Page 9 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat
P. 9
Regional relations, 1926-1931 311
CONFIDENTIAL-
i •> •’ ’> • •
.... (1)
• Letter from the IIon’ule the Political Resident'in the Persian Gulf,
hV . Nq. 517-S.-Confl., dated the 4th Decemhkr 192G.
I have the honour to refer to the correspondence ending with Residency^ cn-
dorsement, No. 1G4-S., dated the 2nd March 1924 (Serial No. GO in F.-4-X of
1924), regarding the Dowasir tribe of Bahrain.
■ 2. On tho introduction of the reforms in Bahrain in 1923 tins tribo gave*
trouble, and it was found necessary to punish them by inflicting a fine of Its. 15,000 •
on their leading Shaikh. Tho fine was paid, but rather than submit to the new
regime tho tribe left their native town of Budaiya and migrated to the promontory
of Dammam on the coast of Qutaf, forfeiting their property in Bahrain and—
theoretically /though apparently not in practice—their diving rights on the
'Bahrain pearl banks.
3. When I was in Bahrain in September Inst, three Shaikhs of the tribe called
..on’ me to pay their respects. Two, Abdul Latif bin Ibrahim and Isa bin Saad,
are graybeards_whom I knew twenty years ago ; the third, Ahmed bin Abdullah
binHassan, a fiery and intolerant young man of about 30, is the son of the powerful
headman of my timo. It was ho who led tho tribe in their defiance to Colonel
‘Knox in 1923, and he still*maintains a stiff-necked and unreasonable attitude.
4. Before I saw tho Shaikhs I had heard that two of them had arrived from the
pearl banks and the third from Dammam. They had interviewed Shaikh Hamad
tin Isa and had confessed to him that they were in very straitened circumstances as
the Amir (Wahhabi Governor) of Qatif was imposing taxes on them although lbn
Saud had promised four years ago to exempt them for a period of years. It seems
probable also-that they have been asked for a quota of men to serve in the Sultan’s
army.
5. When they appeared before me they at once raised the question' of the
return of the tribe to Bahrain. I told them that conditions had much improved
since their departure and that thoy must not expect to be allowed back on the
same footing as they lmd previously arrogated to themselves. I thought they
could never again claim to be internally independent of the llulcr of Bahrain.
They would have to pay the same taxes as other agriculturists and traders, they
must bo submissive to the Shaikh’s Courts in Manumch and Mulmrraq, and they
should accept the police post which had been established in their chief town. Their
official headman would be nominated and could be changed, if necessary, by the
Ruler, and their Baharani (Shiah) tenants and negro divers would be fully pro
tected aud have equal rights of citizenship with others of their class.
G. Young Ahmed bin Abdullah said that in these circumstances they pre
ferred to remain in Dammam I The others evidently wish to return at any price,
but they are overawed by the younger man.
7.. Personally, I think it inevitable that the Dowasir tribe will return even
tually to Bahrain. Their deserted town of Budaya, substantially built of stone
and mortar, and their villages and date-gardens are silently calling for them.
They aro Malikis in sect, like most of the Sunnis in Bahrain, and many arc pros
perous pearl merchants. Life on the mainland under Wahhabi rule and exclusion
from the Bazaars of Bahrain is hateful to them. They have no ambition to found
new towns or plant new gardcus.
Shaikh Hamad bin Isl undoubtedly has* some sympathy for them, as he has
always retained tho brother of Shaikh Abdid Latif in his personal service.
'8. Now I hear that Shaikh Ahmad bin Abdullah and another Dosari, Khanis
bin Sbahin, have applied to and received from Shaikh Hamad bin Isa letters of.
recommendation to carry to tho Amir of Hasa and the Sultan of Ncjd himself!
I fully-anticipate that thoy will return with a letter from llis Majesty, asking
Shaikh Hamad to rcsloro to the tribo their possessions.
0- It seems dosirablo, if tho Government of India aro willing to endorso my
.viows ub expressed to tho three Shaikhs in Bahrain, that tho amiable but weak
Shaikh Ilanmd should be so informed in an authoritative fashion.
• l’lcano «oa i>agcj 7fi, 120-130,. HI, 101, 173-171, 103, 2UU wml 2U of conc»i>omlaie0 in 1>\ No. 4S0-
a/23,
