Page 322 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

r

312
Records oj Bahrain
Govenvnent "must repeat once more that all Turkish
claims to Bahrein, which is under the protection of

"the Queen of England, are totally inadmissible",
r , r P71^ V11 ?r declaration has been subsequently repeated.
Lord Lansdowne s Note to
Turkish Ambassador dated The Persians apparently
20th May 1905. Pol.3003/05.
have always cherished the
belief that Bahrein is part of the Shah's dominions;
the question was raised by them in 1843 and 1866.
On each occasion His Majesty1s Government decided that
the Persian claims could not be recognised; but no

formal statement seems to have been made to the Per­
sian Government. Quite recently the Persians reas­
I serted their claims , and Mr. Grant Duff was, in Feb-
Mr. Grant Duff's telegram to ruary last, instruct ed to
Sir a. Grey 25th January 1906
(2592/05) reply that "we consider the
"island and its inhabitants
"to be under British protection and must decline to

"entertain any further representations on the subject."
The Persian claims are not serious, but they are of
some importance in that they form an obstacle to the
recognition of our right to protect Bahreinese in
Persia.
In 1901 we recognised the Sheikh's eldest
son, Sheikh Hamed, as his successor. Sir//. O'Conor,
in reporting on the Government of India's action, said

that any arrangement which strengthened our authority
over Bahrein must be regarded witii satisfaction, and
added that he would welcome the news that a British
or British Indian subject had been appointed Director
of the Bahrein Customs as a material proof of our
: authority over the island. Si r //. 0 'Conor further
pointed out that the Porte, if they thought they could
count upon the support of any Foreign Power in assert­

ing their supremacy over the island, would not lose
the opportunity of doing so.
In

: