Page 79 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

69
British interests and influence, 1898-1904
3

• With 200 cartridge* por rifle. Bahrein alono at an average rate o£
B100 each, or somo six lakhs of rupees altogether.
13. Whon the amount of tho traffic carno to his knowledge, the Sheikh
appears to havo takou alarm, and, as ho
Tlio Sheikh Ukoi alarm at tho numbor or gum
coming into tbo place. heard that tho concessionaires wero evad-
ing tho condition in the concession, to the oIToct that no salcs wero to bo made
to pooplo at Bahroin itsolf or at Katr on tho Arab Coast, it sooms that ho told
tho Vazior to stop the importation.
14i. Sheikh Esa’s apprehensions appear to mo reasonable. His position at
Bahrein has always boon more or loss
Tbo Sbolkh'e apprebooiiooa .com reasonable. prccariou8| aiul in 1895, to tho OVCntS of
which I havo already roforred, ho would cortninly havo been dostroyed but loi
our assistance. Arming his cncmios is, thoreforo, a very serious matter for him,
and lie was justified in trying to curtail the importation of arms which might
Bo used against him6clf and his family.
15. Tho corrospondonco between Agha Mohamed Rahim and Fracis Times
Fr&cifl Times know of tbo Sheikh's objootiou clearly shows that tho latter wero aware,
to the groat Iraffio in arms. long before the arms wore attached, that
tho Shoikh was raising objections, and in one letter thoy refer to tho termin­
ation of tho concession by tho Vnzicr’s death, and say that in no other way can
it bo ondod, showing, I think that tho quostion of terminating tho concession
had boon raised. Mohamed Itahim and his nephow havo declared on solemn
affirmation that its conditions woro cloarly explained and understood by Mr.
Fracis, and that they thomsclvcs understood, whon they received it, that it was
liable to bo withdrawn.
16. Tho Shoikh soems to havo thought that ho had tho right to do so
Shoikh E*a appears to havo thought he had through his Yazicr, and to havo exorcised
the right to oancol the concession. that right iu consequence of his droad
that somo of the arms that woro comiug to Bahrein would bo employed against
himself.
17. Tho Yazicr in April 1897 told Mohamed Itahim that ho must stop
Tho Vazier writos to Mohamed Itahim in April importing arms for four months, after
1897 and tolls him to stop tho importation of which furtlior orders would bo issued, and
arm*.
ho subsequently demanded back tho con­
cession. Mr. Fracis was duly informed of this, and it is clear, as I havo alroady
shown, that ho knew for somo timo of tho Sheikh’s objections to tho traffic, and
had ovon on one occasion told Mohamed Itahim to threaten the Sheikh that ho
would report him to tho British Cousulato if he tried to evado his obligations.
18. It is necessary hero to refer to the connection of this Residency with
Knowlodge of tbo British Rosidonor atBusbiro tho arms traffic to Bahrein. In January
♦f tho srm.lraffio going on .t Babrcm. 1B96| that ^ about six months after
opf ° «ttor nbout this o.tnohcd. granting tho concession to his Yazier,
tho Shoikh issued an ordor + prohibiting tho importation of arms to Bahroin,
under a penalty of a fino of 25 por cent, of tho value of the goods brought
* “avo little doubt that the Shoikh issued this prohibition at tho requost
of the concessionaires, viz,, Moharaod Rahim and Mr. Fraois, with tho object
of keeping tho trade oxclusivoly in thoir owu hands.
When it first came to my notico, howevor, in October 1897,1 did not under *
stand its objoct, as I was not awaro that Fracis aud the Agont held a concession*
X Copy of lotter tad Agont’s roplj attnohod and 1 ftfc 01100 oalled On tho Agent for
-ion? nn,i . Qn explanation.} This was in Octobor
.18 P0831blo that my enquiries caused Mohamed Rahim to turn
And if 8t?P H\° traffic»-in which ho had taken suoh a prominent part,
Wn «lP°88lbl°! ai80’thafc seizures of arms at Buahiro and Muscat may
am cortain /h 6fCtl S!l.clkl\ ^Ba to ^ttaoh tho arms at Bahroin; hut beyond this I
a“vico civon M,’'!h ,rli0 0M 'V0r0 scnt to tl,u Shoikb trom Residency,or'
auvico given him about the arms traffic, and ho acted on his own initiative.