Coll 6/66 'Saudi-Arabia: Saudi-Transjordan Frontier' [123r] (245/427)
The record is made up of 1 file (212 folios). It was created in 3 Apr 1934-6 Mar 1940. 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.
II.
THE ISLAND OF TAHB.
THE SUB -COIvGvlI TTEE had under consideration -
Copy of a letter with enclosures from
Mr. J.G. Laithwaite,
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.
, to the
Secretary of the Sub-Committee (paper No.
M.E.(O) 178).
THE CHAIRMAN asked Mr. Laithwaite to give the India
Office view on the situation at Tamh resulting from the action
of the Sheikh of R&s-al-TUiaimah and described in the telegrams
circulated with Paper No. M.E.(O) 178.
MR. LAITHWAITE said that the Foreign Office had thought
it desirable that the question cf Tamb should be discussed
in the Middle East Sub*-Committee because of its possible
reaction on the Persian negotiations, in which it had in
the past from time to time figured prominently. After
giving a short geographical description of the island
and referring to its history and status, he said that the
causes leading up to the present situation were clearly
set out in the telegrams circulated with I&per M.E.(0 ) 178.
The title to the island rested in the two Jowasimi Sheikhs
of Ras-al-nhaimah and Sharjah, but since 1921 Ras-al-Khaiinah
had been definitely the senior partner. No forces were
maintained on the island, but there was a lighthouse
(the right to erect which had been granted to His Majesty’s
Government by Sharjah in 1912). Under instructions issued
locally the Sheikh of Ras-al-Khaimah was required to keep
his flag flying on the island and to maintain a man as a
guard. At the end of December the Senior Naval Officer
had reported that the flag had been removed and the
guard withdrawn. The reasons for the Sheikh's action
were still not clear, but the explanations given
suggested that they were:
(a) that he wished to blackmail us into paying
some rent for the lighthouse;
About this item
- Content
This file primarily concerns British policy on the question of the Saudi- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier, specifically the frontier between Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan and Nejd, as initially outlined in the Hadda Agreement of 1925.
The correspondence includes discussion of the following:
- The reported disaffection of certain Saudi tribes in the Jauf [Al Jawf] and Teima [Taymā’] areas.
- Difficulties arising from inaccuracies discovered on a 1918 map of the frontier, on which the Hadda agreement was based.
- Saudi Government complaints regarding the alleged violation of the Saudi frontier by British aeroplanes and soldiers at Thaniyya Taraif [Thanīyat Ţurayf, Saudi Arabia].
- A proposal made by Fuad Bey Hamza, Deputy Minister for Saudi Foreign Affairs, during a meeting at the Foreign Office in July 1935, that the frontier should be that which is shown on the 1918 map, regardless of the map's inaccuracies (a proposal that the British authorities in Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan encourage the Foreign Office to accept).
- Reports of infringements of the existing frontier by Saudi patrols.
- The British response to Ibn Saud's [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] claim to the districts of Akaba [Aqaba] and Maan [Ma‘ān] in Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan .
The file also includes the following:
- Compiled notes of correspondence relating to the Treaty of Jedda (1927) and its modification (and more specifically, to the question of the Hejaz- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier) exchanged between Sir Gilbert Clayton and Ibn Saud (1927), and between the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Saudi Foreign Affairs (1936).
- Copies of the minutes of meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East, concerning the Saudi- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier (and, in one instance, also addressing the Island of Tamb in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ).
- Copies of the minutes of interdepartmental meetings regarding the Saudi- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier, held at the Colonial Office (7 January 1935) and Foreign Office (28 September 1934) respectively.
- Two sketch maps depicting disputed territory near the frontier.
The file features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard); His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires to Jedda (Albert Spencer Calvert); John Bagot Glubb, Acting Officer Commanding the Arab Legion; the Air Officer Commanding Palestine and Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan (Richard Edmund Charles Peirse); the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd]; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, the Air Ministry, and the War Office.
The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (212 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 (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 213; 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 present in parallel between ff 2-209; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- 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/12/2133
- Title
- Coll 6/66 'Saudi-Arabia: Saudi-Transjordan Frontier'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:5v, 7r:7v, 9r:79v, 81r:172v, 174r:213v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence