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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎26v] (57/1062)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (527 folios). It was created in 6 Jan 1929-15 Jan 1938. It was written in English and French. 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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Govern*
me to
regulations against smugglmg was^be g d p e ^ haps be weU for lllc
merit, and that as to th + e “ t^’^w to the post, and needed as much |
wait until Fuad Bey s re u fuU acqua i n ted with the relevant files.
time as P 08 ^ 1 ® to ^ £ v n rX P tion to this and had concluded that all ques-
Sheikh Yusuf had ma e n th ;1 f in abeyance, and that on the 5th October
he'wo'uld'discuss^minor^question^at issue, fuch as the blacklisting of certain
pdgrirn guides. He, however, embarked upon a long statement on foreign
affairs 4ich, he said, he had been charged to make by His Majesty King
Abdul Aziz. He spoke very carefully, hesitating from time to time, as though
to recall Ibn Sand’s exact words. The statement, however was so clearly,
in its more important parts, only a repetition of many statements made to
the Legation during the Ethiopian dispute, that it has been possible to cut
down to a page or so the summary which I attach to the present despatch.
2. In reply, I said that Sheikh Yusuf must not expect a detailed answer.
I was new to the post, and I had not been warned wdiat he proposed to talk
about. (I might have reminded him that when he asked for a meeting I had
enquired whether he wished to speak of anything of great importance, so that
I might be prepared, and that he had waved this aside.) As to Palestine,
I was happy to say that, when I was received by Mr. Eden after my appoint
ment, he authorised me to convey to His Majesty King Abdul Aziz his
personal thanks for the help offered in connexion with the Palestine dispute.
On all other points except one my remarks were purely conventional. The
exception was Italy, though even on this point I confined myself to genera
lities. I said that it was clearly impossible for me to go beyond statements
made to the Saudi Government by Sir Andrew Ryan, acting on instructions
from His Majesty’s Government. For myself, I would suggest that the Saudi
Government should take a long view and not think only of the Ethiopian
question, which had been complicated by the fact that the whole world was
trying to find a solution by hitherto untried methods. The Saudi attitude
towards the Italian offer of money and arms was presumably prompted by
a desire to maintain their independence, an aim which must have the fullest
sympathy of His Majesty’s Government. His Majesty would do well to look
again at the Rome understanding of 1927. It was not usual to give such
assurances as the Saudi Arab Government had wished to receive. What
would happen would depend on world affairs, on a host of circumstances. The
King had at least one solid fact to go upon—the long experience of His Majes
ty s Government to which Sheikh Yusuf had referred with appreciation. I
stated that what Sheikh Yusuf had said would be reported to the Foreign
Office, and I concluded with suitable thanks for the assurances of friendship,
and with similar assurances on our own part.
t m = C n to 6 meetin S 7^ ch 1 have described, I have read with great
re u 1Ilg J° the attem Pt made by Ibn Sand a few
would assist him iY" h 0 ™!/! i' S S *" 0 verriment assurances that they
see wliatllmSm, eY^s^ be * hr ® aten ?4 by the Italians. It is difficult to
been debt 4h so fX f, Saiaby - alSlngtIlis P° mt again, when it has
instructions from His mY t- ^ tlm es by my predecessor, acting on
instructions trom His Majesty’s Government. But I did not sather that Tbn
fngtrpoS pTrWsYe frUtoTr ble but only th^t h^wafsto"
appointment of 4^? British MWe/to ^ Pr ° Per ^ to d °’ ° n the
policy as it affects His Majesty’s Government^'lnd th^to 7 °- f Yi Y® 1 ® 11
attaches importance to inrHwmoi \ m 1 ent * ^ en the oriental always
terms than werr oYred by Hs preYcesYY 1!^ B ^ ^ ^ ^
of friendship! and perhaps’your'particH 0 eXI f ess thanks for the assurances
ing occasions before the war "hen Y " P leasu f > at Sand’s remember-
was of assistance to him, and to "av JilF^ HiS ^iestfs Government
Sheikh l T usuf Yasin to Italv that a \ references made by
so fully and explained so clearly the attitude f/lr “*? tMs ^n 68 * 1011
that I am unable to add anythine to whit h ^ Y' S yia J est y’ s Government
y mg to what he said. I await your instructions.

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Content

This volume compiles printed copies of letters, telegrams, memoranda and newspaper extracts relating to Britain's involvement across the Arabian Peninsula during the period 1929-1938. Whilst the correspondence encompasses all matters concerning British interests in the region, much of it relates to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia). Matters discussed in the correspondence include the following:

  • Reports of unrest in the Hejaz.
  • Relations between Imam Yeha Hamid-Ud-Din [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn, Imam of Yemen] and Ibn Saud.
  • Reports of raids and arms trafficking on the Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan -Nejd frontier.
  • Reports of the proceedings of British naval ships in the Red Sea.
  • Details of the Akhwan [Ikhwan] revolt against Ibn Saud, including the movements of one of the revolt's leaders, Faisal Dawish [Fayṣal bin Sulṭān al-Dawīsh], and his surrender to the British in Kuwait.
  • Relations between Kuwait and Nejd.
  • Relations between Iraq and Nejd, including a proposed meeting between Ibn Saud and King Faisal [Fayṣal] of Iraq, and reports of a treaty of alliance between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
  • Objections from the Hejaz Government to Royal Air Force aircraft flying over Nejd territory.
  • The purchase of arms by the Hejaz Government from Poland.
  • Ibn Saud's annexation of Asir.
  • The death of King Hussein [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī].
  • Harry St John Bridger Philby's conversion to Islam, his mapping of Rub-al-Khali, and his reported spreading of Saudi propaganda in the Aden Protectorate.
  • The currency exchange crisis in the Hejaz-Nejd and the financial situation in the kingdom generally.
  • Reports on a survey of the water and mineral content of the Hejaz coastal area.
  • Relations between Soviet Russia and Saudi Arabia.
  • The emigration of Jews from Yemen to Palestine, via Aden.
  • British fears that Italy might harbour ambitions to annex Yemen.
  • Saudi oil concessions.
  • Italian-Saudi relations.

Prominent correspondents include the following: the British Agent (later His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires) at Jeddah; His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah; the High Commissioner for Egypt; the High Commissioner for Iraq; the High Commissioner for Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan ; 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; 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. (later Chief Commissioner, and later still, Governor), Aden; 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. ; His Majesty's Ambassador to Iraq; His Majesty's Ambassador to Italy; the Secretary of State for the Colonies; the Minister (and Acting Minister) for Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia); Ibn Saud; King Feisal of Iraq; the Prime Minister of Iraq; various officials of the Colonial Office, the Foreign Office, the Air Ministry, and the Admiralty.

The French material in the volume consists of several items of correspondence and a copy of a treaty between France and Yemen, which was signed in April 1936.

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 (527 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The items of correspondence are divided (roughly) into various sections. Each extract or item of correspondence within these sections has its own number, which is enclosed in brackets. These numbers proceed in ascending (and approximate chronological) order from left to right; however, the sections themselves proceed in reverse, from the rear to the front of the volume, in distinct groups (e.g. for 1929 numbers 1-23, which are located at folios 517-526, are followed by numbers 24-49 at folios 509-516, which are then followed by numbers 50-89 at folios 494-508, and so on).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 529; 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.

Pagination: each section of correspondence within the volume (as described in the arrangement field) has its own pagination sequence.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎26v] (57/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765163.0x00003a> [accessed 25 April 2024]

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