Ahmadiyyat or Qadianism! Islam or Apostasy? — Page 77
British Government in any respect particularly in regard to the terms of the treaty with the British. 148. Under this treaty which the House of Saud signed with the British, Ibn. Saud undertook to refrain from entering into any correspondence with any. Foreign Power or cede, sell, lease, mortgage or otherwise dispose any part of its territory to a Foreign Power or the subjects of any such Power without the consent of the British Government, whose advice he would follow unreservedly. 149 Hence, not only did the Saudi monarch accept the authority of the British in the selection of his successors but he effectively surrendered the country's foreign and domestic policy to the. British. . These terms which the British imposed upon the House of Saud were not mere conditions for the Saudis to respect or disregard at will. They were infact followed with serious respresentations whenever the Saudis chose to ignore them. For instance, under Article V of the treaty, the. Saudis undertook to keep the pilgrim routes in its territories open, and also protect pilgrims on passage to and from the Moslem Holy Place. 150. In 1924 when Abd'al Aziz bin Saud conquered 'Mecca and killed hundreds of young Muslims who had taken refuge in the Haram at Kaaba"151 the Secretary of State for the Colonies wrote to the British Resident demanding that he remind Ibn Saud of Article 5 of the Treaty of Darin according to which he was expected to ensure safe passage of the British pilgrims. 152. After much bickering, the House of Saud finally acceded to the British demand and announced: 'His Majesty, the King of Hijaz and of Nafas and its dependencies undertakes that the performance of pilgrimage will be facilitated to. British subjects and British protected persons of the Muslim faith to the same extent as other pilgrims and assures that they will be safe 148. Ibid: 149. Ibid 150. Ibid 151. The Muslim Digest, South Africa: July to October, 1987 152. Announcement 15/1/575 13th September, 1924 77