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File 7251/1920 Pt 3 'Arabia: Situation and Policy; Agenda for Inter Departmental Committee Meetings' [‎218r] (72/268)

The record is made up of 1 item (133 folios). It was created in 25 Jun 1920-4 Dec 1920. It was written in English. 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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t.Ufi
pThis Document is the Property of His Britamiic M^eaty’b Government}
SECRET.
21
Political Intelligence Department,
Foreign Office.
Special No. 4.
MEMORANDUM ON BRITISH COMMITMENTS TO THE IDRISL
THE Idrisi had for many years before the war been de facto the independent
ruler of a tract of the Arabian Peninsula on the borders of Asir and Yemen. From this
t ra ct he had effectively excluded the Turks, with whom he was in a chronic state of war,
and during the Turco-Italian war of 1911-12 the Italians entered into relations with
him, and supplied him with arms. . ,. , . ^
On the other hand, his independence had never been recognised by foreign Powers ;
and in the division of the Arabian Peninsula into a Turkish and a British sphere, effected
bv the Anglo-Turkish Conventions of the 29th July, 1913, and 9th March, 1914,* the
Idrisi’s country was implicitly recognised by His Majesty’s Government as being under
the sovereignty of lurkey. tm j
The fact however, tliat the Idrisi possessed a coastline and two ports Meidi and
Jezan—over ’which the Turks had no control, brought him into direct relations with
foreign governments on commercial matters, and he was thus in touch with is
Maiesty’s Resident at Aden.f tt- ivr • j. > n
Iri August 1913 he sent his Minister to Aden to discover His Majesty s Govern
ment’s attitude towards him (in view, no doubt, of the Anglo-Turkish Convention
concluded shortly before). And he again had a confidential agent at Aden in September
1914 + At that time Turkey had not intervened in the war, but her attitude was
already threatening, and on the 11th September, 1914, the Resident at Aden according y
telegraphed to Bombay suggesting that overtures to the Idrisi should be made by H s
Majesty’s Government on the following lines
“ We could make Idrisi an offer of protection and friendship and a distinct
adjudication of his claims against Imam; we could also make, over to him Farsan,
^hich was his property once and which was taken by Porte, also we wou e
open his ports Meidi, Habl, and Djezan.
The Idrisi, the Turks, and the Imam of Sanaa were engaged in a three-cornered
duel and in the event of war with Turkey, it was clearly His Majestys Governments
interest to ’obtain the co-operation against the Turks of at '-st one and d possiM
IWL rvf* +wr> Arab rulers The Turks, however, made a very hign Diet lor tne
Imam’s friendship, and it rapidly became clear that he
against them. In these circumstances the establishment of relations with the id
became essential the Resident telegraphed to the Government of India
“AVpSP ™ 0" I“)“ “ f
the 1st November, 19141| :—
“ It seems desirable that negotiations with ^ “ Tub ulS
be commenced by Resident on j^/X'oIr protection and friendship and good
with these modifications. He should 1 differences with Imam, also
offices to Idrisi, but not adjudication m se en p> es t ora tion to him of Farsan
protection of his ports Djezan, Meidi, an a • Resident. In negotiating
in event of war might be hinted but no piom lively finally to estrange
with Idrisi Resident should be warned to do nothing ime y y
Imam, who appears to be wavering. . ,
• See Draft of Despatch, dated August .914, to His Maje^s Ambassador at Co-op .
I M460/14 e aud 38722/1 Hreprtotrt correspondence communUd by Goverumeut of India,
§ 65723/14.
y 66302 14 and 68203/14. R

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This part of the volume contains correspondence and other papers concerning relations between Nejd, 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 , Hejaz, Yemen, and the Idrisi state, as well as policy in Arabia more generally. Correspondence comes from officials at the 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. , Foreign Office, War Office, the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Aden, the Office of the High Commissioner in Palestine, the Office of the High Commissioner in Cairo, the Office of the High Commissioner in Iraq, and the British Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. at Jeddah. Further correspondence comes from King Hussein [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] of the Hejaz, his sons Emir Abdullah [ʿAbdullāh bin Ḥusayn al-Hāshimī] and Emir Feisal [Fayṣal bin Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī], the French Ambassador in London, and officials of the German and United States Governments.

This part deals with relations between Nejd and the neighbouring territories of 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 Hejaz, Yemen, and the Idrisi state. Matters covered include the supply of Arms to the Idrisi, control of Hodeidah and the proposed withdrawal of the British garrison there, the British subsidy to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd]of Nejd, efforts to reach an agreement between the Hejaz and Nejd, trouble along 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 boundary involving the Ikhwan and local tribes, and future British policy in the region.

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File 7251/1920 Pt 3 'Arabia: Situation and Policy; Agenda for Inter Departmental Committee Meetings' [‎218r] (72/268), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/937/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100079424931.0x00002c> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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