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25. 'File 61/11 V (D 95) Hejaz - Nejd, Miscellaneous'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume consists of letters, telegrams, and memoranda relating to the Hejaz and Najd. Much of the correspondence is from the British Legation in Jeddah, with regular reports on the situation in that region sent to Sir John Simon, the Foreign Secretary in London. The rest of the correspondence is mostly between the Political Residency in Bushire, the Political Agencies in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Muscat, the Colonial Office, and the Government of India.The main subjects of the volume are:the change in name from 'The Kingdom of the Hejaz-Nejd and its Dependencies' to 'The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia';the announcement of Ibn Sa'ud's eldest son, Prince Sa'ud, as the heir apparent to the throne;the territorial dispute between Yemen and Saudi Arabia after the latter's absorption of the 'Asir region into its kingdom.A copy of the 23 September 1932 issue of the newspaper Umm al-Qurais contained in the volume (folios 57-58). It features the Royal Order proclaiming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Other miscellaneous subjects covered in the volume include:relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia;a dispute between Ibn Sa'ud and his agent in Bahrain, al-Quasaibi [‘Abd al-‘Azīz al-Qusaibi], over a debt the former owes the latter;a revolt against Ibn Sa'ud by tribes loyal to ex-King Hussein coming from Sinai;a request for a loan made by Ibn Sa'ud to the British Government;relations between the Soviet Union and Saudi Arabia;relations between the USA and Saudi Arabia, including the visit of a Mr Gallant looking for oil concessions;concessions for the building of the railway between Mecca and Jeddah;the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining the League of Nations;the case of two slave girls seeking refuge at the British Legation in Jeddah.Other documents of note contained in the volume are:a copy of a new customs tariff for Saudi Arabia (folios 122-134)a 'Who's Who' of Saudi Arabia, produced by the British Legation in Jeddah and covering all those deemed important to know by the British (folios 183-200);an envelope containing the torn-out pages of an article in the International Affairsjournal (Vol. 12, No. 4, Jul., 1933, pp 518-534) entitled 'Ibn Sa'ud and the Future of Arabia.'At the back of the volume (folios 245-251) are internal office notes.Physical description: Foliation: The sequence starts on the first folio and continues to the inside back cover. The numbers are written in pencil, circled and located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Note that following f 1 are folios 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. The sequence then continues as normal from folio 2. There are two other foliation systems present but both are inconsistent and neither are circled.
26. 'File 61/11 VI (D 102) Hejaz-Nejd Miscellaneous'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains two original files bound together. The first file (folios 1A-207) has the original reference 61/11 VI (D 102) and covers the period 7 November 1933 to 30 August 1934 and relates to Hejaz-Najd affairs. The second file (folios 208-243) has the original reference 61/6 VII (D 95) and covers the period 2 February 1931 to 5 August 1932 and relates to Najd affairs. Both contain letters, telegrams, memoranda, and reports sent between the British Legation in Jeddah, the Foreign Office in London, the Political Residencies in Bushire and Aden, the Political Agencies in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Muscat, the High Commissioner in Trans-Jordan, the High Commissioner in Baghdad (later the British Embassy following Iraqi independence in 1932), the Colonial Office in London, the Government of India, and Ibn Sa'ud.The main subject of the first file is the territorial dispute between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Contained in the volume are papers concerning Saudi Arabian advances into the territories of 'Asir and Yemen and the subsequent Treaty of Taif that largely settled the dispute. There is also coverage of diplomatic conversations between Italy and Britain regarding the dispute, including secret talks in Rome. Included is the full Arabic text of the Treaty (folios 143-150A) and an English translation (folios 156-177).Other subjects covered in the first file are:the visit of M. Maigret, the French Charge D'Affairs, to Riyadh to speak with Ibn Sa'ud;the visit of Talaat Pasha Harb;a provisional agreement signed by the United States and Saudi Arabia;the prospect of gold in commercial quantities in the Hejaz.Notable documents contained in the volume are a report on the heads of foreign missions in Jeddah, and a revised (June 1934) report on the leading personalities in Saudi Arabia.The subjects covered by the second file are:details and significance of a resurgence in war dancing by the Saudis;the visit of Charles Crane to see Ibn Sa'ud;a request for military assistance made by Saudi Arabia to Turkey;the conditions of entry into Hasa for Hindu merchants.At the end of each file are several pages of internal 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 located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. There are the following anomalies: 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D; 11A and 11B; 24A; 30A; 132A; 143A; 150A; and 236A. There are two other sequences, both uncircled and incomplete.
