Page 197 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

Reaction to the reforms, 1923 185
2

despatch, and asked whether the " Lawrence ” could take them over to
Busiiiro; and the Commander agreed to do this after consulting mo. After
the " Lawronco ” had loft about 5-30 P.M., on the 3rd instant, wireless com­
munication to Bushiro was restored to some extent and I received Govern­
ment of India clear lino telegram No. 1359-S., dated 2nd’November, which
had been delayed by the atmospherics, and which instructed mo to defer
my departure for another .day. On the evening of the 4th November
(Sunday) Government of India telegram No. 13G6-S., giving mo instruc­
tions was received, and I was ready to take action. As howovor the
" Lawrence ” could not return till the morning of the 7th there was no
immediate hurry. ’On the 5tli and 6th I had several interviews with Shaikh
Hamad about the reforms, and tho steps to bo taken against the con­
tumacious tribal heads-mcn, tho absconding Dowasir, etc., etc.
At tho interviews on the 6th Shaikh Abdulla was present. As one of
Shaikh Hamad’s men had seen one of Abdulla’s men drawing out Rs. 10,000
in favour of Abdulla bin Sharideh, ono of Abdulla’s most rascally henchmen
and tho latter and Shaikh Abdulla’s son Mohammed had been to Kuwait
and Mesopotamia about the time tho telegram had been sent to various
addresses (rumour says fourteen) protesting against the reforms, there was
good ground for suspecting that Shaikh Abdulla, while ostensibly helping
Shaikh Hamad, was secretly working against him. I accordingly taxed
him with this. Ho looked extraordinarily uncomfortable but declared that
the Rs. 10,000 was drawn for quite another purpose, that his son had been
intriguing without his knowledge, that lie had only, discovered this the day
before, and that.he had that morning reported the matter to Shaikh Ilamad.
Tho last statement was truo (though tho others, in my opinion, are very
doubtful) as Shaikh Ilamad had told us about it just before Shaikh Abdulla
arrived. After a good deal of discussion it was decided that Shaikh Abdulla
should apologise to Shaikh Iiamad for his son’s action and fine the latter.
As Shaikh Abdulla’s income is supposed to be between ten and twenty
thousand rupees a month and his son’s between Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 2,000 it
was evident that a small fine between father and son would be a farce, so I
said that the fine must be paid into the Bahrain Government Treasury. After
a lot of talk and haggling on the part of Shaikh Abdulla a suitablo fine was
fixed and accepted by Shaikh Abdulla. If his son cannot pay tho fine
Abdulla will pay and I trust this will be a lesson to them both. I expressed
to Shaikh Abdulla the hope that his son Shaikh Mohammed would learn
wisdom from this and refrain from intrigue, as if lie did not, he would get
into serious trouble and possibly have to oc deported.
After this it was arranged that Shaikh Ilamad should produce the next
morning (7th) the signatories to the petition handed in to the “ Lawrence ”
on '1st November 1923, among whom were Ahmed bin Lalioi and Abdul
Wahab Zayani, so that my reply should be communicated to them verbally
and the memorandum of it which contained assurances of the support of
Government to Shaikh Hamad should be given to tho latter. I at first
thought of requesting Shaikh Hamad to arrest Ahmed bin Lahej and Abdul
Wahab Zayani, but refrained on the advice of the Political Agent, who said
that Hamad would probably relent and might even wink at their abscond­
ing if they smelt a rat. It was fortunate that I did not do so as in tho
evening Shaikh Hamad suggested that these two individuals would bo
sufficiently frightened by my reply to the other petitioners and might be
given another chance, etc. However I refused to adopt this course and
Shaikh Hamad was soon convinced that to do so would lead to endless
trouble.
On the morning of tho 7th oil tho signatories to the petition wero
brought to tho Agency by Shaikhs Hamad and Abdulla except Ahmed bin
Lahej who had excused himself on account of sore eyes. As these alleged
sore eyes had not prevented him from rushing about collecting signatures to
the potition, etc., it was ovidont that this was a pretext so I requested Shaikh
Hamad to send mon and arrest him and bring him to the Agency. This was
dono, and all tho signatories to the petition having been collected in the
office with Shaikhs Hamad and Abdulla, I went down accompanied by tho
Political Agent to see them. My reply to their potition was read to them