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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎183r] (370/1062)

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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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account of which was later given in a personal letter of April 9 from Mr Hone
Gill to Mr Warner), I have the honour to state that this expedition formed the
-subject of two long articles m the Umm-al-Qura of Mav 13 and 20. The articles
gave a pretty full account of the earlier part of the journey up to the reputed
site of It bar but the series has not been continued since May 20.-
2. As this despatch has been delayed by pressure of other work and as there
have been ample opportunities at home of hearing Mr. Philby’s account of his
enterprise at first hand, I need not undertake the labour of reporting on the
Jjmm-al-Qura articles as a whole. That of May 13, however, contains two points
which are worth recording as follows :—
(a) The article states that about a year before the Amir of Hassa sent an
expedition against certain tribes who had raided the camels of other
tribes and that it was necessary to send a second punitive expedi
tion this year to complete the work of the first. This afforded an
opportunity for Mr. Philby’s expedition. The punitive expedition
went on ahead and returned after capturing the remaining
criminals ‘ ‘ who had their arms and legs cut off ’ ’ while Mr. Philby
and his party went forward.
{b) The Umm-al-Qvra prints a letter of December 16, 1931, from
Mr. Philby to the King, asking permission to accompany the punitive
expedition subject to certain undertakings, which are of interest in
connection with possible territorial claims. I enclose a translation
of this letter.
3. I am sending copies of this despatch and enclosure to the Political Resi
dents in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and at Aden.
Enclosure to Serial No. (99).
Copy Translation.
In the Name of God the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.
His Majesty King ’Abdul ’Azfz ibn ’Abdurrahman al Feysal A1 Sa’ad, may
God help him.
Peace and the Mercy of God be upon you.
As I have learnt that youjntend to send some of your officials to the Rub’al
Khali, 1 beg Your Majesty to allow me to proceed with them and in return for
such permission being granted to me I hereby depose as follows :
1. I declare that the journey is made willingly and of my own accord and
desire. Your Majesty’s Government are therefore not liable to any respon
sibility whatsoever—material or moral—in the event of my death oi illness, etc.
Neither my heirs nor any of my relatives have the right to. make any Cicnm
against Your Majesty or Your Government for any compensation for any mishap
that may happen to me during the journey out and back.
2. I undertake to furnish Your Majesty’s Government wdth all information
I may collect during that journey ; such information will be the property of
Your Majesty’s Government and I will not publish any of it beio “ S
permission from Your Government.
3. I declare that my Government have no riglit to cl a™ anything asj
result of the discoveries I may make. Ail terntoiies i may u
information I may obtain are the property of Your i aj y
the right to claim any of them.
4. I undertake to place your flags of victory, with your servants, over ev y
high place we may pass by. i „ fUo
5. All ruins I may discover and all plans and maps tliem w ithout
property of Your Government and I shall not dispose ot a y^ ^ ^ things p
Your order ; I undertake to forward to J 0 ' 1 ™ Q - me w hatever orders you
hnw? obtained during my journey and you m ) o
If these conditions are acceptable to Your Majesty, I beg to be alio
join the mission which is being sent, pio-hest respect,
ABDUALLAH PHILBY.
Riyadh, 8th Sha’ban 1351 (18th December 1932).
Lc214FD

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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.' [‎183r] (370/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765164.0x0000ab> [accessed 25 April 2024]

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