27. 'File 61/11 VII (D 122) Hejaz-Nejd Miscellaneous'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains letters, telegrams, and memoranda relating to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most of the correspondence is between the British Legation in Jeddah, the Foreign Office in London, the Political Residencies in Bushire and Aden, the Political Agencies in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Muscat, the High Commissioner in Trans-Jordan, the British Embassy in Baghdad, the Colonial Office in London, the India Office in London, the Government of India, and Ibn Sa'ud.The volume covers a wide range of subjects, including:the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, including issues of the translation of the Treaty of Taif;the planning, development, and financing of roads;the differing characters of two of Ibn Sa'ud's sons, Amirs Sa'ud and Faisal;the appointment of new ministers in the Saudi Arabian government;the slave trade in the region;an Egyptian commercial and financial mission to the country led by Talaat Pasha Harb;a general amnesty for all 'political offenders' given by Ibn Sa'ud;new regulations on foreign ownership of property;Ibn Sa'ud's effort to improve the Saudi Arabian standing army;the French upgrade of their Consulate in Jeddah to a Legation;the general financial situation in Saudi Arabia;the proposal to restore the Hejaz Railway, including the lead up to a conference on the matter in Haifa in October 1935;an attempt on Ibn Sa'ud's life in Mecca;Saudi-Soviet relations;the activities of the Saudi Arabia Mining Syndicate;Amir Sa'ud's visit to Europe;the death of 'Abdullah ibn Jiluwi, Amir of Hasa;the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining the League of Nations;new Saudi regulations on the importation, sale, and possession of firearms;officer training for Saudis and Yemenis in Iraq;the introduction of a special import tax at Jeddah to fund local schools;Anglo-Italian relations;the proposal to renew the Treaty of Jeddah of 1927;unrest in Hasa due to the imposition of a 'jihad tax' on those who did not take part in recent fighting on behalf of the Kingdom.Notable in the volume is an interview with Fuad Bey Hamza, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, extracted from the newspaper Ayyam(folio 34).At the back of the volume (folios 207-213v) are internal office notes.Physical description: Foliation: The sequence begins on the first folio and continues through to the inside back cover. The numbers are written in pencil, circled, and located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D; 88, and 88A; 165 and 165A. There is a second foliation system that is uncircled and inconsistent.
28. ‘File B/12 SEIZURE OF A RAS-AL-KHAIMAH BOAT AT SIRRI ISLAND’
- Description:
- Abstract: The file begins with correspondence in 1935 reporting the seizure of a dhow belonging to nakuda Salim bin Abdullah, a subject of Ras al Khaimah, by a large group of Arab inhabitants of Sirri Island, led by Ubaid bin Khalfan al Aqrubi. As a result of their enquiries, the British authorities in the Persian Gulf conclude that the seizure of the Ras al Khaimah dhow at Sirri Island in November 1935 was an act of retaliation by the islanders against the intervention of Shaikh Sultan bin Salim [Al Qasimi, Shaikh Sultan bin Salim] the Ruler of Ras al Khaimah some years earlier, in a dispute over inheritance involving one of his subjects, who was a relative and beneficiary of the estate of the deceased wife of Ubaid bin Khalfan al Aqrubi. The main correspondents investigating the incident are: the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire, both the Political Agent and the Assistant Political Agent at Bahrain, and the Residency Agent at Sharjah whose reports are in Arabic as well as in English. Their correspondence includes both Arabic and English copies of letters and a statement made by Shaikh Sultan bin Salim the Ruler of Ras al Khaimah, and also of a witness statement made by the nakuda Salim bin Abdullah. The file ends with correspondence in 1936 relating to the settlement of the disputed inheritance and the return of the seized dhow to its owner, with the assistance of the Iranian authorities. Included in the latter correspondence are letters exchanged between officials at the British Legation in Tehran and both the Foreign Office and India Office in London, as well as a letter (in English translation) from the Iranian Minister for Foreign Affairs at Tehran, regarding the attitude of the British Government towards the Iranian Government’s claim to sovereignty over Sirri Island.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 79; 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 3-69; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
29. 'File 0255 Boundaries'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file contains correspondence relating to the definition of tribal territories and boundaries in the Trucial Coast (United Arab Emirates). The correspondence is principally between the Residency Agent and Political Officer in Sharjah, the Political Agency in Bahrain, the Political Residency in the Persian Gulf at Bushire (Bahrain from 1946), the Foreign Office, and a number of rulers and representatives of the Trucial Coast shaikhdoms.Matters covered by the file include:the dispute over the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai;the influence of Saudi Arabia, including the collection of taxes in the Trucial Coast by Saudi agents;claims of sovereignty over the islands and mainland territories of the Trucial Coast by its rulers;the presence of Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) workers in Abu Dhabi territory;the camel routes between Buraimi, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar, including a sketch map (folio 153).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 165; 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 3-163; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
30. 'File 1/A/23 I Activities of the Persian Navy'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file concerns the seizure of, or interference with, Arab merchant vessels (dhows, jolly-boats, booms) by ships of the Iranian Navy, and the Iranian (often referred to as the Persian) authorities. The pretext was generally the prevention of smuggling.The correspondence is mainly between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; the Political Agent, Bahrain; and the Residency Agent, Sharjah. There is also some correspondence from Gulf rulers. Enclosed or forwarded correspondence includes correspondence from the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf (SNOPG); HM Minister, Tehran; the Political Agent, Kuwait; the India Office; the Foreign Office; and other British officials in the region.The papers include: reports of individual cases of seizure of boats from Kuwait, Dubai, Sharjah, Muscat, Bahrain, and elsewhere, including statements by crew members, and naval messages issued by the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf; activities of the Iranian Navy gunboats Palangand Babr; British emphasis on the need for Gulf rulers to ensure that their subjects were carrying the correct registration papers and flying their national flag, November 1933 and September 1934, and to report cases of interference as quickly as possible, November 1934 - March 1935; discussion by British officials of the Iranian right of search, March 1937; the recommendation that the Rulers of Muscat, Kuwait and Bahrain should withdraw certain rights of search conferred on the Persian Government in 1898 and 1900, and that such rights should be allowed solely to British naval vessels, July - August 1937; and the implications of the seizure at Khorramshahr of a Bahrain dhow flying the Bahrain flag, in view of the Persian claim to Bahrain, September - November 1937. The dates given refer to main, chronologically-filed items of correspondence, which may include enclosures of an earlier date.The Arabic language content of the file consists of approximately twenty-five individual items of correspondence, with English translations (mainly letters from the Political Resident; the Political Agent, Bahrain; the Residency Agent, Sharjah; and Gulf rulers). There are also approximately three items of correspondence in Persian (with English translations).The date range gives the covering dates of the main items of correspondence. The earliest dated document is an enclosure to the first item of correspondence, dated 8 April 1933.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 256; 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 4-251; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in same position as the main sequence.
31. 'File 1/A/24 II BAHRAIN NATIONALITY AND PROPERTY LAW.'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file relates to the working of the Bahrain nationality and property laws, which required foreigners in Bahrain to submit lists of immovable property to the District Court. This requirement particularly affected Persian (Iranian) citizens in Bahrain, and had an impact on relations with the Government of Iran.The correspondence is principally between the Political Agent, Bahrain (and Assistant Political Agent, Bahrain); the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; the India Office; and officials of the Government of Bahrain. There is also correspondence from the Government of India. Enclosures include correspondence from the Foreign Office; HM Minister, Tehran; and HM Ambassador, Iraq.The papers cover: protests by the Government of Iran against the Bahrain property and nationality laws, July 1937, January 1938; the decision to issue a notification that the Bahrain property law applied to Iranian nationals, August-November 1937; interpretation of the Bahrain property law, January-June 1938; a report on the effect of the property law on Iranian subjects in Bahrain, some of whom decided to adopt Bahrain nationality, 25 January 1938 (folio 77); translations into English of approximately thirty letters from individuals to the Political Agent, Bahrain, reporting the ownership of property in Bahrain, with descriptions of the property concerned, January-May 1938; repetition of Iran's claim to sovereignty over Bahrain, May 1938; the need for an amending law to cover the failure to register property when required to do so, March, July-December 1938, resulting in the simultaneous publication of the amending law by the Government of Bahrain, and the Bahrain Property Law Amending Regulation, 1938(folios 197-98); and correspondence concerning attempts to evade the provisions of the property law by making gifts of land to minors, October-November 1938. The dates given refer to main items of correspondence, and may include enclosures of an earlier date.The Arabic language content of the file consists of approximately twelve folios, mostly copies of notices and proclamations (all with English translations) sent by the Government of Bahrain to the Political Agent, Bahrain.The date range gives the covering dates of the main items of correspondence; the earliest document in the file is an enclosure dated 2 July 1937 on folio 8, and the last dated addition to the file is an entry in the notes dated 17 August 1939 on folio 239.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 242; 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 4-239; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in same position as the main sequence.
32. 'File 8/78 MUSCAT STATE AFFAIRS: RENDITION OF GWADUR TO KALAT.'
- Description:
- Abstract: This file concerns British policy regarding the Muscat territory of Gwadur [Gwadar, Pakistan; it is written as Gwadar in some of the correspondence]. The correspondence includes the following:Discussion in 1913-1914 as to whether the Government of India should consider the cession (the correspondence uses the term 'rendition' in the old sense of the word) of Gwadur by Muscat (spelled here as Maskat) to Kalat, including details of trade and customs in Gwadur, and the territory's annual value to Muscat (ff 3-21)Further discussion in 1920-1921 regarding the case for the lease or cession of Gwadur to Kalat (ff 22-29)Notes on the status of Gwadur and the history of Kalat's claim to it, included with correspondence dated 1926-1927 (ff 30-41)Copies of Government of Bombay and Government of India correspondence from 1871-1872 regarding the status and sovereignty of Charbar [Chabar, Pakistan] and Gwadur (ff 42-58)Details of a proposal in 1939 from the Sultan of Muscat and Oman [Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd] to lease or cede Gwadur to His Majesty's Government, in return for financial assistance (ff 59-73)Discussion in 1939 regarding the Kalat-Gwadur boundary (ff 74-86)Discussion in 1948 regarding possible interest in Gwadur from the Pakistan Government, following the recent accession of Kalat to Pakistan (ff 89-93).The file features the following principal correspondents: the Political Agent and Consul, Muscat; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; the Agent to the Governor General in Baluchistan; officials of the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department (later the External Affairs Department).There is no material covering the following periods: 1915-1919, 1922-1925, 1928-1937, and 1941-1947.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 96; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
33. 'File 8/64 III SULTAN'S RELATIONS WITH HIS TRIBES'
- Description:
- Abstract: This file concerns relations between the Sultan of Muscat and Oman [Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd] and the Omani tribes. It includes accounts of meetings between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Lieutenant Colonel Sir William Rupert Hay) and the Sultan, discussing the Sultan's efforts to increase his influence among the shaikhs of the Omani tribes.Much of the correspondence discusses future British policy regarding the Trucial states and central Oman. Of particular note is a letter from Geoffrey Warren Furlonge of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department to the Political Resident (ff 30-35), discussing several policy issues, including the following: whether the Trucial shaikhs should be encouraged to extend their authority over those tribes that may be considered as owing them