Page 8 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

398 Records of Bahrain

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kulor's uncle, Shaikh Mohamod bin Isa. Tho .'La b tor was the more
active of the two. Wo huvo known for aoiuo time Hint there was
i deiinitu body ol’ roaoonable opinion, particularly oniony the
loading merchants, in favour of Shaikh Ioa succeeding hia
father anu del initoly opposeu to either ox the other tv/o
succeeding. This was largely because Shaikh lea himself enjoys
considerable personal popularity and has the* leputation of
being a good man, at least by bahrain standards, and very
particular about paying his bills, The other tv/o are generally
unpopular, and feared, and are known for oxtrnvuganco. They
are also both inclined to be uolf-v/illed and v/ould, in my view,
have bev.n less likely to muintuin the hitherto very close
•connection between tho liulor of Bahrain and Her Majesty's
Government than Shaikh Isu. It muy possibly be suiu that
Shuikh Isa is a Y/euker character - apparently - than either of

the other tv/o but this may be partly bocuusc he lius been rather
kept in the background by his father and because the other tv/o
have been consciously jockeying for position over tho succeoion
for u year or two now.
3. Although Shaikh Salman's nomination as heir to Ills father
Shaikh Homed was not made public before Shuikh named's couth
in 1VU2 the* nomination wus in luct made by his father in 19A0.
This wus done in secret by means of a documont signed by
Shaikh Horned, und witnessed by the Sunni and Shia f:adhis and
the Hul^r's father-in-law but in ouch a wuy that none oi them
knv.w v/hat the document contained. The document was signed in
the presence, and with the upproval, of tho Political Agent of

the day and a copy deposited with him ana with the Has tern bank.
/On........

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