Abstract: This file consists of a Colonial Office letter related to the administration of the Kuria Muria [Khuriya Muriya] Islands (folios 2-3), a note on Dhufar written by Gordon Noel Jackson, Assistant Political Agent Muscat (folios 4-12), and an India Office letter regarding the boundary between Muscat and the Aden Protectorate (folio 13).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: This volume comprises printed copies of telegraphic correspondence, dated 1 January-31 December 1903, of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, with Lord George Hamilton, Secretary of State for India until October 1903, and then St John Brodrick.The beginning of the volume contains a detailed index of names, places and subjects (ff 3-12). This is followed by telegrams from the Secretary of State to Lord Curzon, numbered 1-520 (ff 15-97) and telegrams from Lord Curzon to the Secretary of State for India, numbered 1-512 (ff 99-195).A wide variety of subjects are covered, including matters relating to:The Aden Protectorate, notably the delimitation of the Aden boundary and relations with Turkey [Ottoman Empire]Afghanistan, including the Amir [Amīr Ḥabībullāh Khān] and Russian relations with AfghanistanThe Army in IndiaBritish policy and political relations in India, including Native StatesWar in the Transvaal [Second Boer War], in particular the transfer of prisoners of warBills proposed and passed by the Government of IndiaFinancial and administrative mattersMatters of tradeA ceremony to mark the Coronation of King Edward VII (as King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India) including the Delhi Coronation Durbar and its costsRailways, including proposals, construction and extensions in India and the Arabian PeninsulaRecommendations and awards of Honours of the United Kingdom to the British Indian Army and Government and to indigenous Indian rulers and dignitariesKoweit [Kuwait], including the Sheikh [Shaikh Mubārak bin Ṣabāḥ Āl Ṣabāḥ], British political representation in the country, and Koweit’s relations with Russia, France, and Nejd [Najd]Muscat, including the Sultan [Sayyid Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd], British policy in the country, and Muscat’s relations with FranceBritish policy in Persia [Iran] and the Persian Gulf, particularly in Seistan [Sistan]British relations with Russia, particularly in the contexts of Afghanistan, India, Central Asia and PersiaMilitary operations in the Somaliland Protectorate [the Republic of Somaliland]British policy in Tibet, including preparations for the December 1903 invasion.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 195; 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.Pagination: the volume also contains two original printed pagination sequences.
Abstract: This volume is a set of typewritten memoirs by Sir Tom Hickinbotham, a retired officer of the British Indian Army and the Indian Political Service. Hickinbotham held various positions in India and in the Middle East, and these memoirs recount stories from his time in Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Quetta, Persia [Iran], Aden, Audhali, Bahrain and North Waziristan.The memoirs were most likely completed in 1982-83; they cover the period 1927-1982, although most of the chapters relate to events from the 1930s and 1940s.Hickinbotham writes not only about his official duties but also about various trips taken during periods of leave. Below is a list of the chapters, with a short summary of each:'No Medals This Time' (ff 3-6) – details of an incident in Kuwait involving a dhow that caught fire off the foreshore at Shuwaik [Ash Shuwaykh]'The Silver Coin' (ff 7-10) – thoughts on the use of the Maria Theresa thaler in Arabia'The Golden Dagger' (ff 11-36) – an account of Hickinbotham's unofficial visit to Riyadh to meet Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] in May 1942'The Brass Pencase' (ff 37-53) – memories of a journey undertaken from Quetta to Europe via north Persia in 1927, travelling in a Fiat Tourer with Colonel T Nisbet (also referred to as the 'purple emperor'), on what Hickinbotham claims to have been the first trip taken by car from India to the Mediterranean'The Bronze Boy' (ff 54-72) – reminiscences of weekends spent in 'Little Aden' (a rocky peninsula seven miles west of Aden), in 1938, and a later visit, in December 1961'The Silver Letter Case' (ff 73-118) – details of a ten-day trip on the Audhali plateau in the summer of 1938, and a return visit, in December 1960 (the chapter ends with remarks on the situation in Yemen generally from the late sixties to the time of writing, i.e. 1982)'The Agate Ring' (ff 119-144) – memories of travelling in Oman during the summer of 1940 and how this compared with Hickinbotham's last visit to the country in 1980'The Pearl Tie Pin' (ff 145-151) – thoughts and anecdotes on the pearl trade in Bahrain'A Point of View' (ff 152-157) – a story told to Hickinbotham, possibly fictional, of a pearl trader in the Gulf who lost his fortune and livelihood, and eventually his sanity'Snakes Alive!!' (ff 158-161) – an account of a near-fatal encounter with a krite [krait] in Waziristan'The Queen's Visit' (ff 162-168) – memories of the Queen's visit to the Aden Protectorate in 1954, where Hickinbotham was serving as Governor.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 168; 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 mixed foliation/pagination sequence is also present in parallel between ff 3-168.Condition: The original plastic comb binding ring has been replaced with a wider one to facilitate flat opening of the volume. Polyester film covers have been added to protect the first and last folios.
Abstract: The file consists of correspondence between William Lee-Warner, India Office, Secretary to the Political and Secret Department, and Pelham James Maitland, Resident at Aden, concerning Aden delimitation and accusations of Turkish encroachments, dated 28-29 July 1902. An additional note by Maitland gives his own views on the boundary question, provides a history of the question, and covers the present situation as regards the territories of the Amir of Dthali [Aḑ Ḑāli‘].Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 16, and terminates at f 22, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, 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 21-27; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are circled.Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
Abstract: This file consists of a single page announcing the succession of the post United States Naval Observer to the American Consulate at Aden.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 3; these numbers are written in pencil and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This file contains correspondence and minutes regarding conflict in the Aden Protectorate and on the North West Frontier. The minutes cover the following: an attack on Ahwar-Habban in the western part of the Aden Protectorate; air actions and future policy; the Dhala incident and recommended actions; reference to the air action attack in Bromi Khel, Pakistan, in August 1947.The file features the following principal correspondents: the Secretary of State for India and Burma and officials of the Colonial Office.The file includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 23, 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 concerns Anglo-Yemeni relations. Consisting largely of copies of Colonial Office and Foreign Office correspondence, it documents negotiations leading up to the conclusion of the Treaty of Sana'a between Britain and Yemen (signed on 11 February 1934 and ratified on 4 September 1934), and continues to discuss Anglo-Yemeni relations thereafter.Much of the correspondence following the ratification of the treaty relates to the existing frontier between Yemen and the Aden Protectorate; it includes discussion of article three of the Anglo-Yemeni treaty, which refers to the future settlement of the frontier.Related matters that feature in the correspondence include:The appointment in May 1934 of Captain Basil William Seager as Frontier Officer in the Aden Protectorate, as recommended by the Political Resident, Aden (Bernard Rawdon Reilly).Discussion regarding the extent of Italian influence in Yemen.The Imam of Yemen's [Yaḥyā Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn's] claim to certain districts on the British side of the Yemen-Aden Protectorate frontier.Details of two meetings in London, held in September and October 1937 respectively, between the Imam of Yemen's son, Prince Hussein [al-Ḥusayn Yaḥyā bin Ḥamīd al-Dīn], and George Rendel of the Foreign Office, regarding Anglo-Yemeni relations, with particular reference to article three of the aforementioned treaty.The reported presence of Axis nationals (Italians and Germans) in Yemen in 1942.The file features the following principal correspondents: the Political Resident, Aden (Bernard Rawdon Reilly); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, and later, Hugh Stonehewer Bird); His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo (Sir Miles Wedderburn Lampson); the British Minister of State, Cairo; the Secretary of State for the Colonies; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, and the India Office.In addition to correspondence the file includes the following:Copies of political intelligence summaries from Aden.Copies of the English text of the aforementioned treaty.A certificate of registration for the treaty (in French and English), dated 4 February 1935 and issued by the Secretary General of the League of Nations.Whilst the file contains material ranging in date from 1934 to 1942, the vast majority of the material dates from 1934 to 1935.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 main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 252; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 160-187, and ff 202-208; these numbers are printed, and are not circled.A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: This file concerns a request, made by the Army Headquarters, India, to the British Embassy at Baghdad, for a map of Arabia showing the national and provincial boundaries of Saudi Arabia. The correspondence discusses the difficulties associated with marking out the various boundaries, owing to the fact that many of them are 'the subject of actual or potential controversy'. Also discussed are recommended revisions to the boundaries of Arabia, as shown on a National Geographic Society map of Asia (map not included).Notable correspondents include the following: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan); officials of the Foreign Office, the India Office, the Persian Gulf Political Residency, the British Embassy in Baghdad, and the British Library of Information in New York.In addition to correspondence the file includes the following:A copy of a memorandum dated 18 April 1932, which recounts an interdepartmental conference held at the Colonial Office three days earlier, concerning the submission of the frontiers of the mandated territories (namely the Iraq-Transjordan frontier, the Iraq-Kuwait frontier, and the Palestine-Syria frontier) for approval to the Council of the League of Nations.Two maps: one depicting the Arabian Peninsula and the other showing the eastern portion of the Aden Protectorate.Whilst the date range of the file is 1916-1934, only two items (including the aforementioned memorandum) date from earlier than 1934.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 (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 60; 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, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: This file relates to boundaries in the Arabian Peninsula. The file begins with a Foreign Office memorandum (and an enclosed map) dated 30 April 1934, which provides a brief recent history of disputes and agreements regarding the eastern and south-eastern boundaries of modern-day Saudi Arabia.The remainder of the file, which dates from 1937, contains correspondence between the Foreign Office and the Colonial Office discussing the precise extent of the Aden Protectorate. Also discussed are the respective British and Italian interpretations of the Rome Understanding of 1927. The correspondence includes a second Foreign Office memorandum dated 23 August 1937 and entitled 'The Growth of the Aden Protectorate'.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 (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 40; 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 mostly contains copies of Weekly Letters and enclosures from the Political Resident at Aden, which were sent to the India Office for information.The volume consists of two parts: Part 1, dated 26 June 1916 to 19 January 1917, and Part 2, dated 22 December 1916 to 12 December 1918.Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 484; 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: The volume contains papers relating to Articles 37 and 56 of the Abyssinia Order in Council 1913, which concern persons being sent for trial or imprisonment to Aden or Bombay.Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 479; 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 comprises correspondence, telegrams, summaries, reports, notes and other papers concerning the support given by Britain to the tribes of South Arabia [present-day Yemen] in 1917, chiefly in relation to Britain’s principal wartime aim of ousting the Turks [Ottoman Empire] from the region and securing the Aden Protectorate.The papers notably cover:British relations with Saiyid Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Idris, the Idrisi [Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alī al-Idrīsī, ruler of the Idrisid Emirate of Asir], including the 1915 agreement with the Idrisi in return for his attacking the Turks; financial assistance (subsidy) for arms, ammunition, hirelings and transport; the Idrisi’s recruitment of Hashid wa Bakil (also spelled Bakill and Bekil in this volume) and British doubts about the loyalty of these ‘mercenary’ (f 259) tribesmen; British concerns over the Idrisi’s effectiveness against the Turks and his predominating enmity towards Imam Yahia bin Mohamed Hamid-ud-Din of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn, also referred to as 'Imam Yahya' in this volume]British policy towards the 'Arab Confederacy' of tribes formed around May 1917 (also referred to as the 'Yemen Confederacy' in this volume), including concerns over its potential effectiveness and lack of concrete victories against the Turks; and meetings with various Arab tribal chiefs explaining their intentions or applying for assistance from BritainBritish relations with the ‘neutral’ Imam Yahya, including a concurrently open-door and non-committal policy; avoidance of decisions or actions that could cause the Imam to stop ‘sitting on the fence’ and ally with the Turks; the Imam’s approach to the British in July 1917 offering support in exchange for territory, the removal of the Idrisi, and a position as sole leader in Yemen (the British politely declined the offer)Division of opinion between the Political Resident in Aden, and the First Assistant Resident in Aden and Government of India, regarding the risks in either supporting or not supporting the Arab Confederacy; the viability and true aims of the Confederacy; and whether or not it was likely the Confederacy would to turn to Italy if Britain prolonged delaying assistance.The principal correspondents are: Major-General James Marshall Stewart, Political Resident, Aden; Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Fenton Jacob, First Assistant Resident, Aden; Saiyid Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Idris, the Idrisi [Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alī al-Idrīsī, ruler of the Idrisid Emirate of Asir]; Imam Yahia bin Mohamed Hamid Ud-Din of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn] (also referred to in this volume as Saiyid Yehia bin Mohamed Hamid-ad-Din, Al Mutawakil, the Commander of the Faithful, and as Imam Yahia of San’a / Sana’a [Sanaa] and 'Imam Yahya'); senior officials of the Government of India at Simla [Shimla]; Secretaries of State and diplomats of the Foreign Office and the India Office in London; General Sir Reginald Wingate, British High Commissioner in Egypt; Ronald William Graham, Foreign Office diplomat. Also included are translations and summaries of numerous communications from and between various chiefs of Arab tribes in Yemen.The enclosures date from 1917 but some include content (mainly printed documents) dating from 1916.The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 295; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Multiple intermittent additional mixed foliation/pagination sequences are also present. A previous foliation sequence in part of the volume, 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.