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Papers on British policy and the Arab movement [‎181r] (367/380)

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The record is made up of 1 file (187 folios). It was created in 1 Jul 1916-7 Dec 1918. 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. .

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Policy
British desiderata in the Arabian Peninsula may
be formulated as follows
(1) An admission of the special position of
Great Britain in Arabia should be obtained from the
Prench and Italian Governments.
: In this connection the Sykes-Picot Agreement
provides that n the. negotiations with the Arabs as to
the boundaries of the Arab State or confederation of
Arab States shall be continued through the same chan
nel as heretofore on behalf of the two Powers” - the
channel was L.I'.G. and the Italians subscribed to this
in Article 7 of the 1917 Agreement.
On December 8th, 1916, M. Jules Gambon, addressing
Lord Bertie in a formal note, wrote
"Le Gouvernement de la Kepublique considere comme
par le passe que c’est au Gouvernement Anglais, dont
I’ixiteret est preponderant dans les affaires de I’Ara-
qu'il appartient de fournir les contingents d’in-
xanterie necessaires" The note went on to say
that the suostitution of Prench troops would give the
impression that Prance wanted to play "un role de pre
mier plan," which was "nullement desire par le Gou
vernement Prancais.”
In another note to Lord Bertie of May 2£nd, 1917,
the Prench Government said
’ x he G ov ernmon t oft he Republie ar e r eady to ad
mit that the proximity of Lgypt and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
create in Arabia a peculiar situation in favour of Great
Britain, and Prance is determined to abstain from any
enterprises in the internal affairs of the Arabian
9\d
Peninsula. ”

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Content

This file contains correspondence, memoranda, maps, manuscript notes, and other papers relating to the political and territorial settlement of parts of the Middle East following the First World War. Many of the papers were collected for the attention of the Middle East Committee (later named the Eastern Committee, following the mergence of the Foreign Office's Russia Committee and the interdepartmental Persia Committee) of the War Cabinet. Contributors include officials from the War Office, Foreign Office, Admiralty, and 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. , as well as indivduals such as Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence. Correspondence comes from representatives of the French and Italian governments as well as British officials in Cairo and other parts of the Middle East.

The papers deal with plans for the region presuming and following an Allied victory in the First World War and take into consideration the imperial ambitions of the victorious European Powers (France, Italy, Russia, Britain, and the United States) and the multitudinous commitments made by the British to various groups. The plans are based on evolving agreements rooted in the Sykes-Picot, or Asia Minor, Agreement between the British and French of 1916. Regions under consideration include the Hejaz (sometimes written Hedjaz), Syria, Northern Iraq, Southern Iraq, Palestine, Armenia, Turkey, the Idrisi state, Yemen, Persia, and Afghanistan. Various matters are covered in the file, but particular focus is given to plans for the Sherifian family of the Hejaz, led by King Husein [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī], which impacted upon policy in Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and the Arabian Peninsula. Other matters include the situation between Jews and Arabs in Palestine, wartime commitments to ruling shaikhs in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , the French position in the region, and desiderata of the Government of India for any peace settlement.

Extent and format
1 file (187 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged in chronological order from the front to the back.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front first page with 1, and terminates at the inside back last page with 187; 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.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Papers on British policy and the Arab movement [‎181r] (367/380), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/277, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100079857499.0x0000a8> [accessed 15 June 2026]

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