Abstract: The volume contains letters, telegrams, and memoranda relating to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most of the correspondence is between the British Legation in Jeddah, the Foreign Office in London, the Political Residencies in Bushire and Aden, the Political Agencies in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Muscat, the High Commissioner in Trans-Jordan, the British Embassy in Baghdad, the Colonial Office in London, the India Office in London, the Government of India, and Ibn Sa'ud.The volume covers a wide range of subjects, including:the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, including issues of the translation of the Treaty of Taif;the planning, development, and financing of roads;the differing characters of two of Ibn Sa'ud's sons, Amirs Sa'ud and Faisal;the appointment of new ministers in the Saudi Arabian government;the slave trade in the region;an Egyptian commercial and financial mission to the country led by Talaat Pasha Harb;a general amnesty for all 'political offenders' given by Ibn Sa'ud;new regulations on foreign ownership of property;Ibn Sa'ud's effort to improve the Saudi Arabian standing army;the French upgrade of their Consulate in Jeddah to a Legation;the general financial situation in Saudi Arabia;the proposal to restore the Hejaz Railway, including the lead up to a conference on the matter in Haifa in October 1935;an attempt on Ibn Sa'ud's life in Mecca;Saudi-Soviet relations;the activities of the Saudi Arabia Mining Syndicate;Amir Sa'ud's visit to Europe;the death of 'Abdullah ibn Jiluwi, Amir of Hasa;the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining the League of Nations;new Saudi regulations on the importation, sale, and possession of firearms;officer training for Saudis and Yemenis in Iraq;the introduction of a special import tax at Jeddah to fund local schools;Anglo-Italian relations;the proposal to renew the Treaty of Jeddah of 1927;unrest in Hasa due to the imposition of a 'jihad tax' on those who did not take part in recent fighting on behalf of the Kingdom.Notable in the volume is an interview with Fuad Bey Hamza, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, extracted from the newspaper
Ayyam(folio 34).At the back of the volume (folios 207-213v) are internal office notes.Physical description: Foliation: The sequence begins on the first folio and continues through to the inside back cover. The numbers are written in pencil, circled, and located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D; 88, and 88A; 165 and 165A. There is a second foliation system that is uncircled and inconsistent.
Abstract: The volume consists of telegrams, letters, and reports relating to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most of the correspondence is between the British Legation in Jeddah, the Political Residency in Bushire, the Political Agencies in Bahrain and Kuwait, the India Office and the Foreign Office in London, and the Government of India.Much of the volume covers Saudi-US relations, including:US financial assistance to Saudi Arabia;the report (ff 146-147) of a medical tour of the country made by the American Mission to Bahrain;a trip to Kuwait made by Colonel Hoskins, President Roosevelt's Personal Envoy to Ibn Sa'ud in August 1943;the opening of a US Consulate in Dhahran;a secret report (ff 223-224) on 'America and Arabia' from the Political Residency in Bushire.Other subjects covered are:the report (ff 79-99) of a trip to Riyadh made by Tom Hickinbotham, the Political Agent in Kuwait;the wartime supply situation in the region;the financial situation in Saudi Arabia;Ibn Sa'ud's relationship with Sa'ud bin 'Abdullah bin Jiluwi, the Amir of Hasa;telegraphic communications in the country;meteorology, including a report (f 181) on the British Meterological Party's tour of Saudi Arabia;Ibn Sa'ud's request for British military and financial assistance.Also notable within the volume are:Gerald De Gaury's interview with Ibn Sa'ud (ff 19-22);annual summary reports on Saudi Arabia produced by the British Legation in Jeddah for the years 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1944;a letter (152-154C) from Bertram Thomas to the Political Residency in Bushire following his trip across Arabia, detailing anything he thought might be useful for the British Government to know;a report (f 175) on the Saudi Arabian royal family by the British Legation in Jeddah.At the end of the volume (ff 249-264) are internal office notes.Physical description: Foliation: the sequence starts on the first folio and continues through to the inside back cover. The numbering is written in pencil, circled and located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: 1A, 1B, and 1C; 28A and 28B; 154A, 154B, and 154C; 216A and 216B.Condition: the broken spine cover is detached from the volume and enclosed in a plastic sleeve numbered folio 265, at the back of the volume. The plastic sleeve may cause some loss of sharpness to the digital image of the spine cover.There is a second sequence that is inconsistent. It is also written in pencil but is not circled.
Abstract: The volume consists of letters, telegrams, and reports relating to affairs between the British Mandate of Iraq and the Kingdom of Najd. The majority of the correspondence is between Leo Amery, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Austen Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary (both in London), Henry Dobbs, High Commissioner in Iraq, Lionel Haworth, Political Resident in Bushire, Cyril Barrett, Political Agent in Bahrain, James More, Political Agent in Kuwait, Ibn Sa'ud, King of Hejaz-Najd and its Dependencies, John Glubb, Administrative Inspector in Iraq, Gerald De Gaury, Special Service Officer in Kuwait, and the Government of India.The volume covers the period of unrest after a revolt by the Ikhwan during which there was a perceived threat of attacks against Iraq and Kuwait. The causes of and solutions to the crisis are suggested and debated amongst the different offices and departments of the British Government. Subjects raised are:intelligence of tribal movements and activities, particularly those of the Ikhwan tribes of Mutair, 'Ajman, and 'Utaibah, and the threat and occurrence of cross-border raids, all gathered from reports by John Glubb, as well as local rumour and reports;issues concerning the defence of Kuwait (naval protection, air reconnaissance and bombing, a land force);the friction between civil and military authorities;the second meeting (August 1929) between Gilbert Clayton and Ibn Sa'ud to try and reach an agreement;the thoughts, motivations, and capabilities of Ibn Sa'ud;a second meeting between Ibn Sa'ud and Ikhwan leaders in Riyadh to try and resolve the crisis;the idea of a blockade of Hasa ports to force the Najdi tribes into submission.Other subjects included are:the sale of arms to Kuwait;Sa'id al-'Aiyash, a Damascus journalist who plans to travel to Riyadh.Physical description: This volume comes in two parts: the first part is a bound volume; the second part is a small file.Foliation: The sequence starts on the volume's title page and continues through to the inside back cover. It resumes on the front cover of the file and continues through to the inside back cover. The numbering is written in pencil, circled, and positioned in the top right corner of each folio. There are the following anomalies: 1A-1C; 114A; 182A-182D; and 191A. There is a second, incomplete sequence that is also written in pencil in the same place, but is uncircled.Condition: folio 150 bottom right corner torn away, obscuring some text.
Abstract: The volume consists of letters, telegrams, and reports relating to affairs between the British Mandate of Iraq and the Kingdom of Najd. The majority of the correspondence is between Leo Amery, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Austen Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary (both in London), Henry Dobbs, High Commissioner in Iraq (later Gilbert Clayton, Acting Hich Commissioner in Iraq), Lionel Haworth, Political Resident in Bushire, Cyril Barrett, Political Agent in Bahrain, James More, Political Agent in Kuwait, Ibn Sa'ud, King of Hejaz-Najd and its Dependencies, John Glubb, Administrative Inspector in Iraq, Gerald De Gaury, Special Service Officer in Kuwait, the British Agency in Jeddah, and the Government of India.The volume covers the period of unrest after a revolt by the Ikhwan
,including a number of raids on Kuwait and the Battle of Sabila, which effectively brought the crisis to an end. Subjects raised are:a raid on Kuwait by the Ikhwan;an attack on a car on the Kuwait-Basra road in which an American Missionary, Henry Bilkert, is killed;intelligence of tribal movements and activities, particularly those of the Ikhwan tribes of Mutair, 'Ajman, and 'Utaibah, and the threat and occurrence of cross-border raids, all gathered from reports by John Glubb, Flight Lieutenant Howes (Special Service Officer in Kuwait), as well as local rumour and reports;issues concerning the defence of Kuwait;the failure of Gilbert Clayton and Ibn Sa'ud to come to an agreement over the legitimacy of the desert 'police posts' in Iraq;the thoughts, motivations, and capabilities of Ibn Sa'ud;a second meeting between Ibn Sa'ud and Ikhwan leaders in Riyadh to try and resolve the crisis;the idea of a blockade of Hasa ports to force the Najdi tribes into submission;the Battle of Sabila and its aftermath.Other subjects included are:the imprisonment of Nuhaitar ibn Juraiyid of the Dhafir tribe in Hail;the channels through which communication with Ibn Sa'ud should be made (i.e. through Bushire or through Jeddah).Notable within the volume is a sketch map and extensive notes by Harold Dickson on the seasonal migrations of the shepherd tribes of the Lower Euphrates.At the end of the volume (folios 378-382) are office notes.Physical description: Main foliation: the sequence starts on the first page and continues through until the inside back cover. The numbering is written in pencil, circled, and positioned in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: there is no folio numbered 2, instead, the second, third, and fourth folios have been numbered respectively 2A, 2B, and 2C.Secondary, earlier foliation sequence: the numbers1 to 341 are written in pencil, but not circled, on folios that were subsequently renumbered 5 to 377.Condition: the top left corner of folio 47 has been torn away, obscuring some text.
Abstract: The volume consists of letters, telegrams, reports, and memoranda relating to affairs between Najd and Iraq. The majority of the correspondence is between Cyril Barrett, Political Resident in Bushire, Harold Dickson, Political Agent in Kuwait, Gilbert Clayton, High Commissioner in Baghdad, Cyril Barrett, the Colonial Office in London, the British Agency in Jeddah, the Foreign Department of the Government of India in Delhi, Ibn Sa'ud himself, and Fuad Hamza [Fu’ād Bey Hamza], acting Foreign Minister for the Hejaz.The majority of the volume covers the continuing Ikhwan revolt and the British response to it. Many of the documents are intelligence on the whereabouts and activities of the rebels (including the 'Ajman, Mutair, and Rashaidah tribes), their leaders (including Faisal al-Dawish and Farhan ibn Mashhur), and Ibn Sa'ud himself. Other issues connected to this main subject that are raised include:how to respond should the rebels enter Kuwaiti territory;Faisal al-Dawish's attempts to begin communications with Sheikh Ahmed of Kuwait and the British Government;arms sales to Kuwait and Ibn Sa'ud;Barrett's visit to Kuwait to discuss the situation with Sheikh Ahmed;small-scale raiding along the frontier zone;a battle between 'Ajman rebels and the Awazim of Hasa;Sheikh Ahmed's belief that King Faisal is in communication with the rebels;the smuggling of food and other supplies to the rebels from Kuwait;the affect on the Shi'a population of Hasa, some of which have fled to Bahrain for fear of attack;Ibn Sa'ud's recruitment of the 'Utaibah tribe to his side;letters, thought to be fakes, from al-Dawish and Trahib ibn Shuqair (another rebel leader) to Ibn Sa'ud implicating Sheikh Ahmed as supporting the rebels;Ibn Sa'ud suspected seduction of the Dhafir and Dahamshah tribes of Iraq;an attack on, and destruction of, a convoy of Ibn Sa'ud's cars by the 'Ajman;how the British should respond to several thousand rebels, mostly women, children, and the elderly, entering Kuwait to camp at Subaihiyah;the perceived need to know more of the laws and ethics of raiding in all regions, to better understand the conflict.Other subjects covered are:correspondence procedures for Dickson: who he should contact and when;observations and opinion on Sheikh Ahmed's personal life and Kuwaiti society in general;Dickson's unhappiness with the presence in Kuwait of the Basra Secret Service Officer, Captain H. M. Burton.Notable within the volume are the following documents:Dickson's detailed report (folios 217-228) of relations between Ibn Sa'ud and Kuwait, including a sketch map of tribal territories along the Kuwait border and Hasa;Dickson's ethnographic reports (folios 328-333) on camel disputes, the custom of 'Arafa' (restoration of looted animals through friendly tribes), and nicknames among the 'Ajman;the transcript (folios 350-353) of Ibn Sa'ud's speech to the 'Utaibah.At the end of the volume (folios 398-408) are internal office notes.Physical description: Foliation: The sequence starts on the front cover and continues to the inside back cover. The numbers are written in pencil, circled, and found in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. There are the following irregularities: 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D; 357 and 357A; 376 and 376A. There is a second, inconsistent sequence that runs folios 5-394. The numbers are also written in pencil but are not circled.Fold-out folios: 228, 245, and 283.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence between the Political Resident at Bushire and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) in regard to APOC's interest on the Hasa oil concession.Physical description: The foliation is written in pencil, circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The numbering commences part-way through the volume with 1 and 1A and terminates at the last folio with 8. This file is bound after IOR/R/15/1/634 in the same volume; each file has its own foliation sequence.
