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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [287r] (574/1144)
The record is made up of 1 file (570 folios). It was created in 21 Dec 1932-5 Mar 1948. It was written in English and French. 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.
subject into prominence again, with Egypt and Ba^udi
Arabia as the protagonists*
t d ) Family. The very strongly defined family
groupings to be found in Palestine and Syria (and no doubt
elsewhere) seem to be purely feudal in their conception^
The big ^houses’ 1 , Uusseinis, Kashaahibis, Abdel Hadis, etc.,
represent the big landowners of the Turkish period, and
land (in Palestine at least) has been held in ownership by
suoh ever : since the fashion was set (if it did not already
exist) by the Crusading barons in the twelfth centuryo
The villagers were merely tenants, having no say in the
administration of the country* This feudal system no
doubt derived support from the tribal ideas of the Arabs
of the desert, which strongly resemble those of feudalism*.
The disturbances of 1938/9 demonstrated very clearly that;
though the well known families have for the most part lost
their ancestral possessions, the lines of cleavage were
at root still due to family jealousies and vendettas
rather than to politics, and that the political motif was
generally imported (not as a rule without cash) to give
spaciousness to the "revolt"*
(e) Political. Little need be said of the various
political parties into which the "Arab" world of Palestine,
Syria and Iraq are divided. They derive their force
partly from the “family" jealousies referred to under (d),
and partly from the personal ambition and desire for the
power of patronage which arc uniformly predominant In the
East. Racial and religious differences may be tided over,
national quarrels may be resolved for a time, but family
feud© die very hard, and the potency of personal ambition
will continue unabated so long as there is scope for it.
9. In considering the practicability of Federation,
it is well to avoid assuming a unity of thought motive
and purpose in the "Arab World" at least. The medley
of conflicting motives which I have tried to outline
derives, it is true, a certain coherence from a common
fear of the Jews, and it is easy to speak of "Unity",
"Federation", and so on, so long as the terms remain
undefined: but not even the fear of the Jews can overcome
the deep seated, age-old jealousies and love of intrigue
which, coupled with a frankly admitted disinclination to
accept responsibility or show moral courage or self-
sacrifice, will continue to keep dissension alive. Even
if it were otherwise, and some measure of internal
reconciliation had a chance of success, the likelihood
that the path of Zionism would be smoothed by "unification"
or "federation" would lessen the chances of a solution by
that method being found acceptable^ If, nevertheless,
the attempt to form a confederation were pressed by Hia
Majesty’s Government, it seems fairly certain that the two
main forces operating in the Middle East, namely internal
dissension on the one hand and fear of the Jews on the
other, would combine to defeat it.
10. I doubt, therefore, whether Federation will
provide a solution for our troubles or those of the "Arabs"
or the Jews. On the contrary, it is arguable that the
"Arabs" will be more susceptible of control and less
dangerous if they remain divided into the comparatively
small units which time may yet demonstrate their ability
About this item
- Content
This file concerns the British Government's response to the Pan-Arab movement during the 1930s and 1940s. Much of the correspondence refers to the prospect of an Arab federation, although the use of the word 'federation' is noted in some of the correspondence as being a mistranslation of the original Arabic expression, which would be more accurately represented by the words 'unification' or 'unity'.
Significant subjects of discussion include:
- Arab party politics in Palestine.
- Iraqi-Egyptian relations.
- Italian propaganda in the Middle East.
- The future of Palestine.
- Britain's post-war policy in the Middle East.
- Whether the Arab states should be induced to make a wartime declaration in favour of the democracies (i.e. the Allies).
- The formation of the Arab League (also referred to as the Arab Federation in the correspondence).
- Details of the Pact (also referred to as Covenant) of the Arab League, signed in Cairo on 22 March 1945.
- Whether representatives of the Arab League should be present at the Palestine Conference in London, in 1947, in addition to representatives of Arab states.
Notable correspondents include the following: 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. ; the High Commissioner for Iraq; His Majesty's Ambassador in Baghdad; the High Commissioner for Egypt; His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo; the High Commissioner for Palestine; His Majesty's Minister at Jedda; the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; the Minister of State in the Middle East; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, 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 Commonwealth Relations Office, and the Indian Political Service The branch of the British Government of India with responsibility for managing political relations between British-ruled India and its surrounding states, and by extension the Gulf, during the period 1937-47. 's External Affairs Department; Noury Said [Nūrī al-Sa‘īd], Prime Minister of Iraq; George Antonius, Lebanese-Egyptian author and diplomat.
Also included with the correspondence are the following:
- Extracts from Palestine police summaries dating from 1933 to 1936, produced by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jerusalem.
- A printed copy of a paper on Arab federation by the Foreign Research and Press Service, dated 20 June 1941.
- Copies of documents produced by the War Cabinet's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East (also referred to as the Middle East (Official) Committee), including minutes of meetings (1941-1942) and a copy of a report on Arab Federation, dated January 1942.
- A copy (in French) of the Protocol of the Preparatory Committee for the Arab Congress, dated 7 October 1944.
- Copies of the Pact/Covenant of the recently formed Arab League (consisting of a printed copy in French, distributed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an English translation of the full Arabic text, which includes a passage that was omitted from the French version).
The French material consists of the aforementioned Protocol and Arab League Pact, plus one item of correspondence and a copy of a newspaper extract.
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 (folios 2-3).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (570 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 571; 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. Two previous foliation sequences, which are also circled, have been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [287r] (574/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229911.0x0000b1> [accessed 16 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2110
- Title
- Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:6v, 9r:24v, 27r:59v, 61r:62v, 73r:78v, 82r:93v, 95r:103v, 105r:106v, 111r:111v, 113r:115v, 118r:120v, 122r:132v, 134r:152v, 158r:199v, 201r:265v, 273r:354v, 356r:381v, 384r:394v, 398r:407v, 410r:516v, 518r:565v, 567r:571v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence