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Coll 6/16 'Future of: Royal Family. Probable happenings on the death of Ibn Saud.' [178r] (356/440)
The record is made up of 1 file (218 folios). It was created in 30 Sep 1931-7 Oct 1949. 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.
9
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OP HIS BRITANNIC HAJESTT'S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia).
CONFIDENTIAL.
[E 3297/2814/253 ■ No. 1.
Sir A . Ryan to Sir John Simon.^-(Received June 21,)
(No. 155.)
TXT . 1 „ „ Je&dd, May 23, 1933.
IN p],y telegram No. 95 of the 13th May I had the honour to inform you of
the publication of an official communique relative to the designation of Ibn Saud‘s
eldest surviving son as heir to the, Saudi Throne, a step which w&s decided oh in
principle, when Ibn Sand’s dominions were declared to be a single kingdom, but
which has evidently needed much preparation in various quarters.
2. The procedure followed has turned primarily and essentially on the
acceptance of an oath of fealty in a form known as Bay a. This oath was drawn
up on the Hth May and subscribed to in the first instance by the Amir Feisal as
President of the Council, certain religious dignitaries, the members of the
Council of Ministers and the members of the Legislative Council. I enclose a
translation of the material part of this document, f) following on a pious
exordium, ft was presented to the King who approved of it. The communique
issued the same day and published in the Vmm-al-Qura of the 12th May, intimated
that the necessary further ceremonial would take place on the 15th May. An
elaborate programme of the ceremonial was drawn Up and circulated.
3. The ceremonies in Mecca on the 15th May were staged impressively in all
respects, except for the absence of Samlet. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
sat in Riyadh, while his brother Jeisal received the Baya on his behalf. At
8 a.m. the latter repaired to the Great Mosque, Where, surrounded by high
personages and delegations from Medina, Jedda and Taif, he attended the pre
liminary prayers, A salute in honour of the King was fired, and the Arnir
proceeded to receive the general Baya in an adjoining hall by shaking hands with
each of a numerous concourse of people. After this he held a reception at the
headquarters of the Government to receive congratulations, the offerers of which
were regaled with refreshing drinks. After the afternoon prayer congratulations
were offered to the King. The Amir Feisal gave a banquet in the evening. On
the 17th May he and a number of princes, including his younger uncles, two of
his brothers, a cousin and three of his nephews left for Riyadh to Convey the
Baya to the Amir Saud and to offer their own homage, They Were accompanied by
a delegation composed of three members of the Legislative Council.
4. On the same day, the ihth May, the local Governors in The Hejazi towns
received the Baya of the leading inhabitants in a manner similar to that observed
by the Amir Feisal at Mecca, There Would appear to have been no corresponding
ceremonial in Nejd pending the arrival of the Amir Feisal. The whole procedure
presents peculiarities, which probably represent the resultant of conflicting
principles. It has been very expressly linked up with the decree of the
18th September, 1932, which, when declaring the Union of Saudi Arabia, provided
inter alia that the existing Council of Ministers, acting with other persons at the
discretion of the President, should prepare a rule of succession to the throne to
bp submitted for the King's assent. The only documentary Baya so far would
appear to be that signed on the 11th May by the members of the Council, of
Ministers and others. This was duly Submitted on the same day to the King and
it might be thought that his approval completed the designation of the Amir Sand
as heir. It was obviously thought either politic or necessary, however, to obtain
the acceptance of the nomination by a much wider circle on the 15th May. Even
now it would appear that strictly speaking only the people of the Heiaz have
publicly sworn or endorsed the Baya. On the 13th May the King sent a long
telegram to the Amir Saud, full of pious exhortations, to which the Amir replied
P) Not printed.
f p.z.
! £ yQ -jrune^l, 1933.
Section 2.
1955 ]
[823 x—2]
About this item
- Content
This file relates to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and the future of Arabia in the event of his death.
The file largely consists of copies of Foreign Office correspondence, which have been forwarded by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India. Also included are copies of correspondence addressed 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. and the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department by 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. (Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle, succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior).
The correspondence begins with 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. 's response to the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India's remark that British influence in the Middle East seems largely to depend on the life of one man: Ibn Saud.
Related matters discussed in the correspondence include the following:
- The effect that Ibn Saud's death, or fall from power, might have on Kuwait.
- The designation of Amir Saud [Sa‘ūd bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd] as Ibn Saud's heir apparent in 1933.
- Rumours of tense relations between Amir Saud and his brother Feisal [Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Sa'ud].
- Arab public opinion on Ibn Saud, following the Saudi-Yemeni war.
- Reports of Ibn Saud and Amir Saud having been attacked by would-be assassins in Mecca in 1935.
- Amir Saud's visit to India for medical treatment in 1940.
- Reports of the arrest of ninety persons suspected of being involved in a plot to assassinate Ibn Saud in 1940.
Other prominent correspondents include the following: 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. , Kuwait (Harold Richard Patrick Dickson, succeeded by Gerald Simpson de Gaury); 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 (Hugh Weightman); the British Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan; Sir Reader William Bullard; Hugh Stonehewer Bird); His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires, Jedda (Albert Spencer Calvert); officials of 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. , the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, and the Government of India's External Affairs Department.
In addition to correspondence the file includes the following:
- A report by 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. entitled 'The Future of Arabia', which discusses the present position of Ibn Saud and how Arabia might look without him.
- Extracts from Kuwait intelligence summaries.
- A copy of a report produced in 1937 by 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. at Kuwait, Gerald Simpson de Gaury, on the history of the Shammar tribe and the Ibn Rashid [Āl Rashīd] family, which includes as enclosures a table of the Shammar confederation and a genealogical table of the Al Rashid family, both of which are printed in Arabic and English.
- A copy of a report, produced in 1938 by de Gaury, on the 'Anaza [‘Aniza] tribe, which includes a tribal table of the tribe.
The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (218 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 219; 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 external leather cover wraps around the documents and the front inside of this cover has been foliated as folio 1. A previous foliation sequence, which is present between ff 2-218 and is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- 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/L/PS/12/2082
- Title
- Coll 6/16 'Future of: Royal Family. Probable happenings on the death of Ibn Saud.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:115v, 117r:124v, 126r:130v, 137r:140v, 142r:172v, 174r:179v, 181r:181v, 183r:219v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence