Page 31 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

Appointment oj Shaikh Hamad h. Isa Al Khalifahf 1023 21
-B-
(vioo encouraged by T&rlouj agitators for their own

rcuidorod those olusooo far lews patlont under i&lerulo and
opprosalon than they hod hewn In the past* They wore Tory
nuraoroua and thoro woo consist dongor that they might take
advantage of their uumbore and robel against their masters
when foreign sympathy, especially Persian end Shia, night hay©
mado British support of the al Khalifa dlffloult, particularly
us thoro was no shadow of doubt that the Baharlnah had valid
grlowonoeo • • Further owing to the weakness of ghelkh Isa's rule,

the rights of the sholkh of Bahrain were either vanishing or
being frittered away by being subdivided among numerous persons
14 no way entitled to those righto*
the Britich Government were unable to tolorate sued
a state of affairs* It was hopeloss to sxpeot Sheikh Isa, on
account of hlo age, to enter on the stony path of reform anl
the Government ardoutly desired that sheikh Isa would, in his
own intorosts, soo the advlcibiiity of adbloatlon but unfortunate
ly our old friend could not bo brought to see tala and It was

noooesary for mo under direction of my Government, to tell
him that while he might remain In Bahrain and retain the titular
dignity of Sholkh, he was to stand asldo _nd allow his heir
apparent, sholkh Hamad, to endeavour to sot the Bahrain affairs
In order and bring that (iovornmont up to tho plane of modern
oivillzation without lntorforonoo or dlotatlon of any kind from
hie father*
This Is tho position* Sholkh Isa Is still Sholkh
of Bahrain but tho direction of affairs has boon handed over
to fihelkh Hamad os fully oopowored agent for his father whom
he Is In no way bound to consult*

I have troubled Tour Highness with this long
description In the hope that the British Oov*rn»nent may rely
on your oinoors and lasting friendship to accept the present
state of affairs and explain the situation to others who are
lntorooted* Wo firmly bolleve that tho stops that tho British
aoTornmoot has boon roluotantly foroed to take will eventually
oonduoo to the stability of the rule of the ml Khalifa family.