'File E-8 VII. Bin Saud' [209r] (432/732)
The record is made up of 1 file (356 folios). It was created in 1 Aug 1920-27 Mar 1921. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
ttte ighcps onr/..
it
v .;hen Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton,
visited Riyadh in Centrp.l Arabia on a political mission at
the end of 1917, the P.uler of Central Arabia, His
liKicellency the Imam Sir Ahdul Aziz Ibn Saud, C.I.I.,
made over to him two fine specimens of the Oryx (Oryx
Leucorys) with a request that they might he presented Tbo
the King-Emperor on his "behalf. Owing to the impossibility
of getting them to England during the war and for severaJ.
months afterwards, Colonel Hamilton had to deposit them
in the -Zoological Gardens at Bombay* One of them, the male
unfortunately died there* At the end of May last a passage
was finally secured for the female and Mr # Millard of the
Bombay Hatural History Society brought her home with him
and deposited her in the Zoological Gardens, Regents Park*
Both specimens were captured young and brought up
in Ibn Saud 1 s garden at Riyadh. The habitat of the Oryx
is the Great ITefud, on broad belt of red sandy desert
which surrounds the Oases of Central Arabia* These
animals are very shy and are rarely seen and are said by
the Arabs to be 11 drinkless cattle". Doughty, the great
Arabian Explorer, had only heard of them*
Sir Wilfred and Lady Anne Blunt were the first Europeans
to see them in their natural home near Hail nearly forty
years ago* It is alleged that an Arabian Oryx was brought
to Europe in 1857 by Captain John Shepherd of the India
House who presented it to the London Zoological Society*
The Arabs call the Oryx "Al Wathaihi", or wild ox,
and all sorts of legends have grown up about them in
Arabia and Europe. That| low e^a^ly like a cow and this
may be the connection with the "reem" of the Bible,
translated variously as wild ox and unicorn - see
Deutoronomy XXXIII-17 and Job XXXIX - 9 et seq #
The Oryx is supposed to be the original unicorn as
seen broadside it appears to have only one horn. If this
is the case this is a living specimen of one of the
About this item
- Content
This file contains correspondence between British officials at Bahrain, Baghdad, Bushire, Kuwait, Sharjah and the Government of India, as well as correspondence with ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Sa‘ūd), Ḥamūd bin Suwayṭ, headman of the Dhafir (Āl Ẓafīr) tribe, and Hāyif bin Shuqayr, Amir of Qaraiyah.
Throughout the file there are details of Ibn Sa‘ūd's subsidy arrangements and his relations with Shaikh Sālim al-Mubārak Āl Ṣabāḥ, Ibn Rashīd of Ḥā’il, the Imam Yahyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn and Sharīf Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī of Mecca and his sons, ‘Abdullāh and Fayṣal. In addition, there are details throughout regarding Britain and France's involvement in Syria, Palestine, Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan and Iraq (for example, folios 2-6).
Much of the file concerns the 1920 mission of Khan Sahib Syed Siddiq Hasan, Indian assistant of the Bahrain Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , visiting Ibn Sa‘ūd at Riyadh, accompanying Najd pilgrims on hajj and negotiating between the representatives of Ibn Sa‘ūd and Sharīf Ḥusayn. There are 'Instructions to Khan Sahib Syed Siddiq Hasan (Proceeding to Riyadh)', dated 21/23 July 1920 (folios 144-148); various memoranda and demi-official correspondence from Siddiq Hasan at Riyadh in July and August 1920 (folios 9-10, 45-67, 69-83, 324-325); reports regarding the agreement reached on 5 September 1920 (folios 123, 198-204 and 218-250); and correspondence between Ibn Sa‘ūd and Aḥmad Thāniyān and the suggestion that he should be awarded the CIE (Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire) for his role in the Najd Mission to Mecca (folios 337-339).
In addition, there are details of rising tensions between Ibn Sa‘ūd's Ikhwān forces and the subjects of Shaikh Sālim on Kuwait-Najd border and at al-Jahrā’ (folios 153, 160, 177-186); thanks conveyed by Ibn Sa‘ūd for the congratulations offered to his son, Fayṣal, on the occasion of his wedding (folios 27-29); a discussion of practicalities of buoying at al-Uqayr (folios 187, 216 and 274), a possible survey of al-Qaṭīf harbour (folio 215) and a steamer service to Hasa (al-Aḥsā’) (folio 273); the donation of an Arabian Oryx by Ibn Sa‘ūd to King George V (folios 205-210); and the protection of Ibn Sa‘ūd's subjects in Sharjah and Dubai (folios 294-300).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (356 folios)
- Arrangement
This file is arranged approximately in chronological order.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: This file has an uncircled foliation number in the top right hand corner of each folio.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File E-8 VII. Bin Saud' [209r] (432/732), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/37, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023450087.0x000021> [accessed 6 August 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/37
- Title
- 'File E-8 VII. Bin Saud'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:ii-v, 1r:1v, 1ar:1av, 2r:8v, 8ar:8av, 9r, 9r, 10r:26v, 28r:32v, 34r:34v, 36r:43v, 45r:62r, 62r, 63r:87v, 89r:99v, 101r:108v, 110r:113v, 115r:135v, 137r:163v, 165r:166v, 168r:170v, 172r:173v, 175r:176r, 178r:180v, 183r:183v, 185r:191v, 193r:232v, 233ar:233bv, 234r:245v, 251r:251v, 253r:258v, 260r:263v, 266r:277v, 277ar:277av, 278r:286v, 288r:290v, 292r:295v, 297r:302v, 304r:318v, 321r:329v, 331r:335v, 337r:339v, 341r:341v, 344r:352v, 352ar:352av, 353r:354v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence
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