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File 2182/1913 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Policy towards Bin Saud (Capt. Shakespear's Mission)' [‎132r] (265/426)

The record is made up of 1 item (211 folios). It was created in 22 Sep 1914-17 Jan 1916. It was written in English. 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. .

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\
£-
Lo • /48 0± 1914.
From
To
Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ,
K u w ait.
Lieutenant-Colonel VA G. Grey, I.A.,
Political A^ent, Kuwait.
The Politic. 1 Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
B u s h i r e .
Dated Kuwait, the 21st November 1914.
Sir,
1 Love the honour to make the following report in
connection with the Amir Bin Saud rnd his relations
with the Turkish Goverrm.ent.
2. He recently received a telegram from _nwar Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
the Turkish minister of War urging him to abandon the
campaign against Ion Rashid in which he is at present
engaged and gather 11 the forces at his command to
assist the Turks in the defence of Basrah. He refuser
to comply with this request on the following grounds:-
(1) He declines to renounce the operations against
Bin hashid until the latter has been reduced
to the position of a vassal.
(2) He cannot come t > Basrah being otherwise
engaged, neither can his troops for the s*me
reason.
b. The present campaign against Ibn Rashid supplies
Bin Saud with an eminently suitable excuse for
declining to assist the Turks in the present war, and
it is believed to do possible that he may have under
taken it at this time mainly with a view to be in a
position to plead a previous engagement when the
inevitable request for assistance should come from the
Var Minister.
4. I son sending a. copy of this letter (1) to the
Government of India, in the Foreign Department and (2)

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Content

Part 4 primarily concerns British policy towards Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd], following the outbreak of the First World War. It includes the following:

  • discussion regarding Bin Saud's relations with the Ottoman government, and the need for the British to secure Bin Saud's goodwill, especially in the event of the Ottoman government entering the war on the German side;
  • details of Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear's mission (as a political officer on special duty) to meet with Bin Saud, with the aim of ensuring that, in the event of hostilities between Britain and the Ottomans, no assistance is offered to the latter by Bin Saud;
  • translated copies of letters from Shaikh Mubarak [Shaikh Mubarak bin Ṣabāḥ Āl Ṣabāḥ], Ruler of Kuwait, to Bin Saud, urging the latter to side with the British Government;
  • details of a proposed preliminary treaty between the British and Bin Saud;
  • reports of Captain Shakespear's death;
  • reports on Bin Saud's military engagements against Bin Rashid [Saʿūd bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Rashīd];
  • a copy of a draft of a preliminary treaty between the British government and Bin Saud;
  • details of proposed gifts from the British to Bin Saud of arms and ammunition captured from the Ottomans, plus a £20,000 loan.

The principal correspondents are the following:

Extent and format
1 item (211 folios)
Written in
English in Latin script
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File 2182/1913 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Policy towards Bin Saud (Capt. Shakespear's Mission)' [‎132r] (265/426), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/387/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100034341124.0x00004b> [accessed 4 June 2026]

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