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File 2182/1913 Pt 5 'Arabia Nejd: Policy Bin Saud' [243r] (61/308)
The record is made up of 1 item (154 folios). It was created in 26 Dec 1915-12 Dec 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
A
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Ci
33
Memorandum from the Chief Political Officer (copy forwarded to Director, Eastern Bureau,
Foreign Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment, Political Secretary,
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.
, London, Chief of the General Staff, Indian
Expeditionary Force “ D ^ and Army Department), No. 63, dated the 14th October
1916.
TRANSLATION.
' ■ *' ’ij ’T. „ . ' v •} . -1 ■
(Amieate op Mecca the respected.)
No.
In the name of the compassionate and merciful God.
To the Gallant and Vigorous Amir Abdul-Aziz
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
Bin Ahd-er-Rahman Al-Saood,
(May God save him).
May salams and the mercy of God and His blessings rest on you. —It is
not hidden from you that the time-honoured designs of Sheriff Hussein Bin Ali
Oni have had this result, viz.) they have displeased the faithful and all
Moslems and those who obey the Prophet, and have resulted in his actually
joining the enemy of religion and of the Kingdom of the Moslem Caliphate
at a time when the Amir-ul-Moomanin ordered all Moslems to declare the
sacred jehad against the Powers fighting against our Moslem Kingdom.
Instead of doing his share of jehad in this universal war, the said Sheriff
Hussein, availing himself of the opportunity of the Government being busied
in protecting the Ottoman Dominions and defending the rights of all Moslems,
revolted against the Sultan, and, declaring his time-honoured evil designs,
actually joined the British Government, which is in hostilities with our
Kingdom, and brought the enemy to Jeddah and Yanbo-el-Bahr, and allowed
them to enter into the pure and sacred lands, and has permitted the blood
shed of innocent Moslems in the peaceful towns without fearing God, or think
ing of the evil consequences which will recoil on him and his defeated
followers.
And whereas both he and his sons attempted to seduce some of the
humble-minded simple Shaikhs by false promises and by the small sums of
money which he distributes from the funds of the British and so leads them to
loss and destruction, it became necessary to dismiss him, so that things might
be restored to their proper owners.
The Amirate of Mecca the respected has, therefore, been assigned to me.
Depending on him who does not fail to answer our hopes and to provide
us with the spirituality of our ancestor, our Lord the Prophet of God, we, all
Moslems and the inhabitants of the pure and peaceful town {i.e., Medina)
have determined to conduct hand in hand with our Moslem Kingdom and her
eternal and victorious soldiers the greatest of jehad to disinfect the Qibla
from this sin.
We cannot believe that the Arab Chieftains will tolerate this disloyalty on
part of Hussein, which he is worthy to be stained by, and which will form a
black page both for him and all like him, in the history of Islam and which
will cause their defeat in this world and the world to come, apart from the
terrible sufferings he will have to bear.
No doubt that all Moslems, especially the wise and religious Arab Chiefs
will free themselves from, and reject with all their force, this great disgrace, and
will sacrifice themselves in defending with their Moslem Government, their
Qibla, which is the Qibla of all who admit of God’s unity ; so that they may
gain the victory in the Most Terrible Day.
Therefore we inform you of the event, for the sake of avoiding ambiguity,
and we call upon you to perform your religious duty towards your Qibla.
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About this item
- Content
Part 5 concerns Britain's relations with Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd], and, to a lesser extent, Britain's relations with the Grand Sherif [Sharif] of Mecca [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī]. It includes the following:
- a copy of a treaty between the British government and Bin Saud, dated 26 December 1915, plus a copy of the ratified treaty, dated 18 July 1918;
- reports of an agreement between Bin Saud and Bin Rashid [Saʿūd bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Rashīd];
- details of munitions that are to be given by the British to Bin Saud;
- translated copies of correspondence between the High Commissioner, Cairo, and the Grand Sherif of Mecca;
- discussion as to whether the British should press Bin Saud to take specific action to assist both the British and the recently deposed Grand Sherif of Mecca;
- details of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Zachariah Cox's meetings with Bin Saud.
The principal correspondents are the following:
- Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Zachariah Cox (as both 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 Chief Political Officer, Indian Expeditionary Force D);
- Bin Saud;
- Viceroy of India [Charles Hardinge, succeeded by Frederic John Napier Thesiger];
- Secretary of State for India [Joseph Austen Chamberlain];
- High Commissioner, Cairo (Sir Arthur Henry McMahon);
- Grand Sherif of Mecca [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī];
- Foreign Office;
- Secretary to 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. 's Political Department (Arthur Hirtzel).
- Extent and format
- 1 item (154 folios)
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/387/2
- Title
- File 2182/1913 Pt 5 'Arabia Nejd: Policy Bin Saud'
- Pages
- 213r:331v, 333r:362v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence