IOR/R/15/2/32

This file contains correspondence between British Officials in Bahrain, Bushire, Kuwait, Sharjah and Basrah, as well as the India Office and the Government of India. Also included within the file is correspondence with various local leaders, including ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥman bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Sa‘ūd), Shaikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah of Bahrain, Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī of Qatar and Shaikh Ḥamdān bin Zāyid Āl Nahyān of Abu Dhabi, as well as the Amir of al-Qaṭīf and members of the al-Quṣaybī family.

The file has details concerning relations between Ibn Sa‘ūd and the rulers of Bahrain and Qatar in the context of the ongoing conflict the 'Araif' (al-‘Arā’if) faction (paternal cousins of Ibn Sa‘ūd) and the Āl ‘Ajmān tribe (folios 2-3, 10-11), including the supply of money, arms and ammunition smuggled from Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar and the incident of an ambush of ammunitions by the Āl ‘Ajmān tribe (folios 17, 26-27, 54 and 79); and details of a battle at 'Suwaiderah' (al-Suwaydarah) in September 1915 (folios 62-71). There are also a number of related letters from Shaikh Ḥamdān of Abu Dhabi (folios 96-106) and details concerning the escape of Salmān al-‘Arā’īf to Abu Dhabi and Qatar (folio 130). Included within the file is a report entitled 'Relations between Ibn Sa'ud and the 'Ajman and the recent history of the latter' (folios 318-323).

In addition, the file contains details of British relations with Ibn Sa‘ūd, including the provision of subsidies to him via his agent ‘Abdullāh bin Ḥassan al-Quṣaybī; the visit of Sir Percy Cox to conclude the Treaty of Darin in December 1915 (folios 151 and 194), detailed in a report dated 31 December 1915 (folio 195-199). The English text of the treaty appears on folio 325 entitled 'Treaty concluded with Bin Saud, Ruler of Najd, ratified by the Viceroy and Governor General of India'. Included within the file are receipt vouchers for rifles and ammunition (folios 278-289) and a 'List of Guns and Ammunition handed over to Bin Saud's Agent at Bahrein' (folios 293-294).

The latter part of the file deals with Ibn Sa'ud's relations with the Turks, Sharīf Ḥusayn of Mecca and Ibn Rashīd of Ḥā’il. Included is a translation of a long letter from Ibn Sa‘ūd to Sir Percy Cox, dated 20 July 1916, covering various issues including his relations with the Āl Murrah tribe and Ibn Rashīd (folios 353-361). There is also correspondence concerning British attempts to acquire a large number of camels from Ibn Sa‘ūd and the tribes under his control in August 1915 (folios 330, 337 and 346-351), and details of his November 1916 trip to Kuwait to meet the Political Resident and Shaikhs of Kuwait and Muhammarah (folios 395-413).

Also included within the file are details concerning Ibn Sa‘ūd's personal doctor, Abdullāh Sa‘īd, and organising a doctor to visit Ibn Sa‘ūd at Riyadh in his absence. A S Monani, the Bahrain Agency doctor is unable to attend to Ibn Sa‘ūd due to leave and eventually it is suggested that an American doctor from the Arabian Mission may go (folios 218-241).