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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎74r] (152/1062)

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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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5 n?? 6 rT^ Ri?adh V & retUm fr ° m Kuwait 011 OT ab ^* Feb-
He left Riyadh again on February 19th and arrived in Mecca on the
ruary 9th.
the 25th
junior princes.
3. His Majesty received most of the members of the diplomatic body in the
forenoon of February 25th but departed from his usual custom of givin« successive
audiences to the various heads of missions on his arrival in Jedda. He had to
receive the credentials of no less than three new Ministers later in the day and
saved tune by receiving the other representatives all together, plus one of the new
Ministers, M. Maigret, who was already Charge d’Alfaires. In these circumstances
the audience was even more formal than usual. The King appeared to be in good
health and spirits. &
4. lam reporting separately on the presentation of their credentials by the new
Ministers of the U. S. S. R., Iran and France. By 5 p.m. they had been to see
the King and were qualified to attend a reception of all the foreign representatives
by the Heir Apparent in the afternoon. On this occasion the proceedings were
equally formal but uniform was not worn except by M. Maigret, who had probably
had no time to change. It is noteworthy, as a sign of the enhanced position of the
Amir Saud, that he held this reception, not in the King’s Palace, but in another
house frequently used for ceremonies.
5. On the morning of February 26th I visited the King to present Mr. Maxwell
Darling, whose visit to Arabia in connexion with locust research has been the sub
ject of other correspondence. His Majesty discoursed in the liveliest possible
manner about locusts. He was greatly imbued with the traditional Islamic
theory that these insects originate in the interior of a particular kind of fish, which
apparently spews them forth on to an inland or islands, whence they fly over the
sea to innocent countries like Arabia. I understand from Mr. Philby that this
rests on some tradition of the Prophet, not binding (fortunately for Mr. Philby)
as an article of faith, but generally accepted by true believers. The King could
therefore not be expected to discard it, but he paid a passing tribute to the value
of modern scientific research.
6. The King made no reference to any questions outstanding between Great
Britain and Saudi Arabia. Fuad Bey had suggested that I might like to stay on
after Mr. Darling’s audience to talk business. His Majesty, however, made
no effort to detain me and I myself was glad to retire, as I had not received your
final instructions on the major questions and had decided not to follow up at
present my request for an audience to discuss the question of the Government
of India dispensaries. Moreover the Soviet and Iranian Ministers were waiting
to be received in private audience.
7. The King returned to Mecca on the afternoon of February 26th. Th 01 ®
were no festivities during his stay. I had by way of precaution warned uac
Bey that, while I could attend a formal audience to pay respects, I should be pre
vented by Court mourning from attending anything m the nature of a social
functions. . .
8 Great precautions have been taken in Mecca for some time past to unit
the number of possible undesirables during the of discOTiraghig
taken have been harsh. They accord with the recent ?sed
destitutes from making the P^gri™ a S® to Hie determination
routes and diminishing vagrancy, but t > King’s life, similar to that
of the authorities to guard against a yj* taI "P ar dinv hrio4 nervousness and the
who —to the Government of India.
( 21 )
Memorandum No. 25 (391/118/7), dated the 28TH
His Majesty’s anS tte honour to transmit to
if India (Foreign and Political Departmer j,

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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.' [‎74r] (152/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765163.0x000099> [accessed 18 April 2024]

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