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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎166v] (337/1062)

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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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Enclosure 3 to Serial No. (13).
Summary of the Speech delivered hy His Majesty King c Abdul Aziz ibn Sa’ud at the
banquet given on the 31st March 1033 at the Royal Palace at Mecca.
As nublished in the Mecca Umm-al-Qura No. 434 of the 11th Dhu’l Hijja 1351
1 (April 6, 1933).
The Arab people, His Majesty said, enjoy one great blessing from God in the
teachings of the Prophet, which have descended on them like the fertilizing rain
on the earth and have been the means by which they have spread their influence
over vast territories. All Muslims were indebted to that great Teacher for the
good that they had ; and if they would but adhere to the commands of God, as
given in the Quran and the sacred writings, they would be successful and united,
but if they set aside these commands they would become separated and degraded.
And this, the King went on, is what is happening now; and he drew a picture
of the sad condition of the Muslim world in general and the Arab people in particular
at the present time. Some people imagine, he said, that the only remedy for this
state is for Muslims to adopt European civilisation ; but this was not true, for the
teachings of the Quran guarantee prosperity, unity and happiness to those who
follow them, because they make no differentiation between King and commoner,
save in respect of piety alone.
Nor were foreigners alone to blame for all the calamities which had overtaken
Islam, for amongst Muslims themselves they found some who were misguided and
who were willing to aid them to work against Islam.
“ I am the Herald of Islam ”, the King concluded. He was an Arab Muslim who
served Islam and who worked for the spread of Islam and for Muslim unity ; and
he was prepared to sacrifice himself and his family in the defence of Islam. He
did not aim to be a chief of earth ; of greatest importance to him was to make
God’s word supreme, and in pursuit of this he cared for no difficulties. Many
had opposed him since he first put forward this aim but had been vanquished.
What did they want of him ? His actions were clear ; he followed the Way.
It had been said that he claimed to be Khalif over all Islam. He made no s;ach
claim. A Khalif must enforce the commands of the Islamic religion over the whole
world of Islam, and this was possible in the time of the Khalifat ; but was there a
man who could so do at the present time ? It was clearly impossible and all he
himself desired was unity and co-operation among Muslims.
Behind him were more than 400,000 warriors ; if he wept they wept; if he re
joiced they rejoiced and if he ecommanded they obeyed his commands. These
were the Troops of Unity, the brethren of all who obeyed God, ready to fight for
God and expecting nothing from it except to satisfy God ; and this was the force
destined to confirm the Religious Law and Islam throughout the territories over
which he ruled.
( 14 )
Endorsement by the Foreign and Political Department, No. F. 47-N/33,
DATED THE 27TH May 1933.
A copy of the ubderrnentioned paper is forwarded to the Hon’ble the Poli
tical Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire, for information
Arabia Series of 1933 [Serial Nos. (1) to (12)].
(IS)
Endorsement by the Foreign and and Political Department, No. F. 47-N/33,
DATED THE 27TH May 1933.
.. A copy of the undermentioned paper is forwarded to the (1) Department of
Education, Health and Lands and (2) Army Department (G. S. Branch), for infor
Arabia Series of 1933 [Serial Nos, (1) to (12)].

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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.' [‎166v] (337/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765164.0x00008a> [accessed 26 April 2024]

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