Page 13 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

Persian and Turkish claims to Bahrain, 1870-1874 339

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' the dynasty of tho-K&jar.family ; and that conse­
quently her . present policy was directed-to' the
maintenance of -.her. lawful claims, and not to the
assertion of a pretension not founded in law; she
would he prepared to encounter in any’scheme of
the. kind the active opposition of the British
Government in India.
On being made acquainted with the views of the
British Government with regard to Bahrein, the
Persian Prime Minister promised not to make any
movement against the Island without giving previous
notification of such an intention to the British Govern­
Colonel Shcil, No. G!) ; ment, but at the same time lie said he would
.lime 22, 1844.
undertake to prove the right of Persia to the
possession of the island.
Colonel Sliicl, No. Fell. 184.r». In F6brunry 1845 Colonel Slioil sent home a
letter which he had received from the Prime
Minister of Persia, relative to the pretension of
Persia to the Island of Bahrein, accompanied by a
Convention, concluded in 1822, between Captain
Bruce, then Resident of the East India Company
in the Persian Gulf, and the Vizier of the Prince
Governor of Pars, admitting, among a variety of
other stipulations, the right, of Persia to Bahrein.
But Colonel Shcil drew attention to the fact that
the proceedings of this olliecr were wholly unautho­
rized ; that the arrangement lie had entered into
had been entirely disavowed by the Governor of
Bombay, who, us a public mark of its disappro­
bation, removed him from his appointment; and,
moreover, that the Convention was never ratified.
No 28, March |84fi. Colonel Shcil, in a subsequent despatch, observed
that it appeared, from inquiries which he had made
at. Tehran, that the SufTaveen dynasty, which had
censed to reign about 120 years previously, had
exercised sway over Bahrein, and that it also seemed
to have been held by Nadir Shah and by some of
the race of Tend, which preceded the then reigning
family; but that the result of his inquiries confirmed
him in the opinion that the Island had not formed
part of the dominions'of Persia since the accession of
the ICajar dynasty. He added that the Chiefs of
Bahrein had, iiv all probability, from time to time,
given Peeshkeah, offerings, or tribute, to Persia as a
mark of superiority* ns Candahar and Herat still
continued'to do, without an acknowledgment of
subjection;- but that he could not ascertain that