Abstract: This file contains correspondence between British officials concerning the seizure of al-Hasa from Ottoman control by Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and his growth in power along the littoral. The impact of this development upon relations between Bin Saud and the British Government generally is also discussed, notably the need to maintain neutrality in the conflict between him and the Ottomans. This discussion includes mention of the importance of maintaining the independence of Qatar and the states of the Trucial Coast vis-à-vis Bin Saud.The correspondence in the file is primarily between officials at the Political Residency in Bushire, the Government of India's Foreign Department and the Political Agency in Bahrain but also includes a limited amount of correspondence (in English translation) between Bin Saud and British officials.In addition to correspondence, the file contains a document entitled 'Memorandum of Interview with Bin Saud on 15th-16th December 1913' written by the Political Agent in Bahrain, Arthur Prescott Trevor, and the Political Agent in Kuwait, William Henry Irvine Shakespear (folios 24-25).The file contains an index on folio 2 that lists all the letters contained in the file with details of the correspondents and the date.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 28; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: Correspondence between the Political Agency in Bahrain and the American Mission at Bahrain (including the American Mission Hospital) relating to three separate matters:an application made in May 1945 by Dr William Harold Storm of the American Mission Hospital, to travel to Hassa [al-Aḥsā’] with members of his staff, to treat members of the Amir’s family at Hassa Oasis (ff 2-4);a request, dated April 1947, for an employee of the American Mission to receive 3,000 French francs from relatives in Dakar, Senegal (ff 5-6);a request, dated April 1948, made through the Commonwealth Relations Office (and taken over by the Foreign Office) for three COI (Central Office of Information) films to be sent to the American Mission at Bahrain. The three films (
Your Children’s Ears,
Your Children’s Eyesand
Your Children’s Teeth) were supplied to the Mission on indefinite loan (ff 7-8).The first page of office notes (f 9) refers to correspondence not in the file: correspondence dated 1945 relating to an allowance paid to Dr (Paul Wilberforce) Harrison of the American Mission, who acts as medical attendant to the Agency.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 11; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to slave manumission cases heard at the Political Agency in Muscat. The majority of the manumission cases featured in the volume are straightforward, with correspondence following a regular pattern. The Political Agent at Muscat (Major Watts for most cases, who was in charge from June 1935 to April 1939) sent slave manumission statements to the Secretary to the Political Resident in Bushire. In those cases where slaves had absconded from the Trucial Coast, the Political Residency referred the details of the case to the Residency Agent at Sharjah (‘Īsá bin ‘Abd al-Latif until August 1935, 'Abd al-Razzaq Razuqi from 1936) requesting he make enquiries into the slave's story. In many of the Residency Agent's enquiries, it was found that slaves were not in fact slaves, but indebted divers who were seeking to escape their debts. In a number of cases the Sharjah Agent sent details of divers' debts to the Political Residency (see for example, folios 170-175). In these situations the Political Residency authorised the issue of a manumission certificate to the indebted pearl diver, on the proviso that he return to the Residency Agent at Sharjah to settle his debts.Subject 7 of the volume includes a statement made at the Political Agency at Muscat in 1935, by a man who was seeking to retrieve his son, who he claimed had been kidnapped from him (folio 54). Enquires by the Residency Agent at Sharjah revealed that the man in fact gave his son as security against a debt, and that the boy would be sold unless the security was paid back (folio 67). Ongoing investigations carried out by the Political Agent at Bahrain (Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Loch) showed that the boy was sold (or 'mortgaged') three times, twice in Ajman and once in Sharjah, the last time to an uncle of the Shaikh of Sharjah. The Political Resident wrote to Loch in July 1936, stating that there is a 'clear case against the shaikh of Sharjah for breaking his Slave Trading Agreements with us.' However, it was noted that 'any action against the shaikh of Sharjah might have an adverse effect on [Frank] Holmes' negotiations about oil, and also make us unpopular in Sharjah.' (folio 87) The Resident suggested a fine of 500 rupees for the Shaikh of Sharjah, as punishment for the slave trading offence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 449; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence between ff 331-449, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.
Abstract: This file contains correspondence about a number of topics regarding the relations of Bahrain and its ruler, Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, with foreign powers.The correspondence discusses the ownership of land by foreigners in Bahrain, Persian claims to sovereignty over Bahrain, the status of natives of the Al Hasa region living in Bahrain, Shaikh Isa's contact with the Turkish (Ottoman) Government regarding the port of Ojair and Bahrain's claims to sovereignty over Zubarah.The file also discusses the activities of Bin Saud's agent in Bahrain, Abdullah Al Qusaibi. The file contains two maps (folio 100 and folio113) of Bahrain and the surrounding area with key regional ports marked on them.Physical description: Previously a bound correspondence volume, the file's pages have been unbound and are now loose. Foliation starts at the index page to the file. Numbers are written in pencil, circled and positioned in the top right hand corner of the recto side of the folios. A secondary foliation system is also present starting on f.2 that runs to f.262. These numbers are also written in pencil and are positioned in the same corner as the primary system, but are not circled.
Abstract: The volume comprises correspondence between the Ruler of Katr [Qatar], Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī, and British officials, concerning relations between Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad and a variety of parties on the Arab coast, including Indian subjects in Qatar, the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi, and the British and Turkish Governments. The principal correspondents in the file are the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Colonel Edward Ross, Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī, and the Residency Agent at Sharjah, Hajjī ‘Abd Āl Qāsim.The principal subjects discussed in the volume are:Relations between Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī of Qatar and Shaikh Zayid bin Khalīfah of Abu Zhabi [Abu Dhabi] including: Shaikh Jāsim’s intention to occupy the village of ’Odaid, considered to be Abu Dhabi property, with the Resident’s response to the move (folios, 5, 14), raids by Qatar tribes (folios 130-31) and subsequent reprisals (folios 134-35), reconciliation (folios 137-38), and a later deterioration of relations between Qatar and Abu Dhabi in 1885/86 (folios 189-91);Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad’s intentions to attack the Ajman tribes at El Katiff [Al-Qaṭīf] (folios 34-35);The actions of Butuye bin Khadim and his people (the Kubeysat). The Kubeysat originated from ’Odaid and were indebted to Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad. Butuye bin Khadim subsequently moved from Al Bidda to Wakrah [Wukrah] without repaying his debts, and was accused of stealing pearls at Wukrah (folios 59-61, 66-67);Reports of ill-treatment by the inhabitants of Al Bidda against Indian banians (folios 121-22);A report on a discussion between Commander Nesham of HMS
Woodlarkand Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī, dated 7 February 1882, covering: the 1868 treaty between Great Britain and Qatar, and Shaikh Jāsim’s desire to break relations with the Turks and have relations with Britain similar to that enjoyed by Abu Dhabi; Shaikh Jāsim’s relations with the Turkish authorities; and the treatment of Indian subjects [banians] in Qatar (folios 164-75);Reports of Turkish activities at Al-Hasa and Al-Qaṭīf (folios 176-80).Correspondence on these subjects throughout the volume, exchanged between Ross and the Government of India, includes discussion on the ambiguous jurisdictional nature of Britain’s relationship with Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī who, in spite of having signed a treaty with the British in 1868 (folios 52-53, 57-58), had aligned himself with Turkey in 1871. A copy of a letter from the Assistant Political Agent at Basrah [Basra] to the Political Resident and Consul General in Baghdad, dated 2 September 1886 (folios 214-15), indicates Abu Dhabi’s status as Britain’s most westerly protectorate on the Arab coast, and its close proximity to Qatar, the most southerly domain in Arabia under nominal Turkish control.Physical description: Foliation: The volume’s foliation starts on the first page after the front cover and finishes on the last page of the volume, using pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto. The following foliation anomalies occur: 1a.Some pages are damaged at the edges, through tears or water damage, resulting in the loss of a small amount of text.
Abstract: The volume is
Part II Persian Gulf Gazetteer, Geographical and Descriptive Materials, Section II Western Side of the Gulf(Simla: G C Press, 1904).The volume contains notes, followed by subsections on Trucial Chiefs' Territory, Katar [Qatar], Bahrein [Bahrain], Hasa, and Koweit [Kuwait]. The volume is a geographical and descriptive gazetteer, giving information on alphabetically-listed places in each of the territories in question.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1 on the front cover, and terminates at 142 on the back cover. These numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right hand corner of the recto page of each folio. A printed pagination system also runs intermittently throughout the volume.