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'File 53/32 IV (D 100) Kuwait Miscellaneous' [63v] (135/496)
The record is made up of 1 volume (246 folios). It was created in 8 Dec 1929-3 May 1934. 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.
round him. In this connexion the Sheikh said that it made his
'' stomach pain and his heart sore ' to see the number of cars
obviously new and expensive that, after doing only 5,000 kilom., were
discarded as scrap-iron. Ignorant Bedouin drivers were, of course,
responsible and lack of proper supervision. The Amir Saud, for
instance, had eighty cars to himself, and God knew how many
Ibn Masaad and the Amir Feisal possessed. According to the Sheikh,
he strongly advised the King to appoint a good Englishman in place
of the rascally Indian "Sadiq " to be in the sole charge of all his
mechanical transport, together with half a dozen honest British
mechanics (ex-soldiers) who would be under him. The Englishman,
of course, to have extensive powers for fines, dismissals, &c. The
King did not seem to relish the suggestions.
(h) The Sheikh asked if he had had the country round Riath and A1 Khafs
examined by geologists as they looked very likely places for oil. The
King said "yes," but that he was not anxious in the least to grant
concessions to foreigners.
(i) Whilst in Riath, a convoy arrived bearing machinery and gear for a
4,000-mile radius new wireless set. This was to be set up in Riath.
(j) The' Sheikh said he asked Ibn Saud what would be his policy when the
English withdrew from Iraq altogether. Ibn Saud replied, obviously
in joke, said the Sheikh, that he would not be slow to take advantage
of such situation, as Iraq was a good country.
(k) On the subject of the Koweit blockade, Ibn Saud kept complete silence,
and Sheikh Ahmad said it would have been undignified for him to
open the question or make any mention of a matter which might
convey the impression that he came as a suppliant. Ibn Saud did,
however, mention that he knew his frontier officers were mostly bad
and were nearly always responsible for misunderstandings that took
place. His frontier patrols also looted and stole helpless people's
goods, not for himself, Ibn Saud, but for themselves. He lamented
the fact that he was surrounded by many of the biggest rascals on
earth, but what could he do running the '' show '' alone as he was
doing ? As regards his official, Ibn Khraimis, on the Koweit frontier,
he urged Sheikh to treat him as his own official and order his every
going and coming (a typical Saudian move).
(Z) The King asked after the Honourable the
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 Bushire,
and Colonel Dickson and family, and expressed great pleasure at
having met them in Hasa recently.
6. The following are some of the impressions left on the Sheikh's mind as
result of his visit:—
\{a) Ibn Saud's position was unassailable so long as he remained alive. The
whole laboriously built system would, however, most assuredly topple
and collapse as soon as the King died. Ibn Saud still inspired
wholesome fear wherever he went, and this was especially evident at
Riath, the heart of his Government. He was still a very great man
and leader, but, in his opinion (the Sheikh's), the whole of the King s
system was more than ever a one man show.
(6) Ibn Saud was, on the other hand, a definitely sick and unfit man. Gone
were the days when he was the hardest man in his kingdom and led
every raid and foray.
Sheikh Ahmad opined that this was because he never took any
exercise these days at all and ate far too much. On one occasion ne,
Ibn Saud, took the Sheikh to his old capital of Dharaiyeh and both
got out to walk. After 100 yards or so the King began to pant and
blow and said he could not go on. This gave the Sheikh tlie
opportunity of giving him a lecture, and he urged on him the vital
necessity of taking at least half an hour's walk each day, and begged
him to stop taking drugs, which apparently the King now cannot do
without. I
(c) The King, said the Sheikh, ate far too much to be good for him, and a
one sitting could put away a whole lamb himself.
About this item
- Content
This file contains correspondence concerning a number of different topics, all of which are related to Kuwait.
The ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ is mentioned throughout the volume and much of the file's content relates to his character and his travels within the region including visits to Bahrain (f 51), Riath [Riyadh] (ff 62-64) and Baghdad (ff 82-85). More broadly, Shaikh Aḥmad's relations with Iraq and Britain are frequently discussed.
The file contains translations of - and discussion concerning - several articles published in the Iraqi press regarding the relationship between Iraq and Kuwait, several of which call for Kuwait to be annexed by Iraq (ff 112-120, ff 141-148, and ff 174-178).
Other topics of particular interest include:
- A letter from students from the United States of America requesting information about, and pictures of, Kuwait, December 1931 (ff 37-39).
- A letter from the American Medical Association requesting a copy of laws regulating medical practice in Kuwait, April 1932 (f 66).
- Correspondence regarding a visit to Kuwait made by a troop of Boy Scouts from Basra and a group of school masters from Baghdad, March 1933 (ff 110-111).
- Correspondence concerning an enquiry made by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding when Kuwaiti and Bahraini nationalities were formed (as distinct from Ottoman nationality), December 1933, (ff 162-164).
- Correspondence regarding attempts by a US firm named Otto Kafka to induce Shaikh Ahmad to order armoured cars/tanks from them, January 1934. This includes a copy of an Otto Kafka promotional pamphlet (ff 174-178).
- A visit made to Kuwait by French and German officials, April 1934 (ff 206-216).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (246 folios)
- Arrangement
File is arranged in chronological order, from earliest at beginning of the file to most recent at end.
An index of topics discussed in the file is contained on folio 2.
Serial numbers refer to entries in the notes at the rear of the file: red for incoming, blue for outgoing correspondence.
- Physical characteristics
Condition: A bound correspondence volume.
Foliation: The file's main foliation sequence commences at the title page and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A second incomplete foliation sequence is present between ff. 1-227; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/505
- Title
- 'File 53/32 IV (D 100) Kuwait Miscellaneous'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:37v, 38v, 39v:65v, 66v:67v, 68v:97r, 98r:144v, 148v:154v, 155v:168v, 171v:174v, 175v, 176v, 179r:187v, 190v:191v, 192v:243v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence