Page 286 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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276 Records of Bahrain

Acts of oppression consist in the orders issued by the Chief to summarily defivq*
up to his nominees the two packets held by Ramoh ai)d Muqbil and in- tho fact/
that from that date the heirs have been unable to recover the values of tho
packets or even to ascertain for certain whether they have been received by tho
Chief from Mohammed bin Abdul Wahab and Syed Nasir or not h is common­
ly bolieved that Sheikh Isa himself has realized the price of the pearls and the
value of the ornaments and has converted the money to his own use, in consequen­
,| ce of his having failed to obtain his customary annual advance of money from the
Customs Farmers, but I think it is possible that the two dishonest debtors of- the
estate have also profited in perhaps paying the Chief lesser sums than those
which the Mcjlis fixed upon the two packets.
4. As the late Syed Khalaf was a subject of the Chief of Bahrein, under the
precedents in this office his heirs would not ordinarily receive assistance from me,
but in my letter No. 204 of to-day's date I have asked permission to take cogni­
zance of all such eases as this in the future,.
I am told by my advisers that this ease of tyrAnny is rqthcr an exceptional
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one, and that the Chief docs not often rob tho widpw and the fatherless in such
open and extensive fashion, though his servants arc less scrupulous than himself.
5. The further consideration also attaches to this ease that, when the verdict
of the Mcjlis was given from this Agency, it is humiliating to ourselves that any
party to the ease should be so grossly ilf-trcatcd. Popular opinion is strong on
the subject, as is evinced by tho action of the two merchants Muqbil and Abdql
Rahman,.and moreover if justice is not speedily given, I anticipate that consider­
able general inconvenience will result from the members of the Mcjlis following
! the example of their two Arab leaders.
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11 6. In these circumstances, I solicit your permission to take up this ca?c
against the Chief and the two debtors at once, without waiting for the decision of
Government on the general principle involved.

Translation of the Petition of Mussammat Shaha, daughter of Salman Bin Rajab,
widow oj Syed Khalaf Bin Syed Isa, dated io(h Rabi althani (/jth of June
>905) Bahrein.
My husband, Syod Khalaf, died in my father's house (where I still
live) on the 27th of the moolh of Safar, 1322 Hijri. He left no heirs to his
property except myself and my two sons, Syed Saad and Syed Khalaf, and
another son, Syed Isa, by a second wife who died before her husband. On my
request my fatner and Syed Nasir, cousin of my husband, went to Muqtyil
AIDukher, and informed him th.at the house of the deceasccl Syed Khalaf was
occupied by certain people, that it contained certain valuable, and that I was
very much afraid lest these be removed unSuthorizedfy from the house. Muqbil
found it advisable to lock up all suqh places where, there were effects and to
stamp the locks with the seal of the deceased., 3 or 4 days afterwards the Ban­
ians appeared before Mr. Gaskin and Informed him of the afljxing' of locks and
seals, by Muqbil. Some days later Sheikh Isa Bin Ali thought of laying open
the locks and scaled apartments, of .seeing what valuables they contained, of
taking out these and putting them in the custody of Ramoh Banian and taking
receipt thereof. His orders were executed by the late Sharidah, his clerk {Note—
and m the presence of the Agency Munshi Haji Abbas). Later on Sheikh Isa
found that my deceased husband owed money to several people, and ho with­
drew the pearls from the oustody of Ramoh. to be valued in the presence of ex­
perts. The following were prosent in the hpusq qf Ganga Ram on the occasion
of the valuation of pearls :-r-
1. Muqbil AIDukher.
a. Mohammad Bin Abdal Wahab.
3.. Syed Ulwi Bin Syed Jawwad.
4. Musaid Bin Khalifa.
5. Vishan Das, Banian.
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