Page 85 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat

Regional relations, 1927 387

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The Government of Bombay instructed the Resident not to interfere with tho
occupation of Bahrain, whether by Turkey or Persia, otherwise than by a pro­
test, and by an intimation that the matter had been reported to Ii. M.
Government and that aggrossion on the neighbouring tribes would be prevented
by force if necessary.
While discussion on the subject was continuing the Turkish and Persian
agents apparently vanished from Bahrain.
36. In 18GI the Shaikh commenced hostilities against Ilasa, but was brought
to his senses by the despatch of II. M. ships to the spot. He made sub­
mission and signed a convention in May of that year, acknowledging the validity
of the treaties and conventions concluded with the British Government by his
predecessors, and undertook to rocogniso the jurisdiction of the British agent and
the Political Resident over British subjects of every kind in Bahrain, and to allow
the latter to reside in his dominions.
One result of this convention was to assimilate the position of the Shaikh of
Bahrain, who was not a party to the Perpetual Treaty of Peace, to that of the
Trucial Chiefs.
3G. In 18G3 the Chief was again behaving badly and at the end of 18G5 the
Resident seized one of his war vessels. The Persian Government who had in 18G2
complained about a similar incident now complained again on tho ground that
under the agreement concluded by Captain Bruce in 1822 Bahrain was dependency
of Persia.
TJic Government of India informed the Minister at Tehran of the .acts of the
case and stated that whatever might have been the pretensions of the Shah to
Bahrain in bygone days lie could not now be regarded as having any rights in the
principality. This view was approved of by II. M.’s Government in 18G7.
37. At this time the Shaikh of Bahrain was paying a sum of S *1,000 annually
to the Wahabis on account of Qatar but was held by the Government of India
to be independent as fav as Bahrain was concerned.
Owing to his treacherous and piratical destruction of Dohah and Wakrah,
the chief towns of Qatar, in October JSG7 Shaikh Mohammed of Bahrain was de­
posed in 18G8 by the action of the British Government and his brother Shaikh Ali
was appointed in his place and protest was again made by the Persian authorities.
38. A complaint, in which Bahrain was claimed to be the property of Persia,
was addressed by the Shah’s Minister to H. B. M.’s Minister in Tehran,
another was addressed by the Karguzar at Shiraz to Colonel Polly, the Rcsb
dent at Bushirc, and a third with which were enclosed two letters from the de­
posed Shaikh of Bahrain, was lodged at the foreign Ollicc on the 13th April
18G9 by the Persian Minister in London. A principal ground of complaint was
that no previous notice had been given to Persia of the British intention to
proceed against Bahrain.
30. In a reply sent on the 29th April I860, after consultation between the
Secretary of Stutc for India and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the
Persian Minister was reminded that the Shaikh of Bahrain had at difl'crent periods
in the past entered into direct communication with the British Government, he
was assured that the sole objects of the British Government in holding the Shaikh
to those engagements were the prevention of piracy, of the slave trade and tho
maintenance of the police of the Gulf, duties of which Great Britain would gladly,
if it were possible, divest herself in favour of Persia. In conclusion a promise
wns given that should punitive measures against the Shaikh of Bahrain again become
necessary II. M.’s Govcrnjncnt would, if practicable, cause the Persian Gov­
ernment to be informed beforehand and that in eases which this might be im­
possible in consequence of the delay which a reference to the Court of Tehran
would involve, a full communication on the subject would be made to the Persian
Government.
The object of this reply was to avoid causing irritation at Tehran, but it is
not surprising that it wns subsequently quoted against us.
*10. In the same year Shaikh Mohammed attacked Bahrain and Shaikh Ali
was killed «n the defence.
MCG3I1M)

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