Page 295 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

Bahrain and the British, 1921-1922 7 J1

lodge of their attitude in the past, that thia inclination ia

quite unprecedented, and from the rocorda of the Agency, thia would
appear to bo correct.
I navo long been in the confidenoo oi' Shaik Hamad bin Eaaa, I
but recently botn ho and Shaik Abdulla (who appears to have mended
hia waya) havo froquontly sought my advice and havo oxplainod to
me tno difficulties of Shaik E^aa's position v/hich tney admit
pa3t misrule nas brougnt a'oout. They have boen compelled by recent
ovonts to realise, tnat suen tyrannical rule aa tney havo exsreised
in tne past, is, witn trie spread ox democratic ideas, bound to
come to an end. The unrest and disturbances among the indigenous,
Shffijh population has been fully reported previously. As a result
of oppression, they were becoming increasingly restive and the
warning delivored by you to the Hulor, to the effect that he could
not expect assistance, in the even^of disturbances, was not without
effect upon * *n. Shaikhs Hamad and Abdulla made efforts to pacify
the Bahrainis, but unfortunately, junior members of the Shaikly
family and his brother Khalid, continued to perform acts of oppre­
ssion. Parties of Bahrainis were continually coming to the Agency
v/ith complaints, and frequently refused to go away, preferring to

pass the night grouped around the flagstaff. Such situations were
not devoid of difficulty. On one recent occasion, a further act of
oppression by one of Shaik Khalid's sons, caused some fifteen hund­
red person to appear At the Agency. They refused to leave and to
lay thoir grievances before the Huler, as I suggested. Since
thoir numbers were being constantly added to by fresh arrivals^ I
decided to send for Shtjks Hamad and Abdulla to endeavour to arrive
at a settlement.
The Shaiks interviewed a deputation from the crowd, and undertook
to instruct ohaik Khalid to cease interference with liberty of
persons and to postpone collection of taxes \mtil further orders,
^hey promised that, in the meantime, they would consider the whole
question of taxation, and the administration of justice, and would

requost Shaik Eaaa to make an announcement later. On my recommen­
dation

t