Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear, CIE (29 October 1878 – 24 January 1915), was a British civil servant and explorer who mapped uncharted areas of Northern Arabia and made the first official British contact with Ibn Sa'ud, future king of Saudi Arabia. He was the military adviser to Ibn Sa'ud from 1910 to 1915, when he was shot and killed in the Battle of Jarrab by Ibn Shraim. He was buried in Kuwait.
While in Kuwait, Shakespear made seven separate expeditions into the Arabian interior, during which he became a close friend of Ibn Sa'ud, then the Emir of the Nejd. It was Shakespear who arranged for Ibn Sa'ud to be photographed for the first time. Ibn Sa'ud had never seen a camera before. In March 1914, Shakespear began a 2,900-kilometre (1,800 mi) journey from Kuwait to Riyadh and on to Aqaba via the Nafud Desert, which he mapped and studied in great detail, the first European to do so. In November 1914, the British government in India asked Shakespear to secure Ibn Sa'ud's support for the British-Indian Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, which had just taken Basra.
Aftermathedit
It has been suggested by some authorities, notably St. John Philby, that the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire might have been very differently directed if Shakespear had survived, that the British would have supported and armed Ibn Sa'ud rather than Sherif Hussein ibn Ali.
"His death... was a great loss to his country, but it was a disaster to the Arab cause. It must certainly be reckoned in the small category of individual events which have changed the course of history. Had he survived to continue a work for which he was so eminently suited, it is extremely doubtful whether subsequent campaigns of Lawrence would ever have taken place in the west..."
Arabia, H. St. John Philby, London (1930), pp. 233–234.
Further readingedit
Douglas Carruthers, Captain Shakespear's Last Journey (Royal Geographical Society, 1922)
Alan Dillon, Captain Shakespear: Desert Exploration, Arabian Intrigue and the Rise of Ibn Sa'ud (Medina, 2019) ISBN978-191148733-3
The Captain and the King, from Saudi Aramco World.
Notes by the biographer Harry Victor F. Winstone and David Wingate on a Shakespeare Family Genealogical Site
Memorial Stone
BBC - Shakespear of Arabia
January 01, 1970
william, shakespear, explorer, this, article, includes, list, references, related, reading, external, links, sources, remain, unclear, because, lacks, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, january, 2015. This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations January 2015 Learn how and when to remove this message Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear CIE 29 October 1878 24 January 1915 was a British civil servant and explorer who mapped uncharted areas of Northern Arabia and made the first official British contact with Ibn Sa ud future king of Saudi Arabia He was the military adviser to Ibn Sa ud from 1910 to 1915 when he was shot and killed in the Battle of Jarrab by Ibn Shraim He was buried in Kuwait William ShakespearCIEBornWilliam Henry Irvine Shakespear 1878 10 29 29 October 1878Bombay British IndiaDied24 January 1915 1915 01 24 aged 36 Lake Jarrab Al Majma ah Ottoman ArabiaOccupationCivil servantKnown forExplorer who mapped uncharted areas of Northern Arabia Contents 1 Arabian expeditions 2 Aftermath 3 Further reading 4 External linksArabian expeditions editWhile in Kuwait Shakespear made seven separate expeditions into the Arabian interior during which he became a close friend of Ibn Sa ud then the Emir of the Nejd It was Shakespear who arranged for Ibn Sa ud to be photographed for the first time Ibn Sa ud had never seen a camera before In March 1914 Shakespear began a 2 900 kilometre 1 800 mi journey from Kuwait to Riyadh and on to Aqaba via the Nafud Desert which he mapped and studied in great detail the first European to do so In November 1914 the British government in India asked Shakespear to secure Ibn Sa ud s support for the British Indian Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force which had just taken Basra Aftermath editIt has been suggested by some authorities notably St John Philby that the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire might have been very differently directed if Shakespear had survived that the British would have supported and armed Ibn Sa ud rather than Sherif Hussein ibn Ali His death was a great loss to his country but it was a disaster to the Arab cause It must certainly be reckoned in the small category of individual events which have changed the course of history Had he survived to continue a work for which he was so eminently suited it is extremely doubtful whether subsequent campaigns of Lawrence would ever have taken place in the west Arabia H St John Philby London 1930 pp 233 234 Further reading editDouglas Carruthers Captain Shakespear s Last Journey Royal Geographical Society 1922 Alan Dillon Captain Shakespear Desert Exploration Arabian Intrigue and the Rise of Ibn Sa ud Medina 2019 ISBN 978 191148733 3 H V F Winstone Captain Shakespear A Portrait Jonathan Cape 1976 ISBN 978 022401194 5External links editThis article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources William Shakespear explorer news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2008 Learn how and when to remove this message Biography with a picture The Captain and the King from Saudi Aramco World Notes by the biographer Harry Victor F Winstone and David Wingate on a Shakespeare Family Genealogical Site Memorial Stone BBC Shakespear of Arabia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Shakespear explorer amp oldid 1216383801, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
