is referred to as the 'blue line' (the frontier which marked the Ottoman Government's renunciation of its claims to Bahrain and Qatar, as laid down in the non-ratified Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913 and redefined and adopted in the Anglo-Ottoman convention of the following year), a line which is not accepted by Ibn Saud as being binding upon his government.

The volume features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan); 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. , Kuwait (Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson); 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 Chief Commissioner, Aden (Bernard Rawdon Reilly, referred to in the correspondence as Resident); the Secretary of State for the Colonies (Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister); the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir John Simon); the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs; officials 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. , the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, the War Office, and the Air Ministry.

Matters discussed in the correspondence include the following:

  • Whether the British should press Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] for a general settlement of all outstanding major questions.
  • The extent of territory that the British should be prepared to include in any concession made to Ibn Saud.
  • The British response to what are referred to as Ibn Saud's 'ancestral claims' to territories east of the blue line.
  • Sir Andrew Ryan's meetings with Ibn Saud in Taif, in July 1934.
  • Meetings held at the Foreign Office between Sir Andrew Ryan, George Rendel (Head of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department), Fuad Bey Hamza (Deputy Minister for Saudi Foreign Affairs), and Hafiz Wahba (Saudi Arabian Minister in London), in September 1934.
  • The boundaries of a proposed 'desert zone', suggested by Rendel, where Ibn Saud would hold personal rather than territorial rights.
  • Saudi-Qatari relations.
  • Whether tribal boundaries should be considered as a possible solution to the boundary question.

Also included are the following:

The Arabic material consists of one item of correspondence (an English translation is included).

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 (392 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 inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 394; 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 and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 6/67(1) 'Boundaries of South-Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎184r] (372/794), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2134, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100056574349.0x0000ad> [accessed 29 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_100056574349.0x0000ad">Coll 6/67(1) 'Boundaries of South-Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [&lrm;184r] (372/794)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100056574349.0x0000ad">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0002a0/IOR_L_PS_12_2134_0372.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_100000000555.0x0002a0/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image