Abstract: The file contains an exchange of confidential correspondence, following a formal protest made by Ibn Sa’ud (King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia) to the Minister at the British Legation in Jeddah, about publication of an article in the newspaper
Al Bahrainon 26 November 1942.The correspondence is between His Britannic Majesty’s Minister, Jeddah; Edward Birkbeck Wakefield and Major Tom Hickinbotham (Political Agents, Bahrain); Bertram Thomas (Public Relations Officer in the Persian Gulf, Public Relations office, Bahrain); Charles Geoffrey Prior (Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire); Hugh Weightman (Joint Secretary to the Government of India, External Affairs Department, New Delhi) and Charles Dalrymple Belgrave (Adviser to the Bahrain Government, Bahrain).The correspondence discusses the reaction of Ibn Sa’ud to the newspaper article, which urged the establishment of a Shia religious school in Qatif, Saudi Arabia. The file includes an English translation of the newspaper article entitled ‘An appeal to found an institute at Qatif’. The article was signed by ‘Ali al Shaikh Mansur al Marhoon al Qatifi’ (Sheikh Mansur al Marhoon), but was later found to have been written by his son, Ali Bin Mansur.The file cover appears to have been re-used. An earlier file title ‘Facilities – Port of Bahrain’ is visible and has been crossed out.Physical description: Foliation: numbered 1 to 21 in pencil in the top right hand corner and encircled. The numbering starts at the front of the file, on the file cover (f.1) and ends on the inside cover at the back of the file (f.21).
Abstract: This file relates to institutions in the Hejaz (later Saudi Arabia) that have received or have been offered financial support from the Government of the Nizam of Hyderabad.The file features the following principal correspondents: the Resident at Hyderabad, the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India, His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan), and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.The correspondence primarily concerns proposals from the Government of the Nizam of Hyderabad to install electric lights in the haram at Medina and to repair a number of holy tombs there, in commemoration of the Nizam's silver jubilee. Included in the correspondence are details of the proposals and the Saudi Government's response.Also included in the file is correspondence dating from 1931 discussing the alleged interference of the Hejazi authorities regarding the religious instruction provided at a Hyderabad-funded Hanafi madrassa in Medina.The date range of the file is 1931-38 but the majority of the material dates from 1936-38.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 60; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.