IOR/L/PS/10/47/1

The file title in full is 'Koweit [Kuwait]: HM Government and Political Agent at Koweit. (Representations from Turkish Government and Temporary Withdrawal of Agent.)'.

The principal correspondents are the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Major Percy Zachariah Cox); the Political Agent at Kuwait (Major Stuart George Knox); the Viceroy of India (Lord Curzon); the British Ambassador at Constantinople (Sir Nicholas Roderick O'Conor); and senior officials at the Foreign Office, the India Office, and the Government of India.

The papers cover: the circumstances leading up to Knox's arrival in Kuwait to take up the newly-created post of Political Agent, and his instructions from the Government of India, July-September 1904 (ff 166-178); correspondence from the British Ambassador at Constantinople, suggesting that Turkey would have no objection to a proposed survey of the waters in the vicinity of Kuweit Harbour, and India Office and Foreign Office agreement that the appointment of a Political Agent at Kuwait should be treated as a temporary appointment only, to avoid disturbing the status quo in the region, October-November 1904 (ff 139-165); concern expressed by the Government of the Ottoman Empire about the presence of a British Political Agent at Kuweit, and their request for his immediate recall, November 1904 (ff 128-138); Foreign Office agreement that no immediate steps should be taken to withdraw the Political Agent at Kuwait, November 1904 (ff 117-127); documents explaining the Government of India's regret over the British Government's request for the temporary withdrawal of the Political Agent from Kuwait, particularly in view of the risk of Turkish rapprochement with Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] leading to an attempt by them to use Ibn Saud to undermine the allegiance of Shaikh Mubarak [Mubārak bin Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, Ruler of Kuwait] to the British, and the effect of the withdrawal on the attitude of the Shaikh of Bahrain [‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah], June 1904 - February 1905 (ff 15-116); and agreement between the Foreign Office and the Government of India for the temporary withdrawal of the Political Agent from Kuwait, February-March 1905 (ff 5-14).

The date range gives the covering dates of all the documents in the file; the date range of the minute papers given on the subject divider on folio 3 is 1904-05.