File 53/1915 Part IV 'German War: Turkey; Caliphate etc' [‎151v] (299/481)

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Sounded as to the general question of the Calphate m the event of Turkey breaking up,
he said tde Wn view was that as far as the Ruling Chiefs of Arabia were concerned, no one
cared in the least who called himself Caliph, and renunded me that the Wahabis did not
recognise anv Caliph after the first four. Asked if he thought the Sher.f was likely to claim
JTbSLe Caliph, he said he had no knowledge but that it was conceivable; but that in any
case his calling himself Caliph would not make any difference to his status among other Chiefs
and there would be no question of their accepting any control from him any more than they
do now. Each individual Chief would continue, in his opinion, to control his own afiairs and
his own tribes as hitherto, with this exception, please God, that they would in future be
immune from Turkish oppression. He added that there was no doubt a certain amount of
talk about the Caliphate in. Cairo presumably because of the presence of a Sultan but as
far as the Jezirat-al-Arab was concerned, he did not consider that the question had any
significance or interest for them.
In «peakin°- 4s above. Bin Sand was no doubt inclined to think that his own point of
view was the general one ; but the opinions he expresses only bear out the generel impres
sion which we have gained on this side of Arabia since the beginning of the war, viz, that
thp question of the Caliphate has no serious interest for the tribes or their Chiefs.
At Sea ;
27th December 1915.
P. Z. COX, Lieutenant-Colonel.
Later.
On 31st December I had a meeting with the Shaikh of Kuwait, Shaikh Jabar bin
Mubarak, and in the course of conversation sounded him on the same subjects.
As regards Bin Rashid he said his latest news was that he was still in Hail or close by ;
that it was most unlikely that he would move in the direction of Kuwait or Zubair and
that if he showed any intention of so doing, he, Shaikh Jabar, would get news of it at once.
He said that Bin Rashid was weak now.
As regards the Ajman, who had taken refuge with his late father and been given “ haz
wa bakht ” by him much to Bin Saud's annoyance, he said that he had already received a
letter from Bin Saud (which he sent for and read out and which was couched in most cordial
terms) explaining that he could not agree to the Ajman being forgiven, and asking him
(Shaikh Jabar) not to harbour them in or near Kuwait; and that in pursuance of Bin
Sand’s request, he had told the Ajman to clear out. According to him, the Ajman could
muster about 2,000 armed men, of whom probably 200 were mounted ; and they would,
no doubt, he thought, endeavour to get protection from Bin Rashid ; but they were completely
broken for the present; their camels and horses quite worn out and useless, and it would be
two or three months at least before they were worth anything.
Sounded, during conversation regarding the war, as to his opinion regarding^he Caliphate
in the event of Turkey breaking up, he evinced general ignorance of the subject, but was
emphatic in the view that neither he nor his dependents had any interest whatever in the
question. As for himself, all he was concerned with was his duty to the British Govern
ment to whom he and his father owed so much, and the good administration of his territory.
P. Z. COX, Lieutenant-Colonel.
December 31st, 1915.
S. G. P. I. Delhi.—Xo. 936 F. D.—28 i-16 -31