Skip to item: of 1,062
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎224v] (453/1062)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (527 folios). It was created in 6 Jan 1929-15 Jan 1938. 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.

Apply page layout

{Re cemd on 3rd January 1933, with Political Secretary's letter No. P. Z,
dated 17th December 1931.)
Enclosures in Foreign Office covering letter No. E.-6007/2064/25, dated
' Itth December, 1931.
Despatch from His Majesty’s Charge d’affaires, Jedda, to the
Foreign Office, No. 444, dated the 17th November 1931.
With reference to my telegram No. 241 of the T4th November [S. No.
mi regarding the financial situation, I have the honour to transmit here
with a "translation of the royal proclamation, or letter as it is familiarly
styled, announcing budgetary reform.
2 The opening phrases are somewhat misleading. The King poses as
having obeyed the call of duty. In reality he has disobeyed it for months.
He states that he (took the initiative in informing himself of the whole
situation In reality it was his second son, egged on by his Under Secretary
for Foreign Affairs, no doubt stimulated in his turn by Mr. Philby’s and
his own personal animosity towards his financial colleague, who spurred his
Maiesty into belated activity by forcing upon him a great deal of unpalatable
information. Ibn Sa’ud states that the information was submitted
through the Minister, more properly Director-General of Finance.
In reality it accompanied him to Riadh as unwelcome evidence of his guilt,
which he has evidently failed to disprove. Towards the end of his letter the
King informs his people that he has kept his Finance Minister at Riadh in
the interests of the finances of Nejd; his people know better, or think they
do. They do not believe that Sheykh ’Abdullah Suleyman will be released
for a long time, but Fuad Bey Hamza has told me that it is only too true
that he will soon return. He, with Yusuf Yasin, is making the most of
’Abdullah Suleyman’s absence.
3. I was asked to call at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs here on the
13th November to meet Sheykh Yusuf Yasin who had arrived post-haste
from Riadh over night. The glad news of reform was broken to me, fol
lowed by the less gratifying news of a virtual moratorium on all Government
debts, internal and external, and rounded off by an invitation to His Majesty s
Government to stand on a footing of equality with all other creditors in the
matter of the 1929 debt to the Government of India.
4. I enquired what part of the revenue was to be devoted to funding
these debts, how much it would amount to, and what period was calculated
to be necessary for the liquidation of the current indebtedness. Only in the
matter of proportion were any figures available. The total revenues, k
appears, are to be classified under four headings to meet four main objects,
as follows:—
(1.) Official salaries, thirty-five per cent. This was explained to me
as covering all the normal costs of administration.
(2) Indebtedness, twenty-five per cent. This was to cover all
arrears of salaries as well as the internal and external debt or
the Hejazi Government.
(3) Reserve, fifteen per cent. This is a notable novelty which will
have all the attraction of a pot of honey.
(4) Extraordinary expenses, twenty-five per cent. This is intended
to ensure the comfort and health of pilgrims and to develop
the country’s hidden resources.
5. As regards approximate figures, I could be given no information.
Much spade-work remained to be done. But as regards the length of time
which it would take to pay off current debts, Fuad Bey informed me—Yusuf

About this item

Content

This volume compiles printed copies of letters, telegrams, memoranda and newspaper extracts relating to Britain's involvement across the Arabian Peninsula during the period 1929-1938. Whilst the correspondence encompasses all matters concerning British interests in the region, much of it relates to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia). Matters discussed in the correspondence include the following:

  • Reports of unrest in the Hejaz.
  • Relations between Imam Yeha Hamid-Ud-Din [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn, Imam of Yemen] and Ibn Saud.
  • Reports of raids and arms trafficking on the 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 -Nejd frontier.
  • Reports of the proceedings of British naval ships in the Red Sea.
  • Details of the Akhwan [Ikhwan] revolt against Ibn Saud, including the movements of one of the revolt's leaders, Faisal Dawish [Fayṣal bin Sulṭān al-Dawīsh], and his surrender to the British in Kuwait.
  • Relations between Kuwait and Nejd.
  • Relations between Iraq and Nejd, including a proposed meeting between Ibn Saud and King Faisal [Fayṣal] of Iraq, and reports of a treaty of alliance between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
  • Objections from the Hejaz Government to Royal Air Force aircraft flying over Nejd territory.
  • The purchase of arms by the Hejaz Government from Poland.
  • Ibn Saud's annexation of Asir.
  • The death of King Hussein [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī].
  • Harry St John Bridger Philby's conversion to Islam, his mapping of Rub-al-Khali, and his reported spreading of Saudi propaganda in the Aden Protectorate.
  • The currency exchange crisis in the Hejaz-Nejd and the financial situation in the kingdom generally.
  • Reports on a survey of the water and mineral content of the Hejaz coastal area.
  • Relations between Soviet Russia and Saudi Arabia.
  • The emigration of Jews from Yemen to Palestine, via Aden.
  • British fears that Italy might harbour ambitions to annex Yemen.
  • Saudi oil concessions.
  • Italian-Saudi relations.

Prominent correspondents include the following: the British Agent (later His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires) at Jeddah; His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah; the High Commissioner for Egypt; the High Commissioner for Iraq; the High Commissioner for 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 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; 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. (later Chief Commissioner, and later still, Governor), Aden; 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. ; His Majesty's Ambassador to Iraq; His Majesty's Ambassador to Italy; the Secretary of State for the Colonies; the Minister (and Acting Minister) for Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia); Ibn Saud; King Feisal of Iraq; the Prime Minister of Iraq; various officials of the Colonial Office, the Foreign Office, the Air Ministry, and the Admiralty.

The French material in the volume consists of several items of correspondence and a copy of a treaty between France and Yemen, which was signed in April 1936.

The volume includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (527 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The items of correspondence are divided (roughly) into various sections. Each extract or item of correspondence within these sections has its own number, which is enclosed in brackets. These numbers proceed in ascending (and approximate chronological) order from left to right; however, the sections themselves proceed in reverse, from the rear to the front of the volume, in distinct groups (e.g. for 1929 numbers 1-23, which are located at folios 517-526, are followed by numbers 24-49 at folios 509-516, which are then followed by numbers 50-89 at folios 494-508, and so on).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 529; 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.

Pagination: each section of correspondence within the volume (as described in the arrangement field) has its own pagination sequence.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎224v] (453/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765165.0x000036> [accessed 12 December 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

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_100061765165.0x000036">Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [&lrm;224v] (453/1062)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100061765165.0x000036">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x000261/IOR_L_PS_12_2071_0453.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

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_100000000555.0x000261/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image