Abstract: This file concerns the proposal and development of an Extradition Treaty for the mutual surrender of criminals between Bahrain and Nejd [Najd], later Saudi Arabia, following a visit by the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf to ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd [Ibn Saud] in February 1932. The file includes correspondence between the Secretary to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Vincent Biscoe and Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven Fowle, Political Residents in the Persian Gulf; Captain Charles Geoffrey Prior and Lieutent-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, Political Agents at Bahrain; Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Bahrain Government.The file includes a copy of a
Treaty of Extradition between 'Iraq and Hejaz[al-Ḥijāz],
Najd and Dependencies(ff 5-7), signed at Mecca on 21 Dhū al-Qa‘dah 1340 [8 April 1931] by Nuri As Sa'id [Nūrī al-Sa‘’id], Prime Minister of Iraq, and Faisal 'Abdul 'Aziz [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd], and a draft Extradition Treaty between Bahrain and Najd by Belgrave (ff 11-14), which excludes the return of escaped slaves and a stipulates that applications for extradition should be forwarded through the Political Agent, Bahrain. A further draft copy of the treaty with Arabic translation is enclosed with a letter from Belgrave, dated 7 Rabī‘ I 1351 [10 July 1932]. There is further correspondence regarding the clause on excluding escaped slaves and making applications for extradition through the Political Agent (ff 21-29), as well as copies of correspondence between the Political Resident and the Colonial Office and India Office, London, regarding the proposed Extradition Treaty (ff 30-42). On 25 November 1932, it is decided by the Secretary of State for India that the matter should be left in abeyance.At the end of the file is a compliments slip, dated 29 August 1942, enclosing printed copies of:Agreement for Friendship and Neighbourly Relations between the Government of the United Kingdom (acting on behalf of His Highness the Sheikh[Shaikh]
of Kowait[Kuwait]
) and the Government of Saudi Arabia, Jedda, 20 April 1942 (ff 44-47);Trade Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom (acting on behalf of His Highness the Sheikh of Koweit) and the Government of Saudi Arabia, Jedda, 20 April 1942 (ff 48-49);Agreement for the Extradition of Offenders between the Government of the United Kingdom (acting on behalf of the Government of Koweit) and the Government of Saudi Arabia, Jedda, 20 April 1942 (ff 50-51).Physical description: Foliation: The main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present between ff 2-51; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence in the form of letters, telegrams and reports related to events taking place at Sur and the involvement of various Omani tribes, mainly the Bani Bu Ali and the Janabah. The events at Sur include: attacks made on merchants and caravans; the besieging of forts; the raising of the flag of Ibn Saud; and the bombardment of a fort at Sur.Concerns were raised by the Council of Ministers, Muscat, and the Hanawi [also Hinawi] tribal faction, as represented by Shaikh Isa bin Salih al-Harthi, regarding the establishment of Ibn Saud’s authority in Ja‘alan [Ja'lan]. The Amirs of Ja'alan [Emirs of Ja‘lan], who belong to the Ghafiri tribal faction, also raised concerns regarding the plan of the Hanawis to take over Sur. The correspondence also contains summaries (ff 36-42 and ff 157-161) of the Political Agent’s tour to Sur.The main correspondents in the file are: the Amirs of Ja'alan, Shaikh Muhammad bin Nasir and Shaikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Hamudah; the Council of Ministers to His Highness the Sultan of Muscat and Oman; Shaikh Isa bin Salih al-Harthi; the Political Agent, Muscat; and the Political Resident, Bushire.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 176; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence in the form of reports and diaries circulated between British Officials. The reports are concerned mainly with internal affairs in Muscat and Oman. The British Political Agent and Consul at Muscat reports to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire, on the present conditions in Muscat and the situation of failure between the state and the tribes nominally under it. The Political Agent also provides half-yearly statements of the revenue of the Muscat State finance along with comments on Bertram Sidney Thomas’ financial reports.Among other issues included in the reports are:the news of collecting
