Page 201 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

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CHAPTER IV.

Various attempts made to establish Persian influence in the Persian
Gulf, 1867-1905.
XXVI.—Persian activity in the Persian Gulf, 1887-1888.
196. The year 1887-88 was remarkable for attempts made by the Persian
Government to pursue an agressive policy in the Persian Gulf, and assert Persian
supremacy to the detriment of the British preponderance therein.
The leaders of the movement were Amin-es-SuItan, who held the reins of
Government at Tehran, Sartip Haji Ahmed Khan, for sometime a Deputy
Governor of Bushire and Malek-ut-Tujar, a wealthy Persian merchant at
Bushire and an fortune-hunter who had held the customs and Government of
Persian ports for some time.
197. In the month of August, whilst engaged in dealing with troublesome
disorders in the vicinity of Bahrein, the
External A.. June 1888. Nos. 54-56.
External A.. July 1888, No». 31.1-218. Resident (Colonel Ross) received inform­
Gulf Administration Report (or 1837-88. ation that the Persian Sartip (General) Haji
Ahmed Khan was about to visit Abu Thabi and other places on the Pirate coast
in the Bombay and Persian Gulf Steam Navigation Company’s steamer Calder.
Considering the expense entailed by this trip, and the season of the year at
which it was undertaken, the Resident suspected that the object in view was not,
as given out merely to pay a friendly visit to old friends, but must be of a more
serious and important nature. The Residency steamer Lawrence was despatched
with the First Assistant Resident to Abu Thabi to observe the movements of
the Sartip, and to endeavour to ascertain his purpose. It appeared that Haji
Ahmed Khan landed at Abu Thabi in full uniform and remained with the Chief
a few days, after which he went to Debai, whence he again returned to Abu
Thabi and finally sailed in a native vessel to Lingah.
198. The precise nature of Haji Ahmed’s communication to the Oman
Chiefs was not ascertained at the time, the Haji having obtained promises that
they would not divulge them to the British authorities. The Chief of Debai,
however, whilst adhering to his promise literally, considered himself free to
inform the Sultan of Maskat of Haji Ahmed’s proposals, which were framed
with a view to the establishment of close political relations between the inde­
pendent Chiefs of Oman and the Persian Government, to the exclusion of the
present predominance of British influence. In whatever quarter the idea originat­
ed, it is certain that those who were at the time entrusted with the reins of
power and practically directed the policy of the Persian Government, had
nourished an ambitious dream of replacing British by Persian supremacy over
the shores of islands round the Persian Gulf. The action of certain local Persian
authorities, including Haji Ahmed, was calculated to arouse suspicion of some
such scheme being afloat, and attention once drawn to these proceedings observ­
ation served to establish the correctness of the surmise, after which the pro­
ceedings of the 5ersian agents at first puzzling, became intelligible, and acquired
a meaning and an interest. In the circumstances the Resident deemed it
prudent and advisable in order to safeguard our position in relation to the
Trucial Arab Chiefs of Oman, as well as to impress on their minds their own
obligations to the British Government, to obtain from those chiefs written
assurances of their intention of maintaining the existing status, which it was the
object of Persian intrigue to disturb. Accordingly all the six Trucial Chiefs,
addressed the Resident letters containing assurances to the British Government
that they would neither correspond with, nor form engagements with any other
Foreign Governments, and would not, without assent of the British Government,
consent to admit to reside in their territories agents of any Government but
the British.
199. In January 1888, Sartip Haji Ahmed Khan, having supplied himself
External A, February 1888, Nos. 47-46. with a number of Persian Government flags
External A, August 1888, Nos. 447-482. left Bushire on a special mission. On this
As regards Persian pretensions_ to Bahrein, before 1887 see Bahrttn Prteis, 1854-1^04. We have already seen
how Persia succeeded io overthrowing the Muskat power at Kishm, Ormuz and-Bunder Aobas.
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