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File E/8 I Ibn Sa‘ud [72v] (157/606)
The record is made up of 1 file (290 folios). It was created in 26 May 1913-18 Jul 1916. 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.
2
is a danger to GUI' general interests in the Gulf and to our relations with thp
Arab Principalities, unless we have a working understanding with him. Tif
is recognised by His Majesty's Government, ^
Thus the Secretary of State for India addressing the Foreign Office on the
subject on 13th August, last wrote " * * they (the Government of India)
cannot afford to make him their enemy and they propose to enter into a friendly
exchange of views with him in order to regularise the position.
"It must of course be realised that Bin Saud, in return for a friendly
attitude towards us, may ask for our support It will b e
necessary then to make it clear to him tbat His Majesty's Government, while
willing to use their good offices to bring about a reconciliation, cannot under
take to support him, but must maintain the strictest neutrality."
A few days later as the result of deliberation between His Majesfy's India
and Foreign Offices, the following instructions were telegraphed to the' Govern
ment of India by the Secretary of State (on 21st August)
"The Amir must be made clearly to understand, if he asks for our support
against Turkey, as a quid pro quo for complying with our wishes, that while
we are willing to do our best to reconcile him with Turkish Government, we are
unable to support him (i^., against the Turks P. Z. 0.) and are bound to keen
a strictly neutral attitude
Later still, this time in connection primarily with the general suhiect of
Railway enterprise within Asiatic Turkey, the Government of India in making-
comment on certain aspects of the negotiations, telegraphed to the Secretary of
State on Sth September, as follows:—
" * • * There can be no doubt from the point of view of Indian in
terests, that a strong and reformed Turkey in Asia will act as a safeguard to
India from interference on the part of Foreign Powers from the west, and
might even in an indirect manner result in the maintenance of Persian
integrity. Now that His Majesty's Government have come to terms with the
Turkish Government, as regards their respective interests in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
,
they have nothing to fear from Turks and every advantage to gain from friendly
relations with the Porte. * * * * The Government of India are there
fore strongly of opinion that His Majesty's Government should spare no effort
to avoid any measure likely to contribute to the partition of Asiatic Turkey
either at the present time or hereafter and that His Majesty's Government
shoiud pursue a consistent policy of reforming strengthening and maintaining
the Turkish Empire
The above extracts indicate the policy of Government sufficiently clearly.
As regards Abdul Aziz-bin-Saud and the imminent meeting. It is apparent
from the correspondence with him that on his part he is anxi
ous to establish relations with us, but seeks a more definite exposition of our
attitude in regard to his relations with the Turks than mere expressions of
good-will and the declaration of neutrality. It has been suggessted to
him that he should explain more fully in what way he would expect us to
evince our good-will and in response to this he has replied that he would like
to have a meeting with a JBritish representative and discuss the position
with him in person.
It seems therefore to rest with Bin Saud to open the discussion by stating
frankly in what direction it is that he desires the expression of our good-will or
our co-operation.
On our side we have explained to the Porte that now that Bin Saud has
come down to the shores of the Gulf and controls certain Gulf Port9 3 he must
be regarded by us as having entered the sphere of Gulf politics and we cannot
ignore him but must find a modus wivendi with him for the protection of our
own interests, while at the same time maintaining a strictly neutral altitude in
legard to the estrangement prevailing between Bin Saud and the Porte. It.
wou.d also appear that we have expressed our willingness to promote a
reconciliation it desired to do so.
About this item
- Content
The majority of the files contain correspondence, reports, letters and telegrams between the the British Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain and the British Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. at Bushire, as well as with ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Sa‘ūd), various local rulers, Yūsuf bin Aḥmed Kanoo, the Government of India, the 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. in London and the British Consul in Basra.
This file contains papers regarding Ibn Sa‘ūd's increasing power following his conquest of al-Hasa and his relations with Britain, Turkey and local rulers, including Shaikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah of Bahrain, and Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī of Qatar (ff. 197-198, 200-202), as well as the commencement of the First World War and the death of Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear.
Included within these papers are: requests for protection from Shaikh Hussain bin Nasir [Ḥusayn bin Nāsir] of Saihat [Sayhāt] and Haji Abdul Hussain bin Juma [Hājī ‘Abd al-Ḥusayn bin Juma‘ah] against Ibn Sa‘ūd (ff. 18-32), as well as notes by Yusuf bin Ahmed Kanoo [Yusūf bin Aḥmad Kānū] regarding his treatment of ‘Abd al-Ḥusayn bin Juma‘ah (ff. 164-168, 188-189); Ibn Sa‘ūd's relations with Ibn Rashīd; extracts from the Basrah newspaper Sada-ad-Dastur [Ṣadá al-Dustūr], dated 1 Shawwāl 1332 [23 August 1914] (ff. 198-199) and an extract from the Cairo newspaper al-Muqattam [al-Muqaṭṭam] dated 13 August 1914 (ff. 203-203A); Shakespear's visits to Ibn Saud (ff. 212, 215-217, 221-224, 260-271); a note by Kanoo regarding Sayid Mohamed Rashid Reda's [Muḥammad Rashīd Riḍā] correspondence with Ibn Sa‘ūd (f. 220); correspondence with Ibn Sa‘ūd regarding the First World War (ff. 226-227, 231-248); the Turkish garrison in Qatar (ff. 276-277); and a witness report by Khalid bin Bilal [Khālid bin Bilāl], Shakespear's cook, regarding the latter's death (ff. 286-287).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (290 folios)
- Arrangement
This file is arranged in roughly chronological order.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The file has two different foliation sequences. The primary sequence is circled, appears in the top right-hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of the folio, and commences at 1 on the first page following the front cover and runs out at 290 on the final page preceding the back cover. The second sequence is uncircled, appears in the top right and left-hand corners of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. and verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. of the folio, and commences at 54 on the first page of text and runs out at 366.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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File E/8 I Ibn Sa‘ud [72v] (157/606), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/31, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023593873.0x00009e> [accessed 1 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/31
- Title
- File E/8 I Ibn Sa‘ud
- Pages
- front-a, back-a, spine-a, head-a, edge-a, tail-a, front-a-i, 1r:11v, 12ar:12av, 12r:17v, 18ar:18av, 18r:21v, 23r:24v, 29r:33v, 34ar:34av, 34r:84v, 85ar:85av, 85r:147v, back-a-i, front-b, back-b, spine-b, head-b, edge-b, tail-b, front-b-i, 148r:202v, 203ar:203bv, 204r:290v, back-b-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence