Page 267 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

Bahrain and the British, 1921-1922 603

;fl.'oclc was found doad out si do to a villago. T'lioro wore no guound3
for supposing fould p^ay, but a fino of Rs 500 has boon imposed on
tho village. failing this eveiy man in tho village must go to tako an
oath that ho did not kill it. Tlii3 will ontail the lose of a whole day
several hundred porsons. The oath could equally well be taken in
Manamoh, but this point has not boon conceded to them* The case has
not yet been settled by the Ruler.
21. Sheik Abdulla sent for tho daughter of one Ali Basri. Her parents
refused to send her, Abdulla' s Mother, who has recently assumed the
tit] o of Hueon of Bahrain orderod tho mother to send the girl at once
or leave Bahrain. The girl was subsequently induced to marry one of
Shaik Ab dull'-s servants but has been put in one of dhuik Abdulla's
houses and is kept as a mintress.
■22. Some men grazing camels belonging* to the nulors wife, recently
seized a anall boy outside a village and committed unnatural offences.
The villagers protested and said they would complain to the "%ueen".
When they did so, that lady imprisoned about 12 of the leaders and
detained them in prison. She refused to send tho case to the v,atihi and
subsequently released them after payment of r*s 250.
23. A Bahrain recently gave up tho lease of one of the Siaiks'
gardens because they raised tho rent before his existing agreement had
expired. Ho thon took another garden belonging to a subject of v.atif.
A perfectly false charge was made against him (*he was not himself
informed of any charge, but one was formulated after his release) and he
was imprisoned one month, fined Rs 500 and forbidden to work for the
Qatif subject. In other words he would be forced to again take the
Shaiks garden at. the enhanced rate.
Av
24* forced labour, forced contributions of fowls, eggs, etc and the
commandeering of boats, animals for transport etc are of daily occurence
Oommandeering of transport, and forced labour, both known as "Sakhra"
** •>
was originally a privelege of the Ruler. It is now practised be every
cadet of the family and by their satellites, amounting’ in all to some
.hnnd»*$£xxx and fifty porsons, and is a groat hardship for the
inhabitants.
The