'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎185r] (374/386)

Ill
73
No. 69 (Secret—External), dated Fort William, the 21th March 1901.
From—The Government of India in the Foreign Department,
To—The ftrGHT Hon’ble St. Joun BitonaiCK, Ilis Majesty’s Secretary of State
for India.
We have the honour to forward, for your information, a copy of the
correspondence detailed in the annexed list, in which the political situation in
the interior of Arabia is explained, and the me ms of obtaining more reliable
intelligence of the progress of events are discussed.
2. His Majesty’s Government are aware that, throughout a great part of
the nineteenth century, the Government of India had frequent intercourse
with the Wahabi Amirs, and that in 1866 Muhammad-bin-AbdulJa entered
into a treaty engagement with our 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. ,
whereby he hound himself not to oppose or injure British subjects residing in
his territories, and not to interfere with the Arab tribes in alliance with the
British Government. Since the Turkish occupation of El JIasa and the rise of
the Amirs of Nejd, however, our relations with the Wahabi house have ceased,
and we now have no intercourse with either of the great Arab factions of this
part of the Arabian peninsula. Recent schemes for trans-continental railways,
stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and the^ active
prosecution of the Hejaz Railway by the Turks, one feature of which is said
to be a branch through Nejd to El Hasa, coupled with the gradual diminution
of Turkish authority and the steady growth of foreign interference in these
quarters, lead us to think that it may shortly be incumbent onus to take a
more lively interest in the affairs of Central Arabia. The question was ioieod
upon our notice by the interview, which occurred at Koweit in March 1903,
between the Captains of the “ Internet’’ and the “ Boyarin *’ with Abdul Aziz*
bin«Saud and we recently addressed our 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. regarding a suggestion
to depute a British officer to visit the capital of the Saud family for the puiposo
of acquiring intelligence. In view of Colonel Kemball s reply, we do not
propose to proceed with the scheme at present. Later, however, when the
political situation in Nejd has developed, and above all if the present re
presentative of the Wahabi family, Abdul Rahman-el-Saud, succeeds in estab
lishing and extending his ascendency, which from the latest accounts received
seems to be not improbable, we think that it maybe desirable again to enter
into relations with our old ally. We have noted the instructions conveyed
in your Secret telegram of the 8th February 1903, and in the autumn of the
present year we hope again to address His Majesty’s Government regarding
this question.
71
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. , London ;
29th April 1904.
Secret,
No. 24
To His Excellency the Ri^ht Honourable the Governor-General of
India in Council. -
My Lord,
I hare considered the letter ot Your Excellency’s
(Foreion—Secret), of the 24th March last, on the subject of the measures to be
taken to obtain more reliabio knowledge of the progress of events m Nejd.