IOR/R/15/5/144

The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Ahmad Al-Jabir Al-Sabah, in southern Iraq. The correspondence concerns the Iraqi Ministry of Justice’s refusal to recognise the Power of Attorney presented to them by the Shaikh of Kuwait’s lawyer in Basra, Jacob Gabriel. It also concerns the following: the Shaikh of Kuwait's ownership of the gardens, the Tapu papers (land deeds) which prove his rights to the date gardens, smuggling, fellaheen riots at Faw, and tax payments. In the papers, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised their concerns to the British Government that unless the Shaikh accepts the service of judicial documents emanating from the Iraqi Government all cases instituted against him would remain pending.

In the volume, British Officials circulate full lists of the Shaikh’s garden properties in Iraq. They also discuss the Iraqi Government’s request for the Shaikh to appear at the Court in Iraq, and how this could compromise his position as an independent ruler.

The volume also includes correspondence related to the ‘Ujairawiyeh Estate, which had been purchased by Shaikh Mubarak in 1912, and was registered in the name of his daughter Sharifa. The estate later became a shared property between the heirs. Such shared properties raised questions among British officials regarding the Arab custom of holding property in common.

The volume’s core correspondence covers October 1934- April 1935. The earlier start date given to the volume is a result of correspondence by the Political Resident Trenchard Craven William Fowle (f 303), which is dated 30 August 1933. The correspondence is a drawing of a plan showing lands adjacent to Faw depot.

The main correspondence in the volume is between the Political Resident, Bushire, the Political Agent, Kuwait, the British Ambassador, Baghdad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iraq, the Ruler of Kuwait and his Basra lawyer Jacob Gabriel.