allegiance; whether the British should enter into direct relations with the shaikhs of central Oman; proposals from the Political Resident for the creation of a Council of Trucial Shaikhs and the establishment of a separate Political Agency on the Trucial Coast.Other related matters covered in the correspondence include the following: reports of Omani shaikhs asserting their allegiance to neighbouring states, such as Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia; the issuing of identity certificates by the Political Officer at Sharjah to Omani tribe members, following earlier accounts of tribe members travelling to Saudi Arabia without certificates and being issued with Saudi travel documents.The file also includes Arabic and English copies of letters received by the Sultan from various Omani shaikhs. Other notable correspondents include the following: the Political Agent and Consul, Muscat; the Political Agency, Bahrain; the Political Officer, Sharjah.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 75; 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 between ff 53-74, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
34. 'File 4/13 IV Zubara'
- Description:
- Abstract: This file contains correspondence regarding negotiations between the rulers of Bahrain and Qatar, Shaikh Salmān bin Ḥamad Āl Khalīfah and Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī respectively, concerning the disputed ownership of Zubarah on the Qatari peninsula and the strained relations between the two countries.These negotiations were mediated by Britain's Political Agent in Bahrain, Tom Hickinbotham and the majority of the correspondence is formed of letters - in English and Arabic - between him and the two leaders, as well as with Salih bin Sulaiman al-Manai, the Secretary of Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī.The file contains two copies (one in English and one in Arabic) of an agreement signed by Qatar and Bahrain in order to restore friendly relations between the two states on 24 June 1944 (ff 86-87).The file also contains a memorandum on Zubarah written by Charles Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (ff 185-190).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-195; these numbers are also written in pencil, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence, but they are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
35. Joint Tribute Payable by Qatar and Bahrain to the Amir of Najd
- Description:
- Abstract: Letter and Enclosures to HM Secretary of State for India, dated 6 December 1871.The letter encloses one from Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis Pelly, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, to the Acting Secretary to the Government of Bombay, dated 12 September 1871. The Enclosure concerns a report from Baghdad that British vessels had intimidated people at Guttur [Qatar] and demanded payment of money on behalf of Saood [Saud ibn Faisal ibn Turki Āl Sa‘ūd, Amir of Najd]. Pelly states that the story was probably based on false reports of arrangements made in 1868 for the payment by Qatar of an annual subsidy to Bahrein [Bahrain], which formed part of a joint tribute paid to the 'Wahabee Ameer' [Amir of Najd]. The letter also encloses one from the Acting Secretary to the Government of Bombay, dated 26 October 1871, warning that the issue of sovereignty over Qatar, which arose from Pelly's letter, was one that should be taken up by the Foreign Office with the Ottoman Government.Physical description: 1 item (4 folios)
36. Coll 30/81 'Minerals: Desire of Commander Bayldon R.N., (retd.) for concession for mining Red Oxide on Abu Musa. Possibilities of deposits on the Tamb Islands.'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file concerns attempts by Commander Robert Corbett Bayldon, Royal Navy, (retired) to obtain a concession to mine red oxide on the island of Abu Musa (also referred to as Bu Musa) from the Shaikh of Shargah [Sharjah]. The result was an agreement in 1934 granting Bayldon the personal right to mine red oxide on the island. The file contains correspondence from Bayldon, correspondence from British Government officials, principally at the Foreign Office, India Office, Department of Overseas Trade, and the British Legation, Tehran, extracts from intelligence reports, and copies of agreements. The issue was complicated by the fact that the Government of Iran maintained a territorial claim to the island, and the papers record Iranian diplomatic protests from 1935 onwards.The file also contains correspondence dated 1936 concerning an enquiry by the Shaikh of Ras al Khaimah as to whether the Golden Valley Ochre & Oxide Company would be interested in exploiting red oxide on Tamb and Little Tamb islands (folios 78-80), and correspondence dated 1939 concerning a complaint from a British mining engineer that he had not been allowed by British officials to take his wife to Abu Musa (folios 15-35).The file also contains copies of correspondence dated 1884-1908, recording the earlier history of red oxide mining on Abu Musa (folios 456-463). There are no papers in the file dated 1940-46.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: this file consists of three physical parts. The foliation sequence commences at the first folio of part one (ff 1-159) and terminates at the last folio of part three (ff 312-475); these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. There are two additional foliation sequences present in parallel; one sequence is also written in pencil, but the numbers are not circled. The other sequence is printed. The front and back covers of each part have not been foliated.