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Coll 6/4(1) 'Asir: Assumption by Ibn Saud of control of internal administration of Asir.' [‎154r] (314/1104)

The record is made up of 1 volume (548 folios). It was created in 17 Nov 1930-12 Oct 1933. 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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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia).
January 18, 1933.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 1.
[E 361/2/25]
(No. 487.)
Sir A. Ryan to Sir John Simon.—\ftecelQlHaHSuary}8, 1933.)
HIS Majesty’s Minister at Jedda presents his compliments to His Majesty’s
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and has the honour to transmit to him
copy of his minute of the 26th instant respecting a conversation with Fuad Bey
Hamza on the subject of the rebellion in Asir.
Jedda, December 29, 1932.
Enclosure in No. 1 .
Minute by Sir A. Ryan.
FUAD BEY HAMZA called this morning for the first time since my return.
After politesses of some length, I asked about the news from Asir. He said
that all was well north of a line inland from Madhaya, a small port some 25 kilom.
south of Jizan. It had been necessary to administer punishment to the Njua
tribe (presumably the Naj’u described in Handbook of Arabia, I, 441), some
hundreds of whom had been killed. I understood Fuad to be confirming what
Hafiz Wahba had told me on the 23rd December, namely, that the troops had
reached Sabya after fighting. These are the troops of Khalid-bin-Luwey’s
column, but Fuad said that Khalid himself had died (of illness, he said) on the
march from Abha. Fuad said that the country from the above line southward to
the frontier had still to be pacified owing to the uncertain activities of the
Masariha and other tribes in the Abu Aris region. Hasan-al-Idrisi was with
the Masariha. On my mentioning Ibn Musa’ad, he said that he was still at
Abha. He was to be appointed Governor-General of the whole area and would
be replaced in the Governorate of Hail, which was at present held by an acting
man.
2. Fuad said that he had never attached any importance to the Asir
rebellion, which would simply end in the death of several hundred tribesmen and
the widowhood of as many women, but he wished to speak of another aspect which
might be of more interest to me, viz., the attitude of the Italians, with whom His
Majesty’s Government had an understanding about Arabia. He said that on
Wednesday, the 21st December last, an Italian sloop, the name of which he could
not give, had put in at Jizan without previous notice of any kind. After some
hesitation over the establishment of contact in those conditions, the local Governor
had seen the commander and had pointed out to him the impropriety of the visit.
On this the sloop left on Thursday afternoon, but only to go into other territorial
waters, those of the Farsan islands, and thence to a small island off Madhaya,
where it spent the night. Next day, Friday, the 23rd, she visited Madhaya twice
at an interval of some hours. The Saudi Government regarded their proceedings
as a gross breach of international practice and had taken the matter up strongly
with the Italian Minister here, who was in communication with Rome. Signor
de Peppo had expressed the view that the proceedings of the sloop had not taken
place under authority from his Government. If this proved to be the ^
would diminish without destroying the importance of the affair. Fuad said that
he had the King’s instructions to communicate the facts to me. I said I would
note them and convev the communication to His Majesty s Government, but could
not comment on the action of friendly foreign authorities.
3. Fuad Bey spoke at some length of other external activities behind the
Asir affair and, replying to a question by me, said that they were an important
factor in it. He did not openly accuse the Italians of complicity, but what he
[683 s—1]

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Content

This volume mostly contains copies of Foreign Office correspondence (forwarded by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India) relating to the assumption by Ibn Sa'ud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] of control of the internal administration of Asir in November 1930, and its impact on his relations with the Imam of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn].

Some of the Foreign Office correspondence refers to the Treaty of Mecca (1926), between Ibn Sa'ud and the Idrisi Ruler of Asir, As Sayyid Al-Hasan-al-Idrisi [Sayyid Āl Ḥasan al-Idrīsī], in which the latter handed over control of his foreign relations, whilst retaining control of his territory's internal affairs. The correspondence discusses the impact that the recent annexation of Asir is likely to have on 1) the present status of Asir, and 2) the Treaty of 1917 between Britain and the Idrisi.

Also discussed are the following:

The volume also includes copies of translated correspondence between Ibn Sa'ud and the Imam of Yemen dating from 1930 to 1931, and a copy of a translation of a treaty of friendship between the Hejaz-Nejd and Yemen, signed on 15 December 1931.

The volume's principal correspondents are the following:

  • His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires, Jedda (Cecil Gervase Hope Gill, succeeded by Albert Spencer Calvert);
  • British Minister at Jedda (Andrew Ryan);
  • Foreign Office;
  • Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir John Simon);
  • Secretary of State for the Colonies;
  • Minister for Foreign Affairs for the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia) [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd];
  • His Majesty's Ambassador to Italy (Ronald William Graham);
  • Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
  • Ibn Sa'ud;
  • Imam of Yemen.

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 volume (548 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 commences at the first flyleaf with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 549; 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 present between ff 226-546 and is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out. The foliation sequence does not include the front cover.

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Coll 6/4(1) 'Asir: Assumption by Ibn Saud of control of internal administration of Asir.' [‎154r] (314/1104), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2064, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100056677915.0x000073> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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