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Coll 6/67(1) 'Boundaries of South-Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎274r] (552/794)

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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. .

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the state of Oman generally at present offers him a very favourable oppor
tunity, if he be so disposed. I am warning Sheikhs of the improbability of
^ such a development, and deterring them from provoking hostilities, but I
should be glad to give them, if possible, something reassuring as to the
attitude of the British Government towards a possible enterprise of this kind
on the part of Ibn Saud.”
British Guarantees to Qatar, 1913.
162. The Resident was instructed in reply that the new Sheikh of Qatar
“ and, if necessary, Ibn Saud, should be informed that H.M. Government would
allow no outside interference in the peninsula. Latter should clearly understand
that if he attempts it, he will be forcibly resisted. Former may be told that he
has nothing to fear from Turks.”
H.M. Government and Ibn Saud as a Potential Danger in the Trucial Area.
163. On 7th August 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. telegraphed to the Government
inter alia that*—
“ At any rate for a long time to come the Porte can exercise no control
whatever over Ibn Saud and that meanwhile he is in a position to give a
varying deal of inconvenience alike in regard to Oman, the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates.
and Katr, which inconvenience an innocuous modus vivendi, arranged if
necessary with the knowledge of the Porte, would obviate. It is not a
question of any desire to interfere in the politics of Central Arabia. Ibn
Saud is now at the coast, and for us it is a question of a new menace to our
interests in the Gulf sphere which we need either to sterilise or protect
ourselves against.”
Views of Government of India.
164. The Viceroy on 10th August in a telegram commenting on the general
situation, and urging a modification in the policy hitherto adopted by H.M.
Government, said that—
“ It is clear from his [Ibn Sand’s] relations with the Sheikh of Katr and
the recent reports as to the apprehensions of the Trucial Chiefs that Ibn
Saud is becoming a more and more prominent factor in the politics of the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. littoral, and has thus brought himself within the sphere of
our interests and influence. As long as Ibn Saud confined himself to A1
Hasa he could be ignored with impunity. Such a policy, however, cannot in
our opinion safely be pursued now that there is a possibility of his inter
ference in El Katr, with the Trucial Chiefs, and possibly in Oman, where
the rebellion may give him an opportunity for encroachment on Muscat
territory Unless we come to some mutual and amicable under
standing with the Amir, who has hitherto been friendly disposed to us, the
probability is that we shall force him to adopt an attitude of permanent
hostility, which cannot but react unfavourably on the Chiefs of the littoral.
We therefore strongly advocate not any definite treaty with the Amir, but
a friendly interchange of views in which we should intimate to him that
we expect him not to interfere with the territories of Chiefs with whom
we have treaty or other relations on the Gulf littoral. We see no reason
why if this were done with the full knowledge of the Porte, to whom our
intentions could be clearly explained, there should be any risk of offending
Turkish susceptibilities or raising their suspicions. We might warn the
Trucial Chiefs seriously against any provocative action against the Amir,
but instead of assuring them of immunity from him, which is only likely
to encourage them to assume a truculent attitude towards him, we might
tell them that our relations with the Amir are such that their fears of
aggression on his part are groundless.”
Views of H.M. Government.
165. H.M. Government on consideration agreed generally with the Govern
ment of India, and on the suggestion of the Secretary of State for India, Hakki
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. was also informally told that H.M. Government owing to the death of the
Sheikh of Qatar and subsequent events must in order to carry out their obligations
make Ibn Saud either their friend or their enemy; that they could not afford to
S. of S. to
Vic., 6.8.13,
P. 3157/13.
P. 3234/13.
I.O. to F.O.,
13.8.13.
F.O. to I.O.,
16.8.13.
37510/13.
S. of S. to
Vic.,
21.8.13.

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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
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Coll 6/67(1) 'Boundaries of South-Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎274r] (552/794), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2134, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100056574350.0x000099> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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