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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎231v] (467/1062)

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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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win be remembered that early in .the year the Government concentrated its
rfforts onTn attempt to maintain the recognised elements in the loca currency
at the official rates viz., £ gold 1 ^silver nyals 10=mckel current piastres
220 and that this attempt broke down as regards the gold-silver parity,
although silver did not slump quite as badly as might have been expected.
In my despatch No. 286 of July 14th, I forwarded a communique defining
to some extent the monetary policy on the basis of maintaining the above
rates and fixing corresponding rates for other currencies in general use,
which were to be still tolerated, including the Maria Theresa dollar and the
runee These decisions produced no effect as against market conditions and
the division is now mainly of historical interest only. When the United
Kingdom went oil the gold standard, the curious position arose that the
Heiaz possessed an official gold currency in the shape of English sovereigns
side bv side with its own silver. The Hejazi Government were as incapable
as most people of understanding the implications of such a situation, much
less devising a policy to deal with it. On October 16th they announced a
prohibition of the export of gold, except by permission of the Government
(see Mr. Hope Gill’s despatch No. 404 of October 19th). It was subsequent-
ly announced that the authorities empowered to grant permits or the export
of gold were the customs authorities and that detailed uistructions, which I
have not seen, would be issued later. I understand that the principle was
to allow gold to leave the country only on a guarantee being given that an
equivalent quantity of goods would be imported within three months. Apart
from this prohibition, the currency situation was allowed to work itself out
under the influence of market conditions. For a time, it was possible in
certain transactions, for gold and sterling to be treated as equivalent, but
this could obviously be neither general nor lasting. Gold tended to become
scarce in the local 'market. Sterling and Egyptian notes came into increas
ing use. The respective values, as expressed in riyals, adapted themselves
more or less to European exchange conditions, gold at a high premium and
the various paper issues at rates determined by their relation to sterling
with slight local variations resulting presumably from demand, supply and
native ideas as to the confidence they might (inspire. At the time of writing
the approximate rates in the bazars here are as follows :—
£ gold - Riyals 17|
£ sterling = Riyals 12^
£ Egyptian = Riyals 13
19 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. = £1 gold.
10. I can best complete this account of the currency situation by giving
a string of isolated facts, not all of which I can interpret, as follows
(a) As already stated gold has tended to disappear from the market.
This is in part attributed to hoarding. It ds possible that
some has been sent to Riadh, where the King is believed by
some to be accumulating a reserve of treasure. Gold has also
been taken off the market by the Dutch Bank, which for
several weeks past has been buying. This Bank normally
sends a shipment of gold to Europe after the pilgrimage. Its
present policy of buying may be due to a desire on the part
of the head office to hold part of their gold reserve in Jedda.
Fluid gold is required for various local purposes and the
depletion has been sufficiently marked to produce a recent
enquiry by a firm here for a quotation for gold sovereigns from
abroad delivered in Jedda.
(b) The Soviet Legation here has been selling sterling notes in
considerable quantities. The origin of the notes and the
object of the Legation are obscure. Fears have been expressed
lest the notes should not be all genuine, but I have not heard
it seriously suggested so far that any of the notes here have
been forged.

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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.' [‎231v] (467/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765165.0x000044> [accessed 24 April 2024]

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