'File 1/A/4 SAUDI ARABIA.' [301r] (606/680)
The record is made up of 1 volume (336 folios). It was created in 7 Jan 1932-28 Aug 1943. 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
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Confidential
D.O. No. C/1028
Political
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
,
Bahrain, the 31st July 1943.
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In paragraph 133 (v) of my Intelligence Summary for
the period 16th-30th June I reported the arrival at Bahrain
of one of Xbn Saud^ younger sons, Abdul Mohsin. Abdul
Mohsin is a boy of about 16 years of age, and came to Bahrain
to be operated on for piles. The operation was successful,
and Abdul Mohsin left Bahrain to return home on July 19th.
Before he left His Highness Shaikh Salman sent a telegram
to Ibn Saud informing him that Shaikh Abdullah al Fadhl
was making arrangements for the boy^ journey. Ibn Saud
''sent a reply in Arabic of which a translation is enclosed.
2. On July 22nd His Highness received another telegram
(translation endosed) from Ibn Saud. He was uncertain how
this telegram was to be interpreted. He thought that pos
sibly it was an indication that Ibn Saud wished to visit
Bahrain; but he thought it more probable that Ibn Saud meant
it as an invitation to him - Shaikh Salman - to visit Riyadh;
!
and His Highness therefore asked my advice as to the reply
which should be sent.
3. The Shaikh is not anxious for Ibn Saud to visit
Bahrain at present. The simple truth is that he could not
provide the food required to feed the King and his army of
followers. Moreover, if Ibn Saud and his followers did pay
a visit to Bahrain, the bazaars here would be cleared of such
few articles as still remain for sale in them. On the other
/ y
hand the Shaikh is somewhat attracted by the idea of visiting
/ r
Riyadh /-
Hon* ble Lieutenant-Colonel
Sir Geoffrey Prior, K.C.I.E.,
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.
. Bushire.
/ V
About this item
- Content
The volume contains miscellaneous political intelligence concerning the affairs of Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd, King of Saudi Arabia] (also referred to Bin Saud) and the Government of Saudi Arabia.
The main correspondents are 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. , Bahrain; HM Minister, Jeddah; 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 the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; and officials of the Colonial Office, Foreign Office, and Government of India.
The papers cover the following: the involvement of Ibn Saud in Bahrain affairs, e.g. January 1932 (folio 5); the movements of Ibn Saud, e.g. January 1932 (folio 6); the movements of Ibn Saud's sons, e.g. discussion of what recognition the British should give to Ibn Saud's son the Amir Faisal [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd] when he passed through Bahrain in 1932 (folio 8); Ibn Saud's relations with the Qusaibi [al-Quṣaybī] family of merchants in Bahrain, June 1932 (folios 11-12); the revolt against Ibn Saud's rule in the Hejaz, July-August 1932 (folios 13-22); a rumour that Ibn Saud had suffered a defeat, December 1933 (folios 25-26); a proposed visit by Ibn Saud to Kuwait, January-February 1936 (folios 41-45); reports of unrest in Hasa [al-Aḥsā’] as a result of taxation, April 1936 (folios 50-52); a reported attempt on Ibn Saud's life, June 1936 (folios 53-65); the frontier with Trans-Jordan, May-July 1936 (folios 68-72); the response to a report of gunfire at Jubail [al-Jubayl], July-September 1936 (folios 73-80); the use of the title 'Amir' by the Saudi Government when referring to the Ruler of Bahrain, November-December 1936 (folios 81-96); customs duties in Saudi Arabia, January-November 1938 (folios 97-101); Ibn Saud's attitude toward Arab rulers in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and visit to Bahrain in May 1939, December 1938 - July 1939 (folios 102-183); the visit to India by Amir Saud, April-June 1940 (folios 196-220); reports of a plot against Ibn Saud, December1940 (folios 222-229); the dispatch of currency for the Saudi Arabian Government from HM Mint, Bombay, June-July 1941 (folios 233-251); the shipment of lubricating oil from Bahrain to Jeddah, at the urgent request of the Saudi Arabian Government, November 1942 - May 1943 (folios 252-268); and the visit of two of Ibn Saud's sons to India, June-September 1943 (folios 269-311).
The Arabic language content of the volume consists of approximately ten folios of correspondence (with English translations), including five letters from Abdul Aziz al Qosaibi [‘Abd al-‘Azīz al-Quṣaybī] to 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. , Bahrain.
The date range gives the covering dates of the main items of correspondence; the last dated addition to the file is an entry in the notes on folio 335v dated 7 October 1943.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (336 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are filed in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file, except where enclosures of an earlier date are filed after the relevant covering letter, and terminate in a set of notes (folios 315-335). Circled serial numbers in red and blue crayon, which occur occasionally in the papers, refer to entries in the notes.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 338; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located 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. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 1-338; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in 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/15/2/140
- Title
- 'File 1/A/4 SAUDI ARABIA.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:28v, 30r:44v, 46r:46v, 47v:51v, 53r:153v, 155r:191v, 193r:193v, 195r:206v, 209r:213v, 215r:236v, 239r:256v, 258r:258v, 260r:283v, 285r:292v, 301r:302v, 307r:312v, 315r:337v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence