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1. 'Relations between His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Sheikh of Koweit'
- Description:
- Abstract: This secret memorandum, printed by the Foreign Office, contains a record of a meeting held at the Foreign Office on 5 October 1933 to discuss relations between Great Britain and the Sheikh of Koweit [Kuwait], Aḥmad bin Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, particularly in regards to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Aziz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Āl Sa‘ūd]. The following were present at the meeting: Mr George William Rendel (Chair), Eastern Department of the Foreign Office; Mr K R Johnston, Foreign Office; Sir Andrew Ryan, His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah; Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; and Mr John Gilbert Laithwaite, India Office.The memorandum also includes three appendices:'Appendix A. Note by Sir Andrew Ryan. Ibn Saud's attitude towards Kowait', dated 16 August 1933 (folios 3v-4r);'Appendix B. Provisional Note. Obligations of His Majesty's Government towards the Sheikh of Koweit', 11 October 1933, by Sir John Gilbert Laithwaite (folios 4-6), which includes sections entitled 'A. Nature of the undertakings given', 'B. Constitution of the undertakings given to the Sheikh', and 'Conclusion', with references to various correspondence in the right hand margin;'Appendix C. Supplementary Note. Question of Liability for the Protection of Koweit against Aggression from Outside. 1928-1929', by Sir John Gilbert Laithwaite, dated 6 February, 1934 (folio 6).There are also a number of enclosures which include correspondence between folios 6 and 10.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
2. 'File 26/185 V (F 96) Shaikh of Mohammerah'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains correspondence pertaining to the relatives of the late Shaikh of Khuzestan, Khaz‘al Āl Ka‘bī. The correspondents include the Political Resident at Bahrain, Political Agent at Kuwait, Government of India, Foreign Office, India Office, British Ambassador in Tehran, British Ambassador in Baghdad, Middle East Office at Cairo, British Consul General at Ahwaz, Vice Consul at Korramshahr, and two of Khaz‘al's sons, Abdullah [‘Abdullah bin Khaz‘al Āl Ka‘bī] and Chassib [Jāsib bin Khaz‘al Āl Ka‘bī].The matters covered in the volume include:compensation to be paid to the heirs of Sheikh Ahmad of Kuwait and Sheikh Khaz‘al for taxes [ istiḥlāk] paid on estates that they should have been exempt from;the intrigues and actions of Khaz‘al's sons, ‘Abdullah and Jāsib, including small-scale incursions into Khuzistan [Khūzestān] from Iraq and attempts to garner Arab and British support for their return to power in Khuzistan;where to settle ‘Abdullah after his return from Persia.Folios 64-69 are letters in Arabic, signed by several of the heads of leading Arab families in the region, petitioning the Political Resident for help against Persian oppression.Folios 214-228 are internal office notes.Physical description: Foliation: There is an incomplete foliation sequence and a complete foliation sequence. The complete sequence, which should be used for referencing, is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. It begins on the title page, on number 1, and ends on the last folio of writing, on number 228. There are the following irregularities: folio 1 is followed by folio 1A. It should be noted that folio 67 is contained in an envelope which is attached to the verso of folio 66, and folios 71-72 are in an envelope which is attached to the verso of folio 70.
3. 'File 61/15 II (D 44) Kuwait Conference'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains correspondence relating to the adjournment, second phase, and collapse of the Kuwait Conference. The correspondence is between the Political Residency at Bushire, the Political Agencies at Kuwait and Bahrain, the High Commissioners in Baghdad and Jerusalem, the Colonial Office in London, the British Agency at Jeddah, the Government of India, Sheikh Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, ruler of Kuwait, Ibn Sa'ud, Sultan of Najd, King Faisal of Iraq, and Amir Abdullah of Transjordan.The main aim of the conference was to settle issues of border delineation between Najd, Transjordan, the Hejaz, and Iraq. Other issues of negotiation were the return of Shammar refugees to Najd from Iraq and compensation for past raids. Much of the correspondence deals with this. The discussion focuses around the status of places that there is most disagreement on: Wadi Sirhan (Jauf [Jawf], Kaf [Kāf]), Akaba [al-‘Aqaba], Maan [Ma‘ān], and the Hejaz frontier (Khurma, Turbah, Khaybar). Other more practical issues are discussed, such as travel arrangements and the identity of attendees, including Ibn Sa‘ud's decision not to send one of his son's as delegate which led to King Hussein withdrawing his own representative.Other subjects covered by the volume are:a large raid by the Ikhwan on Iraqi shepherd tribes that effectively ended the conference;the presentation by the British of a silver plate to Sheikh Ahmed to thank him for his hospitality;the official Najd government publication of a 'green book' on the conference.Notable within the volume are Stuart Knox's notes and minutes on the numerous sittings of the conference: folios 1D-37, 57-90, 120-29, 252-63, 265-71, 274-80.Physical description: Foliation: the sequence starts on the title page and ends on the last folio. The numbering is written in pencil, circled, and found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D; 165A and 165B. There is a second, incomplete sequence the runs between folios 165-319. It is also written in pencil but is not circled.
4. 'Final Record of a Meeting Held at the Foreign Office on Thursday October 5th [1933] to Discuss Relations between His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Sheikh of Koweit'
- Description:
- Abstract: This is a printed memorandum containing a record of a meeting held at the Foreign Office on 5 October 1933 to discuss relations between Great Britain and the Sheikh of Koweit [Kuwait], Aḥmad bin Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, particularly in regards to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Aziz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Āl Sa‘ūd]. The following were present at the meeting: Mr George William Rendel (Chair), Eastern Department of the Foreign Office; Mr K R Johnston, Foreign Office; Sir Andrew Ryan, His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah; Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; and Mr John Gilbert Laithwaite, India Office.The memorandum also includes two appendices: 'Appendix A. Note by Sir Andrew Ryan. Ibn Saud's attitude towards Kowait', dated 16 August 1933 (folios 14-17); and 'Appendix B. Provisional Note. Obligations of His Majesty's Government towards the Sheikh of Koweit', 11 October 1933, by Sir John Gilbert Laithwaite (folios 18-25), which includes sections entitled 'A. Nature of the undertakings given', 'B. Constitution of the undertakings given to the Sheikh', and 'Conclusion', with references to various correspondence in the right hand margin.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the first folio, and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
5. 'File 2/5 V SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.'
- Description:
- 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.
6. 'File 61/7 (D 65) Bin Saud's relations with the Sheikh of Kuwait'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume consists of letters (in English and Arabic), telegrams, and memoranda, the majority of which concern Najd-Kuwait relations. The correspondence is mostly between Ibn Sa'ud, Sheikh Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah of Kuwait, the High Commissioner of Iraq, the Political Residency in Bushire, the Political Agencies in Bahrain and Kuwait, the Colonial Office, Foreign Office, and India Office, all in London, and the Government of India in Bengal.Two main subjects are discussed in the correspondence. The first is the dispute over customs duties between Ibn Sa'ud and the ruler of Kuwait, including the nature of the problem and British attempts to solve it. The second is the Nationality Certificates issued to Najdi subjects in Kuwait, by Ibn Sa'ud. The latter half of the file also contains correspondence and several lengthy memorandums regarding the tribes of the region, especially those of the Ikhwan, and recent movements and hostilities along the Kuwait, Iraq, and Transjordan borders with Najd.Physical description: Foliation: The sequence starts from the title page and ends on the inside back cover. The numbers are written in pencil and can be found in the top right of the recto side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: 1A, 1B, and 1C; 71a1 and 71a2; 85A1, 85A2, and 85B; 89A1 and 89a2; 90A1 and 90a2. Eight individual folios have been given a number range, rather than a single number, written respectively as: 36-37; 48-49; 54-56; 61-63; 101-102; 132-135; 169-170; 180-181.
7. 'File 61/14 XI (D 58) Relations between Nejd and Iraq'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains letters, telegrams, reports and memoranda relating to affairs between Najd, Iraq, and Kuwait. The majority of the correspondence is between Harold Dickson, the Political Agent in Kuwait, Cyril Barrett, the Political Resident in Bushire, Charles Prior, the Political Agent in Bahrain, Gilbert Clayton, the High Commissioner in Baghdad, Ibn Sa'ud, the King of Najd and Hejaz, Sheikh Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the ruler of Kuwait, Robert Brooke-Popham, Air Officer Commanding in Iraq, the British Agency in Jeddah, the Colonial Office in London, and the Government of India.The majority of the volume relates to the continuing rebellion against Ibn Sa'ud's rule by the Ikhwan. Issues and events discussed are:the encampment of rebels at Subaihiyah and the success of persuading them to leave peacefully by Dickson and the Sheikh of Kuwait;the air reconnaissance mission that risked sparking conflict and ruining these efforts;the sale of guns and ammunition to Sheikh Ahmed;intelligence on tribal movements and activities, especially those considered to be rebels;the question of whether to deploy a Special Service Officer in Kuwait;the structure and make-up of Ibn Sa'ud's armed forces;an outbreak of rebel activity in the Hejaz;Barrett's commendations for Dickson and Sheikh Ahmed after their success in getting the rebels to leave Kuwait peacefully, and the responses to them;intelligence and opinion on Ibn Sa'ud's thoughts and activities;alleged communication and cooperation between certain Ikhwan leaders and the Iraq authorities;the planned response to a possible mass influx of rebel refugees into Kuwait.Notable are the reports by Harold Dickson. They cover a wide range of topics and appear regularly throughout the volume.At the back of the volume (folios 215-219) are office notes.Physical description: Foliation: The sequence starts on the first folio and continues through 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: 9 and 9A; 82 and 82A; 121 and 121A; and there is no 65. There is a second, inconsistent sequence. It is also written in pencil but is not circled. It is incomplete.
8. 'File 61/14 XVI (D 67) Relations between Nejd and Iraq'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains correspondence relating to relations between Najd, Kuwait and Iraq. The correspondence is between Harold Dickson, Political Agent in Kuwait, Hugh Biscoe, Political Resident in Bushire, Lord Passfield, Secretary of State for the Colonies in London, William Bond, Charge d'Affaires in Jeddah, Francis Humphrys, High Commissioner in Iraq, Robert Brooke-Popham, Air Officer Commanding in Iraq, the Government of India, Sheikh Ahmed al-Jabar al-Sabah, Sheikh of Kuwait, Ibn Sa'ud, King of Najd and the Hejaz, Fuad Hamza, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Hejaz and Najd, and Sheikh Hafiz Wahba, advisor to Ibn Sa'ud.The documents cover a period following the surrender of rebel Ikhwan tribes and their leaders. The first part of the volume contains correspondence from Jeddah with enclosures that pertain to earlier events in January 1930, including the search for rebels and their eventual surrender. The remainder of the volume covers the following events and subjects:the negotiations between Dickson, Biscoe, and Ibn Sa'ud over the return of rebels to Najd and compensation claims for losses;the arrangements for and results of a meeting of Iraqi and Najdi delegates to discuss future relations;the arrangements for and results of a meeting between Ibn Sa'ud and King Faisal of Iraq to come to a 'bon voisinage' agreement;the search for any remaining rebels in Kuwaiti territory;some reports of ill treatment of the returning rebels by Ibn Sa’ud's people.Also of note are several extracts and summaries of newspaper articles about the situation (folios 25, 38-39, 40-41). These are either from the Saudi newspaper Umm al-Quraor the Egyptian al-Muqattam.At the end of the volume (folios 252-56) are internal office notes.Physical description: Foliation: The sequence starts on the first folio and ends on the last. The numbering is written in pencil, circled, and found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: 2 and 2A; 34 and 34A; 39 and 39A; 55, 55A, and 55B; 188 and 188A. There is a second, inconsistent sequence. It is a combination of foliation and pagination and runs between folios 5-251. It is written in pencil but is not circled.Condition: folio 121 has a hole in it, obscuring some text.
9. 'File 2/4 I TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.'
- Description:
- 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.
10. 'File 2/4 III TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.'
- Description:
- 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.
11. 'File 2/4 IV TAXATION of SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.'
- Description:
- 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.
12. 'File 2/5 II SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS'
- Description:
- 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.