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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎169v] (343/1062)

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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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18
Abdullah has by his co-operation, materially assisted His Majesty’s Government
are the Druse rebellion of 1925, and the Pelestine disturbances of 1929. More
over His Majesty’s Government are bound to King Feisal of Iraq by the Anglo-
Iraqi Treaty of Alliance of 1930, and have a special responsibility to support the
Amir Abdullah’s regime which has been set up in 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 under their direct
protection as mandatory. On the other hand His Majesty’s Government are
bound by special ties to King Ibn Saud in Saudi Arabia. They have main
tained friendly and indeed cordial relations with Ibn Saud ever since the
conclusion of the Treaty of Jedda in 1927. King Ibn Saud has not only main
tained and developed these friendly relations but has proved himself capable
of establishing and maintaining a stable and ordered Government in Arabia. It is
moreover important for His Majesty’s Government with their great Moslem
interests in India and elsewhere, to remain on friendly terms with the ruler of the
Holy Places of Islam. In these circumstances all that His Majesty’s Government
can do is to attempt to hold the balance evenly between the Hashimites on the
one hand and the Saudis on the other, and, while doing all in their power to pro
mote friendly relations between the two, to refrain from any action which might
lead to the predominance in Arabia of either house at the expense of the
other.
7. Apart from this major difficulty, there are also other elements in Arabia
proper which are unlikely to be capable of combination in any unified system.
The most important of these are the independent kingdom of the Yemen, whose
ruler is short-sighted and quarrelsomy and on uncertain terms both with Ibn
Suad and King Feisal, though he ostensibly has treaties of friendship with
both ; and the various minor Arabian rulers, such as the Sheikhs of Koweit,
Bahrain, Qatar and the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , who are extremely jealous of each
other and of their own independence, and have never shown any sign of
capacity for political co-operation. The Sultanate of Muscat and Oman
and the Aden Protectorate need not for the moment be considered in this
connexion. On the other hand if the protagonists of the political ideas of
“ Arab unity ” were ever to succeed in translating their ideal into practice,
it is probable that they would exercise strong pressure on the Sheikhdoms
of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and of Southern Arabia, and on the Sultanate of Muscat and
Oman, to join in furthering their aim. Such Sheikhdoms as Koweit and Bahrain
are in close touch with Iraq and Saudi Arabia, both commercially and politically.
Moreover, all these States, including Muscat, maintain a fairly close link with
Saudi Arabia through the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which is attended by many
members of their ruling families. The pilgrimage offers exceptional opportuni
ties not only for religious and cultural, but also for political, propaganda; and
if Mecca were at any time to become a political centre of a united Arabia, or of
a great Arabian confederation, it is possible that the political ideal for which it
would stand might exercise a considerable attraction over the Arab rulers of the
South Arabian and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. States and stimulate them to a greater desire
to co-operate with the leading States of Western Arabia at any rate from the
negative point of view of combatting western political and cultural influence in
the Middle East.
8. As regards the minor Arab States of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , an im
portant consideration is the fact that, save in the case of the Sultanate
of Muscat and Oman (where, however, we exercise a dominating influ
ence), the foreign relations of the rulers concerned are by treaty exclusively 7 conduct
ed by His Majesty s Government and that His Majesty’s Government are bound
by a series of treaties to give these States varying degree of protection against
foreign aggression and to assist them to maintain their independence. Apart from
-these treaty obligations, it is a basic principle of the policy of His Majesty’s Govern
ment in the Middle East that these states should not be absorbed by any of their
powerful neighbours, but should remain as far as possible independent units under
effective British control. The development of inter-imperial air comunications,
both civil and military, has, in the last few years, given this well-established prin
ciple a new importance. In the case of Koweit, both King Feisal of Iraq and King
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia have at various times shown signs of wishing to acquire
a hoid ovei ulns territory 7 , which would be a useful acquisition to either. Both on
treaty grounds, however, and on grounds of imperial policy, it is important to us that
Kow eit should not be absorbed by either Saudi Arabia or Iraq. Similarly as re
gains Bahrain, apart from our treaty obligations to protect the Sheikh against

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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.' [‎169v] (343/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765164.0x000090> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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