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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎110r] (224/1062)

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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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on fairly friendly terms with Ibn Saud, but when in i Q 9 « ,
Hejaz, Ibn Saud nevertheless politely requested Invf he , a , tte ®P 1 ; ed to the
elderly, and lives at Beirut. WeWnoSof H He is now
to him by Ibn Saud as alleged in the Princess^ letter. U '' havm § been promised
2. You will see from that letter that the Princess sinwe^ tt, hi, t. •
Wales might assist the Sherif “through some Mussalmaffperham ” ° f
any observations to make on this point or on fhp Ww • P e ha P s • Have yon
anything which 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. maf^h to sa v m g ? eral ? Subject to
the Prince’s Private Secretary giving a brief account of ?/ eseat to re P^ to
we know nothing of the alleged subfidy fmm Ibn S ind W 0 ^ aUd ^ that
Princess’s letter to Ryan for his observation. ^ arelaS ° referrm S the
( 18 )
(Received on the 9th March 1935, with Political Secretary's letter No. 8, dated the 21st
February 1935.)
Enclosure in Foreign Office covering letter dated 13th February 1935.
Letter from the Foreign Office, to the Secretary to His Royal Highness
the Prince of Wales, No. E. 498/498/35, dated the 12th February
1935.
I am sorry that there has been some delay in replying to your letter of the
22nd January enclosing a letter from the Princess Fatma Haider to the Prince of
Wales, but it has been necessary to consult our own archives on certain points
connected with the Sherif Ali Haider and also to ask 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. whether they
had any observations to offer on the Princess’s letter from the Moslem point of view.
It may be useful for you in the first place to have a brief account of the Sherif.
He belongs to an ancient family of the Hejaz, which claims descent from Mahmot
and members of which have frequently in the past held the office of Grand Sherif of
Mecca, a position of varying political power but of great religious prestige through
out the Mohammedan world. Sherif Ali Haider, used formerly to live at Con
stantinople, where he worked in with the 4 Young Turks ’ and was at one time a
Turkish Cabinet Minister. In or about 1917 he was appointed Grand Sheriff of
Mecca by the Ottoman Government, to supersede King Hussein, who had gone
over to the Allies. He was, however, naturally unable to take up his post in the
Hejaz, which was in revolt against the Turks. Early in 1926 he tried to obtain
British support, in obtaining the post of Regent or Governor of the Hejaz under King
Ibn Saud, who had by that time driven King Hussein’s family out of Arabia but His
Majesty’s Government were unwilling to intervene in a politico-religious question
of this kind : he appears to have been, and certainly claimed to be, on fairly friendly
terms with Ibn Saud, although, when he attempted in 1926 to pay a visit to the
Hejaz, Ibn Saud politely requested him not to do so. We have no knowledge of
any subsidy or promise of a subsidy to him from Ibn Saud, apart from the complaint
contained in Princess Fatma’s letter. W r e have referred this point to Sir Andrew
Ryan at Jedda, who has some personal knowledge of the family : it need not, how
ever, affect the question of the reply to be returned to the Princess. Since U26
the Sherif has lived at Beirut with his English (or Irish) wife (nee Dunn) whom he
married at Constantinople. He has several sons, the eldest of whom is married to
a daughter of the eac-Sultan of Turkey, while another studied at St. Andrew s
University.
We have nothing against the Sherif, who, so far as we know, is a respectable
person and is genuinely in reduced circumstances. On the other an , we ave n
political reason for wishing to assist him, and in fact any assistance w ic
construed as in any way coming from a British official source mig - P r ® e jt ,
mng. 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. have no comments to offer from their pom ® vie ; . ’
therefore, His Royal Highness is personally disposed to assist the Sherd i ^tiy,
we cm only suggest that a regretful reply in the negatrve si
Primess Fatma’s request.

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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.' [‎110r] (224/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765164.0x000019> [accessed 25 April 2024]

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