Skip to item: of 1,062
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎473r] (950/1062)

This item is part of

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. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

129
• In ^ P urse su PPly myself with food, as prisoners of
/ h JL- n yp while m prison got to supply their own meals or perish
ol starvation. All my luggage was taken charge of and thoroughly searched
1°/ t ag -f et 5’.’ but ^ e y b were thoroughly 8 dfsappointed
as, xcept a butter knife, they did not discover anything of the sort. So, on
e evening of the 12th I was given possession of my luggage and it was God
sent, as for three days and two nights I was given a bare torn mat as the sole
magnificent set of furniture, comprising sitting room, dining room, drawing
100 m and edroom of floor of all bumpy stones in all angles and shapes and the
room was so clean that the numberless inhabitants of it in fleas, bugs and other
vermins, weie so social with my body that, inevitably, they made jolly good
feed of my blood and flesh. No matter how many I slaughtered more
advanced to nil the ranks up. Of course, these 3 days and 2 nights I will ha^e
reason to remember the rest of my days. Anyhow I was taken to High
Court on 13th and was tried by Kazir (the Chief Justice) with charge of
being a non-Moslem attempted to penetrate to Mecca, and if proved, the
penalty was death. But to their surprise, the Kazir, who is of an unbiased
mind thorougly worth his office, after searching examination, found I was
as good a Moslem as himself, ordered my immediate release and let me
proceed wherever I liked for the pilgrimage. ‘ I thanked my God that all was
over, and my guards took me to prison, telling me I can take my luggage,
but on pretence of fixing the things up in quarter of an hour, I was detained
in prison till 20th April. Oh 18th April, I managed to get a pencil written
note smuggled to the British Consul requesting him to take action, I cannot
make out why the Consul was so uninterested in my case. As I did tell his
Indian representative on the night of the 10th April that I was wrongfully
arrested and kept prisoner and, as an Australian subject, asked for protection.
He promised me he will bring the matter to the notice of the Consul
immediately. But I did not hear anything till my smuggled note of 18th
April. On 20th April I was summoned by the Governor of the prison, who
told me he would release me on parole, to be in the house of one of his friends
(?) and not to leave Jeddah until his order. So I came out of my Sweet
Araby on 20th April evening. I am trying to get an interview with the
British Consul, and there, on the 21st I received your such welcome letter.
If you receive this letter, would you think it would be worth while for the
Australian Government to make enquiries, in case of my sudden disappearance
of this abode. As they confidently inform me that disobeying the Kazir’s
order is sure sign of facing firing party. If it comes to that, I can assure
you I know how, and will face it as calm and worthy of my adopted Great
Australia. I am trying to smuggle this letter through Suez.
p # g '—Since writing this letter I had an interview with the British Consul,
whom I showed your letter, who tells me everything will be alright in future
and my first message did not reach him. One official blames the other for
not telling him plainly. Anyhow, I have no trust in promises of local
Government, as once w’e proceed interior no news is brought to outside world.
Thousands of such cases have happened. So good bye for the present.
Your letter was the cause of respect shown to me by the Consul.
Enclo. 2 to Serial No. 151.
Extract from letter from Sheikh Abdul Kadir, to the Assistant
Secretary, Home Affairs Department, Canberra, Australia, dated
Aden, the 20th July 1929.
“ Now I want to come to my original subject about an enquiry in the
matter of mv imprisonment and tortures through criminal negligence of head
mat ur o . , , k 0 f my unlawful detention by the Hedjaz
clerk, one H ?, s . s f n n ™ 0 ^“° arre fi. y e t he did not take any steps to

About this item

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
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎473r] (950/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765167.0x000097> [accessed 18 April 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100061765167.0x000097">Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [&lrm;473r] (950/1062)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100061765167.0x000097">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x000261/IOR_L_PS_12_2071_0950.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x000261/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image