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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎30v] (65/1062)

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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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cm nr the hinterland in the neighbourhood
such as, for example, Sheikh Said or *h ^ British control
nf the Aden Protectorate frontier ne ^ Maje3t , y s Govern-
3t be welcomed). with King Ibn Saud
ment in entering into closer . in all d officers of the Italian
i. No doubt Italian local author t tion from the purely military,
Armv Navy and Air Force—looking a ‘l f themselves a position
naval'or air point of view-are amaous to^e ^ ^ of the id tion8
of predominant influence m the ^ r the Italian Government m Rome,
urged above it is questionable h th ^ ^ ^ Abyssinia and of the
who are fully aware of th § j n Arabia, are as eager as the Italian
fightin^sMvtees'to^ursuea definitely aggressive policy on the Arabian coast
0f ^ S abte considerations am not f concave, but ^erve^
taken into account in any appreci on the whole questlon 0 f
observations on therm I^esim to learn y f ^ ^ ^ your opimon>
Italian actiyi i Anslo- Egyptian alliance has upon it.
the c°n c " ^ ^ of this despatch to His Majesty’s Ambassador
in Rome and to His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda.
(15)
on 13th, Fehrvary ^UhP^^relary’s letter No. 4, «
Enclosure in Foreign Office covering letter dated 21st January 1937.
Personal letter trom Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mecca, hated
21st Decembeb 1936.
With reference to Your Excellency’s personal
of December 8th, 1936, I have the honour to inform you that I am gi ad _
learn that the British Government were pleased with the assurance given y
the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs regarding the (nature of the) de
parture from Najran by Mr. Philby. The information given to y°u by the
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs explains the attitude of the Dovern
ment of H. M. the King on this question.
It has been a cause of regret to the Government of H. M. the King
that the matter should have left any consequences (literally. tJ j* is '
and that an importance which it does not in fact possess_ should oe
attributed to it. Your Excellency may be assured that, in remote,
deserts it is very difficult to distinguish the actual frontiers if they are not
fixed and known, just as it is difficult to comply with the special arrangements
concerning the crossing of the frontiers particularly when there are no special
officials for such purpose. Moreover, as the Deputy Minister for Foreign
Affairs has already explained to you, the Government of H. M. .the King
had no knowledge of the intention of Mr. Philby to go to the Hadhramaut.
It was therefore impossible for the necessary application to be made for per
mission for him to go there. I have moreover learnt that when Mr. Philby
was asked by the responsible authorities in the Hadhramaut why he had gone
there in such manner he replied that he held a British passport and that he
was prepared to produce it to the frontier officials had there been any. I have
also learnt that Mr. Philby has explained to the responsible authorities in
the Hadhramaut the reasons for his going there and that he was not entrusted
with any mission by the Government of H. M. the King and that he only went
into the Hadhramaut because he had to get his cars repaired and to obtain
some articles which he needed. It appears that they were satisfied with bis
explanations and afforded him the required assistance. Had it not been so,
it would have been their concern, and within their power to take the measures
they thought proper against him.

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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.' [‎30v] (65/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765163.0x000042> [accessed 18 April 2024]

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