Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Ahmad Al-Jabir Al-Sabah, in southern Iraq. The correspondence concerns the Iraqi Ministry of Justice’s refusal to recognise the Power of Attorney presented to them by the Shaikh of Kuwait’s lawyer in Basra, Jacob Gabriel. It also concerns the following: the Shaikh of Kuwait's ownership of the gardens, the Tapu papers (land deeds) which prove his rights to the date gardens, smuggling,
fellaheenriots at Faw, and tax payments. In the papers, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised their concerns to the British Government that unless the Shaikh accepts the service of judicial documents emanating from the Iraqi Government all cases instituted against him would remain pending.In the volume, British Officials circulate full lists of the Shaikh’s garden properties in Iraq. They also discuss the Iraqi Government’s request for the Shaikh to appear at the Court in Iraq, and how this could compromise his position as an independent ruler.The volume also includes correspondence related to the ‘Ujairawiyeh Estate, which had been purchased by Shaikh Mubarak in 1912, and was registered in the name of his daughter Sharifa. The estate later became a shared property between the heirs. Such shared properties raised questions among British officials regarding the Arab custom of holding property in common.The volume’s core correspondence covers October 1934- April 1935. The earlier start date given to the volume is a result of correspondence by the Political Resident Trenchard Craven William Fowle (f 303), which is dated 30 August 1933. The correspondence is a drawing of a plan showing lands adjacent to Faw depot.The main correspondence in the volume is between the Political Resident, Bushire, the Political Agent, Kuwait, the British Ambassador, Baghdad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iraq, the Ruler of Kuwait and his Basra lawyer Jacob Gabriel.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 311; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Two previous foliation sequences, one circled and one uncircled, have been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah, Khaz'al al-Ka'bi, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the Government of Iraq's intention to end the immunity from taxation (on the gardens) that had been granted to the former ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Mubārak Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah by the British Government in return for their military support against the Ottoman Empire in the First World War. The volume contains letters (ff 16-20), dated November 1914, from the British Resident and Consulate-General, Bushire, Persian Gulf, to both shaikhs in respect to this issue. The volume also contains correspondence between British officials discussing the British Government's obligations to Kuwait and how it should react to the Government of Iraq's plans.The Iraq Government had considered and continues to consider that the exemption from taxation is illegal. This issue was discussed in an extract of an article that appeared in
Al-Iraqnewspaper and published in 1927, in which the writer gives the exact amount (12.000 Turkish gold liras per year, or 100.000 in the past 7 years) Iraq was losing annually as a result of the exemption from taxes granted to the two shaikhs.The British officials had direct correspondence with the Council of Ministers, Iraq. They conveyed the British Government’s approval to the Government of Iraq to open up direct negotiations with the Shaikhs of Kuwait and Mohammerah regarding their revenue exemptions. Correspondence between the High Commissioner, Baghdad, and the Government of Iraq were made as early as 1924 in regard to the issue. The correspondence between the British officials includes articles of the Anglo-Iraq Treaties as well as reports prepared by the Law Officer of the Crown, Downing Street (ff 116-123).The volume also contains correspondence between Sayid Hamid Bey Al-Naqib, Basra Deputy to the Ruler of Kuwait, and Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir conveying to him the procedures taking place in Iraq regarding his date gardens. Al-Naqib also paid visits to the Shaikh on behalf of the Government of Iraq. The volume also includes statements of the properties of both Shaikhs between the years 1914-1928.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 318; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Additional foliation sequences are present in parallel between ff 4-313; these numbers are also written in pencil but, where circled, are crossed through.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah, Khaz'al al-Ka'bi, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the Government of Iraq's intention to end the immunity from taxation (on the gardens) that had been granted to the former ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Mubārak Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah by the British Government in return for their military support against the Ottoman Empire in the First World War.The correspondence is mainly between British officials discussing the possible solutions to the gardens taxation issue. Among the suggested solutions was the selling of the property. British officials report that the Shaikh of Kuwait is entirely flexible in regards to the selling of certain estates but not the ones in Al-Faw. But they also suggested that it would be rather useless for the Iraq Government to attempt to purchase the gardens as they belong to more than a hundred relatives of the Shaikh who depend on the produce for their maintenance.The volume includes statements of an estimated value of the Shaikh of Kuwait’s estates on Shatt al-Arab. It also contains economic reports on the proposed new basis of taxation on agricultural produce in Iraq, and copies of the Government of Iraq’s new laws for the collection of consumption (
Istihlak) tax and for the collection of land rent and water rent (ff 79-101). The correspondence also includes records of meetings held in London in regard to the question of the taxations as well as the new system of land revenue collections in Iraq.The main correspondence is between the British Resident, Bushire, the Political Agent, Kuwait, the High Commissioner, Baghdad, and the Colonial Office, Downing Street, London.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 222; 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 present in parallel; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. One of these additional sequences has been crossed out.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah, Khaz'al al-Ka'bi, in southern Iraq. A particular taxation system called
Istihlak(consumption) tax has been imposed by the Iraqi Government on the produce of the gardens. British Officials discuss payment of export duty on garden produce from the Shaikh of Kuwait’s gardens in Iraq, and the allegations made by the Shaikh of Kuwait against the customs authorities at Faw.The British Ambassador in Baghdad reports that because of the enforcement of the new tax law, the Iraqi Government is no longer able to make exempt from taxes the Shaikh‘s gardens' produce that has been exported from Iraq for the personal use of the Shaikh.The volume includes a copy of minutes of a conference on the Shaikh’s date gardens held in Baghdad and minutes of an interdepartmental meeting held in London in regards to the gardens issue.The Political Agent, Kuwait, asks the Shaikh of Kuwait to provide full and detailed statements showing all payments and losses resulting from the imposition of Istihlak tax by the Iraqi Government. The Shaikh in turn provides six statements (ff 194-221):Statement I. Showing the amount levied as
Istihlaktax from merchants purchasing and exporting dates in 1932.Statement II. Showing the amount levied as
Istihlaktax from merchants purchasing and exporting dates in 1933.Statement III. Showing the amount levied from the Shaikh as
Istihlaktax and under the heading 'Customs duties' on articles exported for the Shaikh’s private consumption.Statement IV. Showing the quantities of dates which the Shaikh was obliged to surrender from his own share to the
fellaheen(peasants) working in his gardens under the
Istihlaktax.Statement V. Showing the losses sustained by the Shaikh as a result of the disobedience of the
fellaheendue to the introduction of the
Istihlaktax.Statement VI. Showing the grand total of the above lists.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 227; 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 present in parallel between ff 6-222; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah, Khaz'al al-Ka'bi, in southern Iraq. The correspondence is mainly about the taxation imposed on the gardens by the Iraqi Government.British officials discuss statements of claims which cover the years 1932 and 1933, and which were submitted by the Shaikh of Kuwait and by Mirza Muhammad, Agent in Iraq to Shaikh Khaz'al, in respect of the losses both shaikhs suffered because of the imposition of the taxation system called
Istihlak(consumption) tax. The shaikhs claim that the Iraqi Government has imposed the
Istihlaktax system despite the fact that the gardens were exempted from taxations for the years 1932-1933.The volume contains statements on taxation paid on the Shaikh of Kuwait’s estates in Iraq for the years 1934-1937. These statements are in Arabic and English and they were distributed among the Political Agency, Kuwait, and the Residency, Bushire. The volume also contains a report (ff 81-90) of the administration and management of the properties of the Ruler of Kuwait in the years 1933-1934 sent by the Shaikh’s general agent, Jacob Gabriel, to the Political Agent, Kuwait.The volume also contains correspondence between British officials discussing the question of compensation for the loss of income from the date gardens in Iraq belonging to the late Shaikh Khaz‘al, and the British Government’s decision to treat his heirs with the same level of respect.The main correspondence is between the Political Resident, Bushire, the Political Agent, Kuwait, British Ambassador, Baghdad, the India Office, London, the Foreign Office, London and the Ruler of Kuwait.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 271; 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 150-266; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence related to a court suit raised in Basra Court by Rafiyaa bint Ali al-Zuhair and other members of al-Zuhair family complaining against the Ruler of Kuwait. The suit in question concerns a portion of the Shaikh’s Faddaghiya estate on Shatt al-Arab, and the Bashiya land to which members of al-Zuhair family lay claim to. The Secretariat of the High Commissioner for Iraq passes the case to the Political Agent, Kuwait, upon the request of the Iraq Ministry of Justice. In turn, the Political Agent passes the case to the Shaikh of Kuwait and to the Political Resident, Bushire.The correspondence includes a report (ff 26-50) with full details related to the Shaikh’s Faddaghiya estate in Iraq, accompanied by two attachments. The first attachment includes communications with Abdul Aziz al-Salim Al-Badr, the Shaikh’s agent in Basra who provided the Agency with details of the way by which Faddaghiya estate had been bought by Shaikh Mubarak in 1908. The second attachment includes the correspondence with Mirza Muhammad, agent in Iraq to Shaikh Khaz'al, recommending two lawyers, Messrs Jacob Gabriel and Arteen, to help the Shaikh with the case. The Political Agent, Kuwait, also sent two short histories of the Bashiya and Faddaghiya estates (ff 88-96) to the Political Resident, Bushire. According to the reports, the Faddaghiya estate was owned by Aisha, wife of Ahmad Pasha Al-Zuhair. Ahmad Pasha sold the estate to Shaikh Mubarak of Kuwait although he did not hold a Power of Attorney from his wife at the time of the sale.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 158; 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 6-153; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the court suit raised in Basra Court by members of al-Zuhair family complaining against the Ruler of Kuwait. The suit in question concerns a portion of the Shaikh’s Faddaghiya estate on Shatt al-Arab, and the Bashiya land to which members of al-Zuhair family lays claim to. According to the reports, the Faddaghiya estate was owned by Aisha, wife of Ahmad Pasha Al-Zuhair. Ahmad Pasha sold the estate to Shaikh Mubarak of Kuwait although he did not hold a Power of Attorney from his wife at the time of the sale, in 1914.The Iraqi Government had requested via the British Embassy, Baghdad, for the Shaikh of Kuwait to submit to the Basra Court certain documents related to the case including a copy of Power of Attorney to prove the right of Ahmad Pasha Al-Zuhair to proceed with the selling.The volume includes a sketch map of the Faddaghiya estate with explanatory notes (ff 94-97). It also includes minutes of a meeting which was held at the Foreign Office in London to discuss issues related to the date gardens and the court suits. The correspondence contains reports that the
fellaheenon the Faw estate have started refusing to pay rent and were committing acts of sabotage. The Shaikh in turn argued that the British Government’s procrastination had caused him further troubles. Among the correspondents in the volume are the Political Resident, Bushire, and the Political Agent, Kuwait.The volume’s core correspondence covers the years 1932 and 1933. The earlier start date given to the volume is a result of correspondence between Sir Henry Dobbs, Revenue Commissioner, Basra, and Abdul Aziz al-Salim Al-Badr, Agent of the Shaikh of Kuwait in Basra (ff 23-25), which is dated 14 June 1915. The correspondence includes the details of the Tapu dead registration granted to the Shaikh of Kuwait.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 208; 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 6-203, and ff 139-203; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the court suit raised in Basra Court by members of al-Zuhair family complaining against the Ruler of Kuwait. The suit in question concerns a portion of the Shaikh’s Faddaghiya estate on Shatt al-Arab, and the Bashiya land to which members of al-Zuhair family lays claim to. According to the reports, the Faddaghiya estate was owned by Aisha, wife of Ahmad Pasha Al-Zuhair, and she has given her husband a Power of Attorney to sell the land.In the volume, British officials discuss issues related to the land registration granted to the Shaikh by Sir Henry Dobbs, Revenue Commissioner, Basra, in 1915, and the importance of obtaining an original copy of the claimed Power of Attorney authorising the sale of the land by Ahmed Pasha al-Zuhair. British officials correspond with the Shaikh and his lawyer, Jacob Gabriel, asking them to prepare certain documents, including a list of the names of the legal living heirs of Ahmed Pasha al-Zuhair, an original Turkish copy of the Power of Attorney, and translated copies of the document both in Arabic and English.The volume includes notes of meetings held in Baghdad between British officials discussing the cases. It also includes copies of the four Tapu title deeds (ff 55-64) connected with the Shaikh of Kuwait’s Faddaghiya estate dispute, dated 1915. The volume also includes reports on agrarian troubles caused by the
fellaheenon the Shaikh’s Faw estates.The main correspondence in the volume is between the Political Resident, Bushire, the Political Agent, Kuwait, British Ambassador, Baghdad, the India Office, London, the Foreign Office, London, the Ruler of Kuwait and Jacob Gabriel, the Shaikh’s Agent in Basra.The volume’s core correspondence covers June- October 1933. The earlier start date given to the volume is a result of correspondence by Jacob Gabriel (f 153), which is dated 20 November 1909. The correspondence includes a certificate from a school where he was a pupil. Jacob Gabriel provides testimonies and letters from previous places and people he worked with to prove his ability to take the Shaikh’s case on.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 207; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Three additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 6-202, ff 42-127, and ff 176-202; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the agrarian troubles in the Shaikh’s gardens caused by the tenants and the
fellaheenworking there who were refusing to pay revenue to the Shaikh.In the volume, British officials discuss issues related to the land registration granted to the Shaikh by Sir Henry Dobbs, Revenue Commissioner, Basra, in 1915, and the importance of obtaining an original copy of the claimed Power of Attorney authorising the sale of the land by Ahmed Pasha al-Zuhair.British officials correspond with the Shaikh and his lawyer, Jacob Gabriel. The lawyer in turn reported to the Political Agent, Kuwait, and to the Shaikh of Kuwait, on a few issues, including: the troubles caused by the
fellaheen, procedures at the court in Basra, the Iraqi Government’s involvement in the case and the Iraqi Limitation Law.The volume includes copy of legislations under the title "Fellah’s Rights and Duties" (ff 58-68) issued by the King of Iraq and published in
Al-Waqa’i‘ Al-Iraqiyyanewspaper. It also includes notes of a meeting (ff 101-114) held at the Foreign Office, on February 1934, between British officials discussing the date gardens case.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 245; 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 7-240; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.A previous foliation sequence has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the alleged intention of the Iraqi Government to expropriate a portion of the Shaikh of Kuwait’s property at Faw. The volume also concerns the service of judicial documents emanating from the Iraqi Government on the Shaikh of Kuwait in connection with his ownership of the gardens and the refusal of the Iraqi Ministry of Justice to recognise the Power of Attorney presented to them by the Shaikh of Kuwait’s lawyer in Basra, J Gabriel.In the volume, British Officials discuss the failure of the Iraqi Government to validate the Shaikh’s title to his Faddaghiyya gardens, the Shaikh’s appointment of his son Muhammad as his attorney in Iraq, and the appointment of Abdul Jalil Partu as the Shaikh’s pleader in Basra instead of J Gabriel. The volume also includes correspondence related to the demands for customs duty by Iraqi customs authorities on Shaikh of Kuwait’s motor launch.The main correspondence is between the Political Agent, Kuwait, the British Ambassador, Baghdad, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iraq, the Ruler of Kuwait, and the Foreign Office, London.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 204; 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: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the service of judicial documents emanating from the Iraqi Government on the Shaikh of Kuwait in connection with his ownership of the gardens. The Political Agent in Kuwait and the British Ambassador in Baghdad mediate the talks between the Shaikh of Kuwait and the Iraqi Government in order to resolve the issue. The correspondence also concerns the action of the Basra Port Authorities in regards to the stakes they have driven into the strip of land which is part of the Shaikh’s Faw property, the suggestion made by British Officials to the Shaikh to give as a gift a piece of his land at Faw to the Government of Iraq, and the Shaikh’s complaints against the Iraqi Government for putting obstacles in the way of his agents and officials administrating his properties.The volume includes records of meetings held at the Foreign Office, London, to discuss the questions of possession and title of the Shaikh of Kuwait, the liability of the Shaikhs’ properties to Iraqi taxation, and the British Government’s proposals for a comprehensive settlement of the date gardens issue.The volume’s core correspondence covers March- July 1936. The earlier start date given to the volume is a result of correspondence by the British Embassy Baghdad, which includes the English text of the Iraqi Land Settlement Law of 1932 (ff 145-155), which is dated 5 June 1932.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 245; 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 6-240, and ff 66-240; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the service of judicial documents emanating from the Iraqi Government on the Shaikh of Kuwait in connection with his ownership of the gardens. The Political Resident, Bushire, together with the Political Agent in Kuwait and the British Ambassador in Baghdad mediate the talks between the Shaikh of Kuwait and the Iraqi Ministry for Foreign Affairs in order to resolve the issue.The volume includes correspondence from the India Office and the Foreign Office discussing the issue of the Iraqi Government considering part of the Shaikh’s land as
mowat(land which is not cultivated because it is not cultivable), and therefore, to be confiscated by the state. The volume also includes correspondence from the Shaikh of Kuwait complaining against the Iraqi Government for putting obstacles in the way of his agents and officials administrating his properties. Upon request, the Shaikh provides a list of names of the heirs of Shaikh Mubarak who have rights to the date gardens.British Officials discuss a few other issues including: the court case disputing the Shaikh’s ownership of the date gardens having been prosecuted by the heirs of Ali Pasha Al-Zuhair at the Court of Basra, the cancellation of the attorney given by the Shaikh of Kuwait to his pleader in Basra, Abdul Jalil Partu, the suggestion of appointing an Egyptian lawyer to plead for the Shaikh at court, the importance of the Shaikh’s cooperation in taking anti-smuggling measures, the Iraq Land Settlement Law, and the British Government’s proposals for a comprehensive settlement of the date gardens issue.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 321; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Three additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 6-316, ff 69-199, and ff 242-316; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.