zakat(alms) money from various regions in Oman and Muscat and people’s reaction to thatShaikh ‘Isa bin Salih’s diplomacy in bringing conflicting tribes togetherthe clashes between the two main Omani factions, the Hanawi and the Ghafirithe Wahhabis’ occupation of al-Buraimi in the1800s, and how they influenced some of the tribes of al-Dhahira region who still identify themselves as Wahhabisthe relation between the Sultan of Muscat and Shaikh 'Isa bin Salih al-Harthi and his father Shaikh Salih bin Ali before himthe issue of succession of Sultan Taimur bin Faisalthe need of the British to protect al-Buraimi from the Wahhabisa summary of the history of Oman, its
Ibadhisect, the establishment of the
Imama(religious leadership) and the ruling family founded in 1744the rebellions of 1895 and 1913The last report in the file is of the visit of the Senior Naval Officer to the Trucial Coast in May 1931, and his notes on the internal affairs in Ras al-Khaimah and Dubai.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 59; these numbers are written in pencil and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the Air Staff Intelligence, Air Headquarters, Baghdad’s request for information to be obtained from Muscat regarding the possible establishment of a subsidiary air route from Iraq to India via the Arabian side of the Gulf. The required information was concerning the straight line Mirfah-Biraimi-Khaburah. Arrangements were made for some Royal Air Force (RAF) representatives to visit the region accompanied by a doctor, and Bertram Sidney Thomas, Financial Advisor to the Sultan of Muscat and Oman.The correspondence contains information on the estimates of the cost of the journey including hire of camels; cost of feeding men and camels; presents to be given to the Shaikhs; wages and foodstuffs, coffee etc.Letters were sent to various Shaikhs and Walis in Sohar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Baraimi [Buraimi] and other regions, asking them to assist the Royal Air Officers while conducting their work. The correspondence contains letters of certain Shaikhs such as Shaikh Salim bin Diyin [Dayyin] Al-Ka‘bi and Shaikh ‘Isa bin Salih Al-Ḥārithī [Al Harthi] negotiating the terms for them to accept the RAF work to take place. It also contains reports about the troubles made by some of the Bedouin tribes.Bertram Sidney Thomas reported on his observation on the proposed seaplane flight along the south Arabian coast. He also sent a report (ff 82- 130) to the Sultan and the Political Resident on the proceedings of the RAF Trans-Oman Expedition which he conducted from Sohar to Sharjah between 12 May and 3 June 1927. The report is in two parts covering the following: preliminary situation; itinerary of expedition; description of country passed through; tribal situation and Ibn Saud; personalities; tribal considerations and the air route.The volume also includes correspondence with the Sultan of Socotra regarding the construction of landing ground in his territory near Qishn. It also includes correspondence about the Air Ministry’s interest in extending the reconnaissance to establish landing grounds along the southern coast of Arabia.Among other correspondents in the volume are: the Political Agent, Muscat; Muscat and Oman, Council of Ministers; and C Hilton Keith, Squadron Leader RAF, Sohar.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 229; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: Correspondence and other papers relating to the visits of foreign dignitaries (chiefly rulers from the shaikhdoms along the Arab coast of the Gulf) to Bahrain. The majority of the correspondence details the movements of these dignitaries, and their arrival in or departure from Bahrain, as reported by the Political Agent at Bahrain, other Political Agents in the Gulf, the Residency Agent at Sharjah, and officers on board Royal Navy vessels in the Gulf. The file also includes letters (in Arabic, most with English translations) from a number of Arab rulers, including the Ruler of Bahrain, Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah.Visits to Bahrain covered by the file include:in 1932, the French Consul Georges Cassin. Cassin’s visiting card is affixed to the first page of file notes (f 63);in 1939, a visit by King Ibn Saoud [sic] of Saudi Arabia [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Sa‘ūd)]. A copy of a programme of events for Ibn Saud’s visit is included in the file (ff 48-49), as is a transcript of a speech by Ibn Saud’s secretary, Shaikh Yosouf Yasim (ff 45-46);a letter from Parker Thompson Hart, American Consul at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, dated 28 July 1949, informing the Agency that regular visits to Bahrain by American consular officials are planned for the future (f 60).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 73; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are present in parallel between ff 2-72; these numbers are also written in pencil, but either are not circled, or are crossed through.
Abstract: Fortnightly reports (as opposed to weekly reports, as stated on its cover) from the Political Agency in Kuwait. The reports are signed by the Political Agent (Major James Carmichael More; Major Cyril Charles Johnson Barrett; Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson), or, in his absence, the Agency’s head clerk. The reports, which are broadly consistent in their content and arrangement from one fortnight to the next, contain information on:the arrival and departure of steamships and aircraft;British interests, such as the movements of the Political Agent, activities of Eastern & General Syndicate Limited in Kuwait, including the drilling of water wells, Royal Air Force (RAF) activity;foreign interests, reporting the activities and movements of foreigners at Kuwait, including doctors and other representatives of the American Mission;local interests, including the activities of the Ruler of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ), activity and success of the pearling season, locust plagues (sometimes referred to as ‘dibbas’), establishment of the municipality of Kuwait, and municipal works;paper currency and rates of exchange;meteorological data (maximum temperatures during summer, rainfall during winter);rates of exchange for various commodities in the bazaars.Frequently coming under the headings of foreign interests or desert news, are reports of disturbances, raids, and clashes around Kuwait’s borders with Nejd and Iraq, between Bedouin tribes and families associated with the Ikhwan (also spelt Akhwan in the file), and those allied to the King of Nejd [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd, referred to throughout the file as Ibn Sa’ud]. These include intelligence reports, received by the Political Agency, on the following events:the movements and activities of Faisal ad-Dawish [Fayṣal al-Duwaysh];in January 1928, the bombing of raiders by the RAF (ff 107-108);in late 1928, a conference between Ikhwan leaders and Ibn Sa’ud, which took place in Riyadh;on 29 March 1929, a battle at Sibilah [Az Zulfi], between forces allied to Ibn Sa’ud and the Ikhwan (f 189);on 5 October 1929, a battle between the Ikhwan and the Awazim [Al-Awazem] tribe (ff 244-246;in January 1930, meetings between Ibn Sa’ud, the Political Resident (Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Vincent Biscoe) and Ikhwan leaders, and the surrender of Ikhwan leaders, including Faisal ad-Dawish (ff 268-273);in February 1930, Ibn Sa’ud’s conference with King Faisul [Fayṣal al-Awwal ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] of Iraq (ff 286-287).Physical description: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 383; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 3-382; these numbers are also written in pencil, are circled, but have been struck through. A third foliation system is also present in parallel between ff 4-187; these numbers are written in a combination of coloured crayon and pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: Correspondence and file notes relating to horses (a young mare and filly) given as a gift to the Political Agent at Bahrain (Captain Charles Geoffrey Prior) by the King of Nejd and Hejaz, Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] in 1930. The correspondence concerns: Prior’s disdain at the gift, noting that the mare is ‘quite useless’ (f 3, f 10); the transfer of the horses to stables in Bahrain belonging to Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah; file notes dated 1933, concerning Prior’s successor’s (Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch) attempt to determine the present circumstances of the horses, and their transfer to Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah (ff 5-8). The file contains a single letter in Arabic.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 13; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-12; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence in the form of reports, letters and translated letters related to political affairs in Oman. The correspondence is mainly concerned with the news of Ibn Sa'ud’s probable attempt to take over the al-Buraimi region in north-west Oman and the arrangement of the shaikhs of Trucial Oman and Shaikh ‘Isa bin Salih al-Harthi on behalf of the Imam of Oman to militarily unite against Ibn Sa'ud. To discuss the matter, members of the Bani Yas tribe from Dubai visit Shaikh ‘Isa bin Salih in his home town al-Qabil (mistakenly referred to in the file as Kabul).The Political Agent at Muscat reports to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire, on internal affairs taking place in various towns that belong to the regions of al-Dhahira, al-Dakhiliyya and al-Sharqiyya of Oman. He also reports on clashes between the two main Omani factions, the Hanawi and the Ghafiri, and the role played by Shaikh ‘Isa bin Salih al-Harthi to settle the cases, reportedly in order to unite various Omani tribes against Ibn Sa'ud.The file also includes news of the areas of Al-'Ainain, 'Ibri and Yanqul falling under the influence of Shaikh ‘Isa bin Salih, and news of the murder of some local Omani shaikhs and the names of those who took over their positions.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 91; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 3-90; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: This file mostly consists of copies of Foreign Office correspondence, which have been forwarded by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India. The correspondence, most of which is between Foreign Office officials and either the British Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard) or His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires at Jedda (Cecil Gervase Hope Gill, Albert Spencer Calvert, and Alan Charles Trott), relates to the economic development of the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia). Other correspondents include the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Trenchard Craven William Fowle) and officials of the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department.The opinion expressed by British correspondents near the beginning of the file is that the unsatisfactory state of the country's finances is a result of its complete dependence on the pilgrimage for income. Much of the file is concerned with various projects (such as water and mineral surveys) sanctioned by Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] in order to explore other sources of revenue.Items of discussion include the following:News that Ibn Saud intends to establish a power station for the purpose of providing Mecca and Jedda with electricity.Ibn Saud's wish to establish a state bank, preferably a British bank, to improve the financial situation in the country.Four reports on the country's water and mineral resources, produced by American engineer and geologist Karl Saben Twitchell in 1932 (copies of three of the four reports are included).The British Minister at Jedda's thoughts on how the economic unification of the newly-formed Saudi Arabia will progress.Proposed improvements to Jedda's water supply.The establishment of an 'Arabian Steam Navigation Company' by the Saudi Government.Details of the Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate's concession with the Saudi Government for the exploitation of gold and other minerals, which was negotiated by Twitchell, signed in December 1934, and ratified by Ibn Saud in February 1935.Reports of anti-Ibn Saud propaganda in the Indian Muslim press.Details of the Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate's activities in Saudi Arabia.The history of the Ahrar movement in India, its political party, Majlis-i-Ahrar-i-Islam, and its reported condemnation of the recent Saudi mining concession.The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 251; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-251; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: This file consists of copies of extracts from (approximately) monthly reports of the proceedings of His Majesty's ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden during the years 1931-1945, which have been forwarded by the Admiralty to the Under-Secretary of State, India Office.Most of the extracts are attributed to the Senior Officer of the Red Sea Sloops, the Commander-in-Chief of Mediterranean Station, or commanding officers of particular British ships. Prominently featured ships include the following: HMS
Lupin, HMS
Penzance, HMS
Londonderry, and HMS
Weston.The extracts vary in their range of subject matter. Some of the extracts are largely concerned with local affairs along the Yemeni coast; others report on matters relating to the region as a whole, such as Saudi-Yemeni relations.Matters discussed in the extracts include the following:The slave trade.The transportation of a British medical mission to Yemen in December 1931, headed by a female doctor named P W R Petrie, for the purpose of treating the Imam of Yemen's [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn's] granddaughter.The passage of pilgrims through Kamaran.A visit by the Chief Commissioner of Aden [Bernard Rawdon Reilly] to Abd el Kuri [Abd al Kuri] and Socotra, on board HMS
Penzance, in 1933.The presence of Saudi forces in Asir.Relations between Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and the Imam of Yemen.The Saudi-Yemeni conflict of 1934, including details of the evacuation of Yemeni troops from Hodeida [Al Ḩudaydah] and the subsequent entry of Saudi troops.Italian naval posts in the Red Sea.Yemeni concerns that Italy, following on from events in Abyssinia, might also become aggressive towards Yemen.The importance of Kamaran as a Red Sea trading port.Details of a special arms patrol carried out by HMS
Westonin the Gulf of Akaba [Aqaba] in 1938.The correspondence concludes with a copy of an intelligence report of the Red Sea area, dated 17 October 1945 and produced by the Naval Intelligence Centre, Levant and East Mediterranean.In addition to report extracts, the file includes a small sketch map of the Aden Protectorate and the surrounding area.The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 246; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An external leather cover wraps around the documents, the front inside of which has been foliated as folio 1. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-245; these numbers are also written in pencil but are not circled.
Abstract: This file discusses plans for the construction of a lighthouse near Jeddah harbour. It includes the following principal correspondents:The British Agent and Consul at Jeddah (Reader William Bullard, succeeded by Hugh Stonehewer Bird).The British Vice-Consul at Jeddah (Stanley R Jordan).His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires to Jeddah (Albert Spencer Calvert).His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah (Sir Andrew Ryan).Officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, the Board of Trade's Mercantile Marine Department, the Admiralty, and the Corporation of Trinity House.Agents and representatives of various shipping companies and associations, including the Bombay and Persia Steam Navigation Company Limited, the Persian Gulf Steam Navigation Company Limited, Alfred Holt and Company, the UK Chamber of Shipping, and the Liverpool Steam Ship Owners' Association.The correspondence discusses the following:The condition of an existing beacon on the Mismari Reef, near Jeddah harbour.Attempts made by the British Agent and Consul at Jeddah (Reader William Bullard) to persuade King Hussein [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] to agree to the construction of a lighthouse close to Jeddah harbour.Investigations into whether the various reefs cited as suitable locations for the proposed lighthouse are within King Hussein's territorial waters or not.Ownership of the Jeddah-Port Sudan cable.Ibn Saud's [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd's] reported willingness to meet the expenses for the construction of the proposed lighthouse, following his deposition of King Hussein (later in the correspondence it is suggested that Ibn Saud had been misunderstood, since it is reported that he would not be willing to fund the construction of the lighthouse).Details regarding the requirements for the proposed lighthouse (e.g. which kinds of lights are most suitable) and the overall cost of construction.A report by the Commander of HMS
Endeavour, S A Geary Hill, regarding the most suitable location for the proposed lighthouse.Difficulties encountered in appointing an engineer to survey the reefs near Jeddah harbour.Reports that the Saudi Government intends to increase tonnage dues at the port of Jeddah.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 160; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This file relates to arrangements of communication. A large part of the correspondence discusses the drafting and redrafting of a Foreign Office memorandum of instructions, which is intended to revise existing Foreign Office instructions regarding the channels of communication used by British authorities and neighbouring countries to conduct relations with Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and the Hejaz-Nejd Government. Also discussed are communication arrangements for correspondence not only between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (based at Bushire), the Political Agent at Kuwait, and the Political Agent and Consul at Jeddah, but also between the Political Resident, the Government of India, and the India Office.Most of the correspondence is between officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, the India Office, and the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department. Other correspondents include the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Hugh Vincent Biscoe) and the High Commissioner for Iraq (Sir Francis Henry Humphrys).Draft copies of the memorandum (to which further revisions are made following the creation of a British Legation at Jeddah) are included with the correspondence.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 95; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 3-94; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.