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'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [141r] (287/540)
The record is made up of 1 volume (268 folios). It was created in 24 Oct 1911-26 Dec 1912. It was written in English, French 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
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iSth February. —Marched at 8-50 and in two hours came on traces of
ancient reservoirs called Gulban. These appear to have been well -and solidly
built though filled up and barely visible now ; found some greenish-glazed pottery
chips round them quite unlike anything obtainable now in Kuwait or amongst
Bedouins and which appear to be old. Passed large camps of Soluba with
numbers of mangy camels but splendid flocks of sheep. Good steady marching
until 4 p. M. when we halted among a number of Breh Umtair tents. The Shaikh
is away raiding and rejoices in the name of The father of the Long Mustachois"!
igth February. —Bought some sheep for the larder and then sent off AH
bin Aatnir with a post to Kuwait and orders to meet me on the Gaishaniya road
with the return post. Marched at 9 a. m. about north-east follwing the Al
Batin which seems to be broadening out and getting gradually shallower. Passed
some more traces of reservoirs about an hour before camping at 3-30 p. m., just
beyond the opening in the eastern bank where the Shigat-al-Wasiya debouches
into Al Batin. Fairly good going. Clouds of sand-grouse all the way. One of
the reservoirs we passed is said to have been excavated by the Dhafir tribes
men some years ago to a depth of 20 fathoms in the hope of re-utilizing it.
Water was not reached but the building was good solid stone set in mortar.
20th February. —Marched at 8-45 a. m. keeping a little more north than
before, and sighted Jarishan Hill at 1 -15 p.m. Kept on through magnificent
grazing and camped at 3-30 p. m. close to Jarishan hill and one of Knox's pre
vious camps. Camels travelling well.
21st February. —Marched at 8-40 following the bottom of Al Batin which
is beginning almost to disappear. At 11-30 reached Halaiba with traces of old
wells and a clump of stunted wild-plum trees, looking very dried»up and dead, but
still the first thing in the shape of a tree seen in the whole of this trip. Quarter
of an hour after came on a camp of Mubarak's nephews (the sons of the murder-.
ed Muhammad bin Subah) whose home is in Zubair, but who were out here
hawking. 1 hey complained that there was little sport this year owing to the
excellent rains. Sent on the " hamla " and stopped to an al fresco lunch with
them, eaten sitting round in the common circle a 1' Arabe. Caught up the
'* hamla " at 2-30 p m. who were heading too much towards Safwan. Altered
course for Ar Ratk and got there by 4-15 p. m. and camped. Got good bear
ings, but it is unfortunate having left the u hamla " as 1 shall not be able to be
so certain about to'day's dead-reckoning. Al Batin ends here.
22nd February —Marched east-south-east at 8-35 so as to leave Sanam
hill on our left and make a bee-line for the Gishaniya wells. Passed several
water-courses, but the ground is bare compared to the splendid grazing in Al
Batin. Camped at 2-50 p.m. after some very good going. In sight of Sanam
and with Safwan-fort due north.
22rd February. —Marched at 8-50 and reached the Gishaniya wells in 2
hours, turned south then for some good grazing ground and camped after about
half an hour. Ghanaim arrived in evening with post from Kuwait.
24th February. —Halted and enjoying a rest, though a number of evil-look
ing Thukara, apparently the off-scourings of the river towns and allied to the
Muntafik have their tents near us. A shot was fired at our tents yesterday in
the afternoon, but we could not lay hands on the culprit.
2$th February.—Mzxchedi at 8-25 and struck a bit south-west to make the
high road between Jahara and Safwan which runs almost perfectly straight between
the two places and not as shown on the map. Were sniped at for some time by
Thukara who refused to be convinced by the waving of cloaks that we were peaca-
ble travellers. Finally, had to go and threaten them with Mubarak's wrath before
they would desist. As no one was hurt the fire was not worth returning. Looked
like rain so camped at 4-5 p.m. on the main road close to the mounds called
Hissu-ud-Thabi. Rain began soon after and kept up most of the night.
26th February. —Could not march, tents being soaked through but hea^d
that Lyle of Gray, Mackenzie & Co. in Basra, was camped a mile further on,
returning from a visit to the Shaikh at Kuwait, Sent him a message to
About this item
- Content
The volume contains letters, telegrams, and memorandums pertaining to Anglo-Turkish negotiations brought on by the Baghdad Railway and particularly the extension to Basra. Correspondents include: Percy Cox, 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. at Bushire, William Shakespear, 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 Kuwait, Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Louis Mallet, Assistant Under-secretary of State for Near and Middle Eastern Affairs, Charles Marling, British Ambassador to Persia, Gerard Lowther, British Ambassador to Constantinople, George Buchanan, British Ambassador to Russia, Admiral Edmond Slade, the Board of Trade, 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. , and several private companies, including Trans-Atlantic Trust Company, Anglo-Persian Oil Company, Imperial Ottoman Bank, and Imperial Persian Bank.
The form of the negotiations was a series of memorandums containing proposals and counter-proposals. The issues and subjects discussed are:
- ownership and control of the line;
- custom duty increases in the region;
- navigation of the Shatt al-Arab, including the establishment of a commission to oversee this;
- transport of railway materials by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers;
- delimitation of the Turkish-Persian border;
- status and territorial limit of Kuwait;
- other Gulf matters, including the statuses of Bahrain and Qatar, the suppression of arms traffic, piracy, and slavery, and the protection of pearl fisheries.
Folios 261-262 are a map showing the proposed territorial limits of Kuwait.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (268 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged chronologically. At the beginning (ff. 3-4) is a subject index, in no particular order but grouped under several broad headings. The numbers refer to folio numbers from the secondary, earlier sequence.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using circled pencil numbers positioned in the top-right corner of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. . There are two earlier foliation systems running through parts of the volume. The first uses uncircled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages, and the top-left corner of verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. pages. This foliation system numbers pages if they have content on them, which is the case for all rectos and some versos. This foliation system appears intermittently through most of the volume. The other foliation system uses circled blue pencil numbers in the top-right corner of recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages, and appears from folios 5 to 42. Numerous printed materials contained in the volume have their own internal pagination systems. The following foliation irregularities occur: 1a, 34a, 51B, 219B, 250B.
- Written in
- English, French and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [141r] (287/540), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/611, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023826001.0x000058> [accessed 7 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/611
- Title
- 'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 1ar:1av, 2r:5v, 16r:22v, 24r:34v, 34ar:34av, 35r:42v, 44r:49v, 51r:51v, 51br:51bv, 52r:54v, 56r:63v, 66r:67v, 72r:112r, 113r:134v, 136r:168v, 170r:182v, 184r:204r, 205v:213v, 215v, 219br:219bv, 222r:225v, 227r:236v, 238r:250v, 250br:250bv, 251r:261v, 262v:264v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence