Page 11 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat

Regional relations, 1926-1931 313

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• ;'v 3. .Thus tho question had passed out of the stage of the assurance of our
support against rebellious subjects, and the main point was to make Shaikh Hamad
understand that if ho was showing untimely kindness he was only laying up trouble
for himself.
4. On my arrival at Bahrain on my second visit I was informed of Ibn Sami's
lctter to Shaikh Hamad and was asked to agree to the property of the Dowasir being
handed back to them.
' 5. I discussed the matter with Shaikh Hamad, who stated openly that he felt
disgraced before the Arab tribes in taking the property and towns of the Dowasir,
; V. o. In this reference it must be noted that the A1 Khalifah arc a Sunni people
governing a Shia population, and they do not desire to weaken themselves by the
. expulsion of a powerful Sunni support.
7. I had the previous day motored out to Badaych, the chief town taken from
the Dowasir.
. 8. Whop tho Dowasir were expelled and the town forfeited we had attempted to
..populate it with Bahrainis and to sell the houses and land at very cheap prices.
The town is not however at present suited for agriculture, and indeed till a
recent artesian well was dug, had no drinking water.
10. Even thoso who took up land—under orders—did not develop their
; property, and when I visited the place it was empty except for a dozen people or so,
and was falling into ruin.
11. Thus we were in the Arab eyes preventing the ruler of the country welcom­
ing back a tribe lie wished to forgive, and leaving their property to go to ruin.
12. As long, then, as the tribe were allowed their property on the under­
standing that if they came back they returned as ordinary members of sociotv—
.subject to laws and rules as others of the community, with uo special privileges—
there was no point that the odium of keeping them out against the obvious wishes of
tho ruler should rest on us.
13. I accordingly informed Shaikh Hamad that the point to be considered
was the good government of his country and that he could net possibly allow back to
his territory a tribe who had insisted on special privileges which had rcsultc 1 in
considerable disturbances, unless and until they realised that they could no longer
occupy this privileged position and pursue their former courses.
14. He replied that he had informed them that they must accept the police
post in their town, to which they had objected, and that they had agreed to this.
I told him that they must also realise that they came back as ordinary individuals
with no inherited powers. Ho stated that he would make this clear.
15. On the following day the leading Dowasir Chiefs, who were at tho time tho
guests of Shaikh Hamad at his shooting box where he was staying, came to thank me
for returning their property. I informed them categorically that the whole matter
rested with their acceptance of the laws of the country, that as long as they realised,
that they were as subject to law as any other person in Bahrain and had no privil­
eged position Shaikh Hamad would naturally be glad to see them back in Bahrain.
They accepted the condition without reserve and the interview ended amicably.
1C. The present position is that they can take over their properties, and that if
they return they have accepted Shaikh Hamad’s conditions as detailed above.
17. There is little doubt that they will return to their properties before long.
Indeed when the news of tho result of my interview was brought to the house at
which all were in tho town, Shaikh Hamad and the Dowasir kissed each other all
round and showed vivid signs of joy, and motor boats were despatched to the Island
of Muharrak with the happy news.
18. In ordor that there may be no ambiguity in tho matter at a later date, I
have requested tho Political Agent, to writo to Shaikh Hamad an account of. my
interview with tho Dowasir, stating that they hud agreed boforo me to tho position
which I havo stated ubovo.
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