File E/8 I Ibn Sa‘ud [‎13r] (34/606)

CO NFIDENTIAL.
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No. 2048, dated Bushire, tbe 4tli (rec ived i4tli) July 1913.
From— Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Cox, K .C .I.E., C.S .I., Political Resi
dent in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire,
I0— 1 he Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department,
Simla.
With reference to my telegram No. T150, dated 27th June 1913,1 have the
honour to forward, for the information of the Government of India, a translation
of the letter trom Abdul Aziz bin Abdur Rahman al Faiysal es Saud, dated 13th
June 1913, with regard to his past and future relations with His Majesty's
Government.
(Translation.)
Dated 8th Rajab 1331 (13th June 1913).
From— Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Favsal es Saud,
To—His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General at Bushire.
After enquiries after your esteemed health.
We beg to address your Honour in consideration of the previous friendship
between us and you and of the still earlier treaty belonging to the time of my
grandfather Faysal-—may God forgive him—of the period of which fifty-five
years have e'apsed and fifty-five years stiil remain to run. I desire to establish
the same in the same manner as it existed between you and my ancestors and
this (fact) has prompted me to make this reference. Firstly, I am confident that
there will happen nothing to your people to produce causes which may be
contrary to friendship and rules. And we have now-a days conquered the
country of our fathers and grand fathers {mz), El Hasa and El Qatif, as well as
their dependencies and spared the soldiers remaining there, sending them over to
Bahrain because it was more convenient for them to make their way to Basrah
from that place. When they reached Bahrain, however, they were assisted by
some one from your side and he afforded them the necessary facilities and
encouraged them to stay at Bahrain and to cause trouble in our side. We received
the news of this but we did not believe it because your wisdom and justice would
not agree to this. After a few days they set out from Bahrain for El Qatif but
they returned in disappointment and remained for several days, having no
supporter but your subjects and dependents. A few days afterwards they pro
ceeded towards El Ojair and on their arrival there they experienced such a disas
ter at the hands of a small party of our dependents as had not crossed their
minds and they returned disappointed and repentant. Praise and thanks be to
God that we do not attach the least importance or significance to them or rather
to them and to the party to whom they are connected. Yes, we, the Islamic
and Mohammedan Arabs, will rise to uphold our honour and will recover our
rights with the last drop of our blood and we are doing this with confidence in
the One Single God and also in all our Moslem brethren. We all have joined
hands and there is no difference between us, we having been joined together by
the cause of Islam and by the Arab sense of honour. In view of my friendly
feelings I desire to be on the same terms with you as existed between you and
my ancestors and (I desire that those terms) should exist between me and you
after them, (my ancestors).
If the relations are as before and If it is Incumbent upon both the parties to
protect the subjects, we bind ourselves to you in regard to those who are in our
side and to what concerns your subjects, and we will respect their honour,' protect
them and be responsible for them—because there remain certain people in our
side who are against you and your subjects, and we ask for similar treatment from
you. If this be really the case in view of the past friendship and of laws, please
give us an intimation accordingly, and if the conditions are changed and the
situation is not as we expect, then please warn us, so that we may be cognisant
of the same.
And thanks be to God, the Lord of both the Worlds and may his peace be
on our Lord, Mohammed, his posterity and companions. Greetings.
C38FD —44—I7-7'I3—GCBP Simla