Page 336 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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CHAPTER ELEVENTH.

Summary of British declarations against Turkish enoroachments in
the Persian Gulf and of the Porte’s assurances, 1871-1904.

514. With reference to the designs of Turkey to establish a supremacy
oyer Bahrein, the Bombay Gouernment in 1847 informod the Resident that
“ it is obviously dcsireable to exclude as
Bahrein Prccl., pago 4.
much as possible all interference, by
foreign powers, in the affairs of the Persian Gulf, since it is only by retaining
the supreme authority in its own hands that the British Government can hope
to secure the permanence of the objects it has gained in that quarter at such a
large expense." (Letter No. 337, dated 31st July 1847.)
The Board of Directors ogreed with the Bomboy Governments in thinking
that any attempts upon Bahrein ought to be resisted by the British naval
force in that Gulf, and toe authorise you to inform Major Rennet (the Besideni)
accordingly ” (Despatch dated Gth October 1904).
§I4-A. In 1861, the Turkish Governor General of Baghdad wanted to
know by what right we have had bombarded Damaum, a place which, as lying
within thq territory of “ Peysal Beg, the Kaimmakam of Nejd,” was “ part of
Turkish protest ng»in»t British proceeding, in the hereditary dorninians of the Sultan.”
18gi, p.r.gi.ph 45 ante. To which Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul-
General at Baghdad replied that we had hitherto “ always maintained direct
relations with Amir Feysal as well as with all the Chiefs and Principalities
situated on the shores of the Persian Gulf; that our pacific policy in the
Gulf was well known, and that in the prosecution of that policy ice had never
acknowledged the authority or jurisdiction of any other State—an authority
qr jurisdiction moreover ichich assuredly the Porte neither does exercise nor
has ever exercised in that quarterIn reporting this correspondence to Her
Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople the Consul-General wrote
as follows .
_ ° Although it may not bo detained that, since the Egyptian invasion of Nejd in 1839-40,
An{r Feysal has remained tributary to the Turkish authorities of Mecca, his tribute being
regarded probably as an oQering to the head of the religion, it. is certain that the Forts has
never exercised any jurisdiction, or attempted to extend its authority over that country.
614-B. "Wo had then to deal with the Turkish expedition in April 1871.
Colonel Pelly, then Resident in the Persian Gulf, was told that if the Arabs
took part in the quarrel (between the Turks and the Wahabis) he should limit
his action strictly to maintaining the maritime peaco. Ho then enquired
whether the Government of India desired him to use any influence towards
preventing the Trucial Chiefs from aiding the Wahabis against the Turks, or in
any way moving by sea, and what reply he should give to the Trucial Chiefs
if. while continuing to observe the maritime peace, they asked whether the
British Go/ernment would protect them against an attack from the Turks by
sea. Colonel Pelly also suggested that it would be advisable to intimate to the
Turkish authorities our engagements with the Trucial Chiefs, as it was suspect­
ed the Turks might have an eye on Bahrein.
615. On 25th April 1871—
° Colonel Herbert reported a rumour that if the expedition to Nejd was successful, it
would eventually be directed to the acquisition of Bahrein, Maskat, and the Arab coast.”
616. On 28th April Colonel Herbert again telegraphed as follows:—
uAmbassador telegraphs repeatedly at my request the following: ‘I have positive
assurances from the Ottoman Porto that they intend establishing supremacy over Bahrein,
Maskat, and independent tribes of Southern Arabia, and that no special attack it contemplated
against them V*
. 617. Colonel Herbert’s telegram of the 25th regarding the rumoured inten­
tions of the expedition was reported cn the 28th to the Secretary of State, who
was asked whether an assurance could not ho obtained from the Turkish Gov­
ernment that the expedition had no other object than the settlement of the
affairs of Nejd. The Secretary of Stato replied:—
u Her Majesty's Government havo received assurances from Constantinople that Turkish
Oovernment hare no such designs as those mentioned