Page 160 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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local quasi-horoditary Chiefs who uro subjects of tho
Shah against endeavours by tho Persian Oovorumeut
to wcakou their positions ntul extoud tho power of the
Central fiovernmout at thuir expense. Seistun is a easo
in point.
“ At tho same time our neglect or reluctance to do
this may bo taken advantage of to tho detriment of our
interests by our rivals, and it is clear that Colonel
Kcmliall thinks that somo definite assurance of assist­
ance in certain contingencies should bo given to tho
Sheikh of Mohammorah.
•• I would propose to urge him to be loyal to tho
Persian Government, to come, with tho help and, if
necessary, mediation of His Majesty’s Vice-Consul, to an
ummgement with tho Customs which would indemnify
him lor the loss of their udministrution by himself, ami
11 trust to us to protect him against any attempt from
Teh mu—in my opinion, a very improbable ono—to
diminish or cncrouch upon his authority as Chief ovor
his people. If we give him un assurance that we shall
so protect him, we ought to be prepared, in the unlikely
contingency of such an attempt as I have suggested, to
send a gun-bout to Mohammerah and to let the Persians
know that we shall not aequiescu without good reason
to the deposition of the Sheikh, or in interference by the
Governor-General of Arubistnu in tho internal affairs of
his tribe.
" Your Lordship can, of course, judge better than I
to what extent the grant of such an assurance is in
accordance with the general policy of His Majesty’s
Government in Southern Persia, and how fur it would
bo wise and safe to give it. It is clear that, the Sheikh is,
perhaps, unnecessarily unxious about his future, though
no doubt he is more or less trying to bluff us into
giving him pledges of support; but I would venture to
submit that the time has come for us to decide how far
we are prepared to back him up, should the Persian
Government, perhaps at Russian instigation, detormino
to destroy his, so to speak, autonomous position, and
what counsel Colonel Kcinball and I should give him
should he appeal to us, os lift scorns disposed to do, for
our advice.”

'Plie upshot of this correspondence was that Sir A. Il&rdinge,
Sir A. Hardinge informed the Sheikh on the Vo. 167,
December ■>, 1602,
7th December, 1902, uuder instructions from
Lord Lansdowne, that “ wo shall protect
Mohammerah against naval attack by a foreign
Power, whatever pretext for such action may bo
alleged, and also, so long as you remain faithful
to the Shah and act in accordance with our
advice, shall continue to give you our good
offices and support.”
This assurance was really necessitated by the
urgency of arriving at a solution of the question,