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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎268r] (540/1062)

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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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2. Ibn Sa’ud imposed bimseif on the Hejaz by force of arms, lie'
maintains himself by force of personality and by a reserve of material force
responding to Ins personal' direction and still capable of being applied w ih
sufficient effect at any particular point to enable him to cope with anything
short of a fairly general movement of opposition. Such a movement^ could
hardly originate among the parasitic populations of places like Mecca and
Jedda, although their inhabitants would almost certainly welcome a cimige
of regime. The tribes have no such cohesion as to produce of themselves , n
organised movement in opposition to a King whose name and past exploits
inspire respect and fear.
3. So far so good, from Ibn Sa’ud’s point of view. Nevertheless he
has to reckon with more remote factors. One hears vaguely but some hat
persistently of a restive spirit in the North of the Hejaz. Hail and even
Medina are potential centres of disaffection. Behind them are the Trans
jordan frontier and countries ruled by members of the Sherifian family, a
family which, though eliminated at present from the Hejazi scheme of things,
would be the natural rallying centre for elements bold enough to try coucffi-
sions with the present regime. Such elements may emerge m the North,
even though it be impossible at present to locate or identify them, i neir
boldness would strike an echo not of equal boldness but of sympathy m
Mecca, and Jedda,, where people chafe under restrictions and recent Nej-
dification”. . ,
4 The Kind’s religious prestige has diminished as his temporal powe
has grown He "tends to fall between two stools. He is no longer extreme
has grown. ^ ^ , ld hool He i s too Wahhabi for Heiazis and
r;f. Mi-”*
situation. As to economy dep«s on the He^ca^ ^ ^ re
repercussion of Woi ld causes 1 , , f .. num bers for last year. Mal-
of the overseas pilgrimage to less th “ f v be in itself a potent
administration is too familiar m a w ^ more than it i s consciously
cause of discontent It impre . ° The dangerous feature in connec-
felt by the bulk of the native populatio ^ i h the ba | ness of the administra
tion with my present threatens many of those responsible for
tion as the quasi-pnralysis i ^ Revising shifts to get out of diffip
it owing to the increasing d n f critics when he is dealing wit
culties. Mr. Philby. that ^^^Sarly on this aspect of the situation
the affairs of this country, dwelt Parte 1 the Kin himgelf of floundering of
in our last conversation. He coi clinging to authority amid, a
making mistakes through rg™r““ and^ f w h 0 m W ere worn out with over-
posse of advisors all ibe P ccu i ta tion of the Amir Faisal,
i^lXS StttSSffi the King might delegate some ot
The crux of the matter is the financial sUuatiom
doubt always lived up to his “ |US embarrasment by cutting his c.o
:* svaalBS-SU, r tS v i — u
£' c m A »»»“" ssst
instance on a move to * pauses adverse comment. . . lighting
This extravagance m " remarked on the poorness of the hgn^
foreign pilgrim I haje m ^^3 as contra sted with the ms ^ Sa , u<J sll0 i,id
of the sacred precinct a inp i: ne d to ask generally why Moslems
houses and was very much mchnea ^ money br p Ugh t by
miscellaneous State or on i
affect to

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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.' [‎268r] (540/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765165.0x00008d> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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