Page 636 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

u ANNUAL REPORT OP THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL RESIDENCY

CHAPTER X.
ADMINISTRATION REPORT FOR THE BAHRAIN AGENCY Fo&
THE YEAR 1918.
Charge of the Political Agency was hold by the following officers for th e
Personnel period shown :—

Captain P. G. Loch, from January 1st to February 28th.
G. A. Mungavin, Esq., from March 1st to December 1st.
Captain N. N. E. Bray, M.C., from 2nd to 31st December.
Relations with Shaikh Isa have continued satisfactory with the excep-
Cl* -IIT rt V * -1 tion five matters, one of which was
SLv.kb I» and A1 Kfc&hfsh ftallj. during Cap(a;n and fouf in
Mr. Mungavin’s period. On January 17th, Shaikh Muhammad, second son
of Shaikh Isa, returned from Licgah by S.'S. “ Orura ”. On airival the ship
flew the Shaikh’s flag and fired a salute of two guns when Shaikh Muhammad
disembarked. On enquiry from the Captain of " Orura ” who was new to the
Persian Gulf it was found that Shaikh Muhammad had asked him to fire the
salute. Representations were made to Shaikh Isa regarding the salute and
his son sent in a letter of apology to the Political Agent.-
Two of these cases were an endeavour on the part of Shaikh Isa to assert
his authority over Hasawis and ? ajdis. In one case the Amir of Muharraq
Island arrested and imprisoned Hasawis by order of Shaikh Isa who, on repre­
sentation, argued that the Hcsawis were under his jurisdiction but he was told
that this could not be recognised. Shaikh Isa promised that this will not
occur again and sent the Amir of Muharraq to the Agency to apologise to the
Political Agent. In the other case the Amir of Manamah took a deposit of
£4 from a foreign subject who was suspected of having pearls in his possession
belonging to bis nakhuda On hearing the matter the Political Agent seut
for the Amir and recovered the money which was handed over to the man
whose case was then dealt in the Agency. The Ajnir apologised profusely
and promised to behave himself well in the future.
In the fourth case the TTazir of Shaikh Isa at Buraidi interfered with
the property of Mirza Abdur Rasul Safar, a British subject. The latter’s
Bahraini gardener was imprisoned and two airisbes were pulled down. On
interviewing the Shaikh regarding the matter His Excellency claimed that
the but6 had been erected on his ground. • He was told that fhe huts were
within the limits of the garden defined as Buraidi and that the case had been
decided by Captain Loch and that he could not rererse the decision of his
predecessor. His Excellency stated that he protested against that decision.
The Political Agent informed him that he would carry out any orders the
Resident issued on the subject, but that he must insist on adhering to the
judgment given. The airish.es were subsequently erected in the same places
and the Bahraini gardener was released.
The fifth case relates to an assault on the Amir of Manamah by three
Baluchi servants of Shaikh Hamad bin Isa. The three Baluchis were dragged
and beaten on the way to the Shaikh’s house and were flogged and beaten by
Shaikh Abdullah bin Isa’s order. The dispute was between the youngest brother
of the Amir and the three Baluchis over some prostitutes. Th9 Amir was
to have *spoken roughly and abused the three Baluchis. On being asked to
• lease the Paluchis Snaikh Isa stated at first that he would rather lea'
Bahrain himself than release two of the three Baluchis who were
up or to hand them over to the Political Agency as they were born in Bahr*1