!['File 2/4 I TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.' [‎157r] (318/640)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000831.0x000052/IOR_R_15_5_135_0318.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'File 2/4 I TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.' [‎157r] (318/640)")
'File 2/4 I TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.' [157r] (318/640)
The record is made up of 1 volume (316 folios). It was created in 3 Nov 1914-12 Dec 1930. 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.
no mention of the obligations to the two Shaikhs, The
Iraq Government were subsequently informed, in Mr,
Davidson’s letter No,P„0,75 of the 17th of April,1924,
that the undertakings to the two Shaikhs were M a
minor obligation" to which it was not thought necess
ary to allude in the notes exchanged under Article
10, and that "in view of the difficulties of settling
a matter of this kind at the present juncture His
Majesty’s Government have decided not to include these
obligations to the Shaikhs concerned among the Agree
ments covered by Article 10 of the Treaty unless the
Iraq Government desires to do so”. In his reply
to Sir Henry Dobbs’ letter, the Iraq Prime Minister,
while accepting, as covered by Article 10, the
Treaties and Agreements set out in that letter, made
no reference to Mr*Davidson’s letter of the 17th of
April or to the undertakings given to the two Shaikhs,
In the circumstances, His Majesty’s Government might
find it difficult to establish that these under i-aking-.,
were covered by Article 10,• U.
This does not, however, imply that the Iraq
Government are not bound to give effect to the under
takings. They were informed of their existence in
Mr•Davidson’s letter of the 17th of April,1924, In
the Iraq Prime Minister’s reply to Sir henry Doebs*
letter of the 26th of March,1924 no exception was
taken to them, and as the Iraq Government continued
to accord exemption from taxation to the Shaikhs, it
was reasonable to assume at that time that the Iraq
Government recognised their liability to continue
to accord such exemption. It was not until the end
of 1925, some two years after the ratification of
the 1922 Treaty, that the question was again raised
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah, Khaz'al al-Ka'bi, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the Government of Iraq's intention to end the immunity from taxation (on the gardens) that had been granted to the former ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Mubārak Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah by the British Government in return for their military support against the Ottoman Empire in the First World War. The volume contains letters (ff 16-20), dated November 1914, from the British Resident and Consulate-General, Bushire, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to both shaikhs in respect to this issue. The volume also contains correspondence between British officials discussing the British Government's obligations to Kuwait and how it should react to the Government of Iraq's plans.
The Iraq Government had considered and continues to consider that the exemption from taxation is illegal. This issue was discussed in an extract of an article that appeared in Al-Iraq newspaper and published in 1927, in which the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. gives the exact amount (12.000 Turkish gold liras per year, or 100.000 in the past 7 years) Iraq was losing annually as a result of the exemption from taxes granted to the two shaikhs.
The British officials had direct correspondence with the Council of Ministers, Iraq. They conveyed the British Government’s approval to the Government of Iraq to open up direct negotiations with the Shaikhs of Kuwait and Mohammerah regarding their revenue exemptions. Correspondence between the High Commissioner, Baghdad, and the Government of Iraq were made as early as 1924 in regard to the issue. The correspondence between the British officials includes articles of the Anglo-Iraq Treaties as well as reports prepared by the Law Officer of the Crown, Downing Street (ff 116-123).
The volume also contains correspondence between Sayid Hamid Bey Al-Naqib, Basra Deputy to the Ruler of Kuwait, and Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir conveying to him the procedures taking place in Iraq regarding his date gardens. Al-Naqib also paid visits to the Shaikh on behalf of the Government of Iraq. The volume also includes statements of the properties of both Shaikhs between the years 1914-1928.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (316 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 318; 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.
Additional foliation sequences are present in parallel between ff 4-313; these numbers are also written in pencil but, where circled, are crossed through.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'File 2/4 I TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.' [157r] (318/640), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/5/135, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100048076220.0x000077> [accessed 24 March 2025]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100048076220.0x000077
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100048076220.0x000077">'File 2/4 I TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.' [‎157r] (318/640)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100048076220.0x000077"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000831.0x000052/IOR_R_15_5_135_0318.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000831.0x000052/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/5/135
- Title
- 'File 2/4 I TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:22v, 26r:27v, 37r:83v, 86r:106v, 110r:176v, 178r:203v, 205r:207v, 209r:229v, 231r:232v, 235r:238v, 241r:246v, 248r:252v, 256r:259r, 260r:262v, 265r:275v, 283r:298v, 301r:302v, 306r:306v, 312r:317v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence