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'File 61/6 vol.4 (D 34) Bin Saud and Akwan Movement' [95r] (189/565)
The record is made up of 1 volume (285 folios). It was created in 13 Sep 1920-8 Nov 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.
he regarded like his father. The letter he was sending with Ahmad Thanaij'an
would be shown me before it was closed, and a copy sent to Major Dickson. It
was as friendly as be could possibly make it, and he was in addition instructing
his representative, Ahmad Thanaiyan, to be as conciliatory and accmmodating
in all respects as may be compatible with reason and propriety. He, then said
that he had ordered a " mahmil " (open box-like thing tied on a camel for ridini?
in) for me, as he feared that the ordinary " shidad " (camels saddle) riding would
be too much for me in that hot time of the year. I thanked him heartily and
then we said good-bye to this perfect gentleman and wise ruler at about
y-45 p.m . as he advised us to start at 4 a.m . next morning and to await
Ahmad Thanaiyan and his party in Daraiyah. The last words of the Imam to
me were very flattering : " I hope our friendship now made will always con
tinue to grow. If you possibly can try and come back this way, or at least send
Farhan with Ahmad Thanaiyan ", to which I replied, " In-sha-Allah, I shall
try and do so." We departed and went to our quarters. I felt as if I had
not sufficiently thanked the Imam for the great friendship, courtesy and regard
he had shown me, but Farhan had said quite a lot in the usual Arab way for
both of us.
80. At about 19 p.m . Bin Shalhub, with another brought us the arms :
one sword with golden work on scabbard and hilt, and one rifle (Turkish army
pattern 1331 = 1912) and one belt with 100 rounds a-piece for each of us.
81. Saturday, 7th Augu8t=2l8t Dhil Qa\i(iah. —Eise early about 4 p m.
and find seven horses and eight camels ready. After making necessary prepara
tions, assortment, loading, etc., started at 5 a.m . and went out of the town through
the north (Bin Suwailim) gate. Farhan and myself rode on horses, and the re
maining five horses were ridden by five of Bin Sa'ud's slaves—strong, bearty lads.
My two servants Ibrahim and Ghazi and Farhan's servant Hamad, each rode
a camel—cbmparatively heavier beasts which in addition carried our kit, a fourth
camel was under our / coffee-boy Abdur Hahman (Dahaim) bin Musaid bin
Mubarak Ad-Dosari of Kharaj, the fifth carried the mahmil, counterbalanced
by two bags of my kit, the sixth was ridden by Sa'aid, a Shammari Arab. He
was our whole-time attendant in Riyadh and was useful in giving me inform
ation. He was one of the Arab irregulars who had served the Turkish forces in
the Hejaz, had become a prisoner in the Tarrabah affair, or rather joined the
victorious Akhwan incognito, came down to Riyadh, where he married and
settled down as one of Bin Sa'ud's personal attendants. The remaining two
camels, excellent, light " Omaniyat " were going along fully equipped with
beautiful " shidads " (saddles) and trappings to carry us onwards from Darai
yah for the Imam had thought it rather unsafe to ride these from the very
outset, they having been grazing out for a long time without being ridden on.
82. When this little train of men andfiften beasts was about to pass out of
the gate, one Abdur Rahman, an elderly man came up nearer, and salaamed us
in the correct Arab fashion. This surprised me, as it was the first " Salaam-o-
Alaikum " (salutation) uttered for us in or near Riyadh,lio one having done
so at all nor even replied to our own salaams, wnich I always took care to
say first (as a Moslem is commanded to do) whenever passing by any Arabs.
Farhan often quarrelled with me for " wasting salaams " on those who did not
care to receive or reply to them but, on the contrary turned away their faces, or '
muttered half-audible curses. Sa'aid told me that this man was a distant relation
of Bin Sa'ud's and had been to Mecca twice at the head of the Neid pilgrimages.
As we passed along we wished us God-speed, and declared emphatically that
time was very short and we should b6 very fortunate if we succeeded in catch
ing the Hajj.
88.- The road, a common route, passes through beautiful gardens on both
sides and then lies over rocky ground for some miles. The gardens are enclosed
in mud walls ranging from six to ten feet or more in height. A few miles out
are to be seen half a dozen wells scattered about north and west of Riyadh.
These are used for the irrigation of wheat, barley, etc., which is grown here to
«ome extent, though the chief grain supply is from Kharaj and its neighbour
hood.
About this item
- Content
The volume consists of letters, telegrams, memoranda, reports, and notes relating to Ibn Sa'ud and the affairs of Najd. The correspondence is mostly between: Harold Dickson, the 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. in Bahrain; Percy Cox, the High Commissioner in Baghdad; Ibn Sa'ud; King Hussein of the Hijaz; the Government of India, in Simla and Calcutta; 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; the Foreign Office, in London; Arthur Trevor, 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 Siddiq Hassan, the Indian assistant in Bahrain.
Most of the volume relates to the territorial and political disputes between Ibn Sa'ud and King Hussein, with particular coverage of the mission to Mecca to conclude an agreement between Ibn Sa'ud and King Hussein, carried out by Ahmad bin Abdullah al-Thanaiyan, and Siddiq Hassan and Farhan al Rahmah, the Sa'udi and British representatives respectively.
Notable is the diary of Siddiq Hassan (ff 103-116v) written during his mission to Mecca, and his notes on the numerous meetings he had with King Hussein and the talks between the latter and Thanaiyan. Included as appendices to these notes are the following: a draft, in Arabic, of the eventual agreement signed by the two parties; a letter, in Arabic, from Hassan bin 'Ali ibn 'Aayidh, Chief of 'Assir, to King Hussein; another letter in Arabic from King Hussein to Siddiq Hassan; and an English translation of the finalised agreement. Also present is a report of the journey by Farhan al-Rahmah (ff. 116v-121v).
Other topics covered by the volume are as follows:
- the continued fighting and negotiations between Ibn Sa'ud and the Ikhwan on the one side and the al-Rashid (Shammar) on the other;
- the ongoing border dispute between Ibn Sa'ud and Kuwait;
- developments in 'Asir and the 'Idrisi movement;
- Ibn Sa'ud's British subsidy;
- revolt in Iraq and Syria, and the spread of Arab Nationalism;
- relations between Ibn Sa'ud and other tribal groups, and his growing influence in the region.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (285 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is largely arranged in chronological order. There is an alphabetical subject index to the contents, at the front of the volume (folios 2, 3). The index entries refer to the original folio numbers of relevant documents, to help identify and locate them within the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: Numbers are written in pencil, in the top right corner, on the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. The numbering is irregular, begins on the first folio at the front of the volume and is as follows: 1A-E, 2-78, 99-121, 162-165, 166A, 166B, 167-172, 173A, 173B, 174-177, 178A, 178B, 179-181, 183-198, 199, 199A-199Z, 199A1-199Q1, 200-237, 239-293. There are no folios numbered 182 or 238. Fold-out folios: 199A1, 199F1.
Condition: the spine cover is detached from the volume and enclosed in a plastic sleeve numbered folio 372, at the back of the volume. The plastic sleeve may cause some loss of sharpness to the digital image of the spine cover.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File 61/6 vol.4 (D 34) Bin Saud and Akwan Movement' [95r] (189/565), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/558, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025813201.0x0000be> [accessed 22 February 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/558
- Title
- 'File 61/6 vol.4 (D 34) Bin Saud and Akwan Movement'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:177v, 178v:183v, 184v:282r, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence