Abstract: The volume contains the following two documents:
Convention between the United Kingdom and Turkey respecting the Persian Gulf and adjacent territories, (With Maps), Signed at London, July 29 1913and
Convention between the United Kingdom and Turkey respecting the Boundaries of Aden and of Ottoman Territory in Southern Arabia, (With Maps), Signed at London, March 9 1914, (Ratifications exchanged at London, June 3 1914).The articles of the conventions appear in both French and English in parallel columns.The Arabic content of the volume consists of bilingual English and Arabic place names and in the keys to references, and symbols and abbreviations in the maps on folios 37-40.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1A on the front cover and terminates at 47 on the back cover. These numbers are written in pencil, are enclosed in a circle, and appear in the top right hand corner of the recto page of each folio. The following foliation anomalies occur: ff. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D. The following pagination ranges occur: ff. 5-6; ff. 35-36. The following folio number is not used: 44. The following folios need to be folded out to be read: ff. 7, 8, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41.
Abstract: A copy of a memorandum, submitted on behalf of the non-official British community in Constantinople [Istanbul], and printed and published by Page & Thomas Limited, London. The capitulations referred to in the volume’s title were grants made by successive Sultans of the Ottoman Empire to other nations (including Britain), that conferred rights and privileges upon the subjects of those nations living or trading in the Ottoman dominions.The volume includes a definition of the capitulations, with paragraphs marked with pencil annotations in the margin (author unknown) describing their impact on trade, judicial matters, educational establishments, banks, public debt, customs tariffs, insurance, and war reparations. The volume also contains nine annexes, including: the text of the abrogation of the Capitulations, 1914; a description of the present civil and criminal judicial systems in Turkey; a description of the first commercial court in Constantinople, and its functions under the Capitulations; a description of a proposed reformation to the Turkish judiciary; and a description of insurance laws in Turkey.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 14, these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: Note written by Sir Thomas William Holderness, Under Secretary of State, India Office, in response to Sir Arthur Hirtzel's memorandum on the war with Turkey (IOR/L/PS/18/B233).The note describes the recommendations of the Inter-Department Committee on Asiatic Turkey, which Sir Thomas Holderness was a member of, and which were based on the assumption by the Committee at the time of its convening that an allied occupation of Constantinople was only weeks away, that Russia would be in possession of the city and surrounding areas and that peace with the Turks would be possible.The committee's responsibility, in light of the assumptions, was as follows:To propose a scheme for Asiatic Turkey that would satisfy Russian, French, Italian and Greek interests in the region and which would suit the needs and requirements of Great Britain; possibilities included the complete partition of the region; the removal of the Ottoman Empire; and decentralisation of Turkey without the need for military intervention.The note goes on to consider potential concerns over German power and influence in Turkey; the dangers of any settlement with Turkey that would not include the ending of the Ottoman Empire; the risks from Germany gaining control of the Balkan States; the danger of pan-Islamism; the possibilities of British interests in the East being achieved if Germany is defeated and Turkey collapses as a military power; and the Mesopotamian Campaign and its development as a serious military operation.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at folio 55 and terminates at folio 57, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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 folios 6-153; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: Memorandum, written by Sir Frederic Arthur Hirtzel, dated 25 May 1916, examining the implications of war with Turkey on Great Britain particularly the importance to Germany of a Turco-Ottoman alliance and the integrity of the Ottoman Empire, and the corresponding importance of its dissolution to Great Britain.The memorandum discusses Germany's need for raw materials and its realisation that supplies from Asiatic Turkey may take years to establish; the German threat to the Suez Canal and the Dardanelles; the threat to India from Mesopotamia; the dangers of Pan-islamism; the potential risks of waging war on a Moslem [Muslim] power, particularly given British relations in the Persian Gulf; and the possible outcomes of the war with Germany and the likely position of Turkey in relation to them.Enclosed with the memorandum are two appendices:Appendix I: Extract from an article by Dr Hans Delbrück in the
Schwäbische Merkur17 May 1916, summarising the German ideal of 'weltpolitik' (world policy);Appendix II: Extract memorandum by Sir Mark Sykes on "The problem of the Near East", dated 20 June 1916.Sir Frederic Arthur Hirtzel is not named on the memorandum as its author, however IOR/L/PS/18/B234 refers to him as its author.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at folio 51 and terminates at folio 54, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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 the volume; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: This printed memorandum, compiled on 22 October 1888 by E Neel at the Secret and Political Department of the India Office, is a note on the letter from the Foreign Office dated 11 October 1888, Home No. 906.The British Government only recognises the Turkish jurisdiction on the Arabian coast as far south as Katif [Qatif, Saudi Arabia], and this memorandum analyses the India Office proposal that the Resident in the Persian Gulf should maintain peace at sea and limit the Turkish pretention to the whole Arab coast (the memorandum refers to IOR/L/PS/18/B49 on a Turkish garrison at El Bidaa [al-Bida‘, Qatar].Physical description: Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at f 145, and terminates at f 148, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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 5-149; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: This note was written by Major-General Percy Zachariah Cox in April 1918 in his capacity as Civil Commissioner, Baghdad. It consists of two main parts. The first part deals with the premises for British policy, namely, the proclamation issued on British arrival in Baghdad, that they had come to emancipate the country from the 'oppressive rule' of Turkey; the announcement of policy in the telegram, 29 March 1917, from the Secretary of State for India to the Viceroy which advocated annexation of the Basrah [Basra] Vilayet and the creation of a 'veiled protectorate' in Baghdad Vilayet.It discusses the 'difficulties' this would create with President Woodrow Wilson's principles of self-determination (paragraph 4) and the issues surrounding the creation of an 'Arab facade'.Part II deals with observations on more detailed issues and considers: the nature of Arab authority, dynastic or representative and Arab attitudes to King Hussein, Sherif of the Holy Places in the Hejaz [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī, Shereef of Mecca]; personnel available for establishing a local administration; relevance of Indian models of administration and British supervision; requirements for Indian troops after the end of hostilities; ways of popularising British administration through irrigation, education and civilian health; elements the British should foster; measures to consolidate commercial influence in Mesopotamia.Physical description: Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. It begins on the first folio, on number 1, and ends on the last folio, on number 3. There are three copies of this item, of which only one (the foliated one) has been digitised.
Abstract: A War Office map, dated January 1907. The map shows the following railway lines: British; French; Anglo-Franco-German; the Baghdad Railway System; the Anatolian Railway; Turkish Railways; Egyptian 'State' Railways; and Russian Railways.The map also marks out the Ordu Territorial Districts [corresponding to the seven Army Corps of the Ottoman Empire]: Constantinople [Istanbul]; Adrianople [Edirne]; Salonica [Thessaloniki]; Erzingan [Erzincan]; Damascus; and Baghdad [Baghdād].Physical description: Materials: printed on paper.Dimensions: 225 x 335mm on a sheet 325 x 440mm.
Abstract: The map shows a region encompassing parts of Russia, Persia, Arabia and the Ottoman Empire, indicating the routes of proposed and existing railway lines. The map also shows hydrology, topography and major cities and towns.The map is Plate 2 in 'Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman' (Naval Intelligence Department No. 694), 1903, and bears the printing statement, 'Weller & Graham, Ltd. Litho, London.'.Physical description: Materials: Printed on paperDimensions: 196 x 240mm, on sheet 244 x 405mm
Abstract: Map, illustrating railway lines in Asiatic Turkey, to accompany
Bagdad Railway No. 1 (1911). Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of His Majesty, May 1911(London, His Majesty's Stationery Office). The publication appears on folios 215-252.The map was produced by the Topographical Section of the General Staff, War Office.Physical description: Material: printed on paper.Dimensions: 230 x 340mm, on sheet 320 x 450mm.
Abstract: The volume is an overview of the political history of Persia, Iraq and Arabia, authored by the Office of the Chief Political Officer, Indian Expeditionary Force “D”, and printed by the Superintendent Government Printing, Calcutta [Kolkata], India in 1917. The volume is divided into a number of chapters:1. An introduction to the political history of Persia, Iraq and Arabia, chiefly concerning Britain’s history of naval intervention and military occupation in the Persian Gulf, and its efforts in eradicating the slave trade, arms traffic and piracy;2. A chapter entitled ‘The Arab attitude in Iraq before the War’, including: political conditions in Turkish Iraq prior to the War; the arrival of the Indian Expeditionary Force “D” at the start of the War; Ottoman ‘jihad’ against the British; Arab attitudes to the British in Iraq, central Arabia and Persian Arabistan;3. British relations with Arabistan, including an overview of the Anglo-Persian War (1856-57), and a brief outline of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company’s activities in the region;4. The Bakhtiari tribes, their leaders and their standing with the Persian Government, and the importance of maintaining British relations with them, with reference to trade routes, the maintenance of order in the oil fields, and the maintenance of friendly relations with the Shaikh of Muhammareh [Khorramshahr] and the Russians at Ispahan [Isfahān, or Eṣfahān];5. Pusht-i-Kuh – ‘the right flank of Indian Expeditionary Force “D”’: a description of the area, and its strategic and economic importance, including: topography; climate; the position and powers of its Wali [governor] (taken from Lorimer’s
Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf), the Wali’s relatives; and Kaka Siyah, who reside in the region and who are of African origin;6. Arabia – the left flank of Indian Expeditionary Force “D”. The chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is a general description of the Arabian peninsula, including: topography and geographic features; political powers in Arabia: the Wahhabi, with a history of their development and territorial gains; Egypt; Ibn Rashid [Ibn Rashīd]; the British Government; and Turkish interests in Arabia. The second part is a detailed historical outline of British relations with Ibn Sa‘ūd;7. Entitled
The Trend of Turkish policy before the War and since (official), and subdivided into parts on internal and external politics. The first part includes an assessment of the characteristics of ‘Ottoman people’ and their Government, the second concentrates on German influence and activity in Ottoman territories.There are pencil annotations on the front flyleaf of the volume (folio 2), which make note of sections within the volume, with the corresponding page numbers.Physical description: Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top-right corner of the recto of each folio. It begins on the front cover, on number 1, and ends on the inside of the back cover, on number 29.Pagination: A printed pagination system runs through the volume (ff 7-27), the numbers of which are located top and centre of each recto and verso.
Abstract: This is a confidential memorandum, printed for the use of the Foreign Office on 30 October 1901, and authored by Robert Venables Vernon Harcourt, dated 29 Oct 1901. The memorandum primarily focuses on the position of Koweit [Kuwait] in regards to Turkey (Ottoman Empire) from 1871 onwards. In the left and righ hand margins there are references to various correpondence, reports and agreements between 1878 and 1901, as well as giving subject headings, which include: 'Difficulties with Turkey', 'German railway scheme', 'Dispute between Koweit and Nejd [Najd]', 'Defences of Koweit', 'Use of Turkish flag in Koweit', and 'Proposal to make Koweit a port of call for Mail-steamers'. Folios 150 to 151 include extracts of correspondence from Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and Anthopoulo Pasha, dated 11 September 1901, and Admiral Sir Day Hort Bosanquet, Commander-in-chief, East Indies, to Admiralty, dated 31 August and 4 October 1901. There is an Annex between folios 152 and 153, which includes a translated agreement ('Arabic bond') with the Sheikh of Kuwait, Mubārak bin Ṣabāḥ Āl Ṣabāḥ, dated 23 January 1899, signed by Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm John Meade, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire, and witnessed by E Wickham Hore, Captain of the Indian Medical Service (IMS), John Calcott Gaskin, and Muhammad Rahim bin Abdul Nebi Saffer [Muḥammad Raḥim bin ‘Abd al-Nabī Ṣafar], Native Agent at Bahrain and friend of the Sheikh of Kuwait; and a translation of an Arabic letter from Meade to the Sheikh of Kuwait, dated 23 January 1901.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at folio 143, and terminates at folio 153, since it is part of a larger physical volume; 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 the top right-hand corner of the recto of each folio. These numbers are written in pencil, but are not circled.Pagination: This section of the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
Abstract: The volume is entitled
Summary of Events in Territories of the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Arabia affecting the British Position in the Persian Gulf, 1907-1928(printed by the Committee of Imperial Defence, October 1928).Includes sections on The Ottoman Empire, Persia, Arabia (Nejd [Najd]), Mohammerah [Khorramshahr], Muscat, and Bahrein [Bahrain].Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1 on the front cover and terminates at 90 on the back cover. These numbers are written in pencil, are enclosed in a circle, and appear in the top right hand corner of the recto page of each folio. Foliation anomalies: ff. 1, 1A; ff. 86, 86A. Two folios, f. 3 and f. 4 have been reattached in the wrong order, so that f. 4 precedes f. 3. The following map folios need to be folded out to be examined: f. 87, f. 88.