Skip to item: of 380
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Papers on British policy and the Arab movement [‎35r] (73/380)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file (187 folios). It was created in 1 Jul 1916-7 Dec 1918. 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

that "France is determined to abstain from
any intervention in the internal affairs
of the Arabian Peninsula"*
The justification for these declara
tions is to be found in the geographical,
historical, and political position of Arabia
in relation to the British Empire, which is
quite different from that of any other
Powerr The Arabian Peninsula is bounded
on all sides by British possessions or
British spheres of influence,. For many
years, CVreat Britain has been established
upon the Arabian Peninsula, with responsi
bilities that extend along the coast from
the Ped Sea to Koweit; and she is bound by
Treaties with Native Rulers in Southern
Arabia which impose upon her responsibilities
from which she could not, even if she would,
divest herself; while the complicated net
work of tribal politics makes it impossible
for her to ignore the trend of political
events in other parts of the Peninsula*
His Majesty’s Government have, indeed, no
desire to extend their sphere of political
influence in Arabia, still less to assume a
Protectorate over that country* Their
desire is to diminish, not to increase, their
responsibilities* But I need not point out
to Your Excellency that there exists no more
fruitful

About this item

Content

This file contains correspondence, memoranda, maps, manuscript notes, and other papers relating to the political and territorial settlement of parts of the Middle East following the First World War. Many of the papers were collected for the attention of the Middle East Committee (later named the Eastern Committee, following the mergence of the Foreign Office's Russia Committee and the interdepartmental Persia Committee) of the War Cabinet. Contributors include officials from the War Office, Foreign Office, Admiralty, and 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. , as well as indivduals such as Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence. Correspondence comes from representatives of the French and Italian governments as well as British officials in Cairo and other parts of the Middle East.

The papers deal with plans for the region presuming and following an Allied victory in the First World War and take into consideration the imperial ambitions of the victorious European Powers (France, Italy, Russia, Britain, and the United States) and the multitudinous commitments made by the British to various groups. The plans are based on evolving agreements rooted in the Sykes-Picot, or Asia Minor, Agreement between the British and French of 1916. Regions under consideration include the Hejaz (sometimes written Hedjaz), Syria, Northern Iraq, Southern Iraq, Palestine, Armenia, Turkey, the Idrisi state, Yemen, Persia, and Afghanistan. Various matters are covered in the file, but particular focus is given to plans for the Sherifian family of the Hejaz, led by King Husein [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī], which impacted upon policy in Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and the Arabian Peninsula. Other matters include the situation between Jews and Arabs in Palestine, wartime commitments to ruling shaikhs in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , the French position in the region, and desiderata of the Government of India for any peace settlement.

Extent and format
1 file (187 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged in chronological order from the front to the back.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front first page with 1, and terminates at the inside back last page with 187; 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.

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

Papers on British policy and the Arab movement [‎35r] (73/380), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/277, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100079857498.0x00004a> [accessed 9 June 2026]

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_100079857498.0x00004a">Papers on British policy and the Arab movement [&lrm;35r] (73/380)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100079857498.0x00004a">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x00028b/Mss Eur F112_277_0073.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_100000001491.0x00028b/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image