Page 211 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

Reaction to the reforms, 1923 199

CONFIDENTIAL,

No. 031-S., doled Bushiro, Ibo lltli (received 24th) Novcmbor 1023.
From—Tho How'di.r LiKUT.-Gob. A. P. Trevor C.S.I., O.I.E., Poblicol Jlcaident
in tbo Fcroiun Oulf.
Exodus of tho Dowasir Tribe from Bahrain..
In continuation of that portion of my letter No. G22-S., dated lOtli
November 1923, dealing with the departure of the Dowasir tribe from.
•Bahrain and in amplification of my telegram No. 994, dated 9th November
1923, I have the honour to submit the following report on the subject.
It will be remembered that when Colonel Knox introduced the reforms-
into Bahrain there were reports that some of the Sunni tribes and espe­
cially the Dowasir intended to leave Bahrain. In his speech Colonel Knox
told tho tribal headman that if they desired to leave they could do so, but
their lands and property would bo confiscated, etc. Subsequently it became
necessary to punish the Dowasir for the murder of two Shiah Mullahs in the
neighbourhood of the Dowasir town of Budaiya and their leading Shaikh,
Ahmed Dowari was fined Its. 15,000. The fine was duly paid, though
whether by the Dowasir Shaikh himself or by a merchant sympathiser on
his behalf is not certain. Not very long after Shaikh Ahmed with the
greater part of the tribe left Budaiya and the Bahrain Principality.
On my arrival at Bahrain I consulted the Political Agent and found
his enquiries showed that Bin Saud had been intriguing with the Dowasir
for some time, offering them land on the Qatif Coast in the neighbourhood
of Jubail. It appears however that Shaikh Ahmed and his followers con­
sidered that this location would be too much under Bin Sand’s thumb and
they accordingly asked Bin Saud to allow them to occupy Dammam, a
promontory which becomes an island at high tide, about two miles out­
side the limits of the Qatif oasis. This the Sultan apparently agreed to
do and two-thirds of the tribe went there while Shaikh Isa Bin Ahmed
•Dosari with the remaining third remained at Budaiya.
It is understood that the old Town and Fort of Dammam mentioned in
the Gazetteer and the Persian Gulf Pilot have disappeared and that the
promontory is more or less barren waste but having a spring of water in it;
no one, however, has visited the place recently and information regarding
it is vague and uncertain. While I was at Bahrain reports were received that
the absconding Dowasir had been in difficulties with their boats in the bad
weather which prevailed : it is reported that some boats had been destroyed
and many were damaged by the waves, as there is nothing approaching a
harbour and not even a good beach (apparently) on to which boats can bo
drawn. It was also reported that the Iribc had come to blows about the
division of the land and where the various households should ‘squat’ and
that a fight had ensued in the course of which some six men were killed
and several wounded. If these reports arc not exaggerated the portion of
the Dowasir who left Bahrain should now be in a position to listen to
reason.
I and the Political Agent discussed tho method of dealing with the
contumacious section of the tribe with Shaikhs Hamad and Abdulla
and eventually came to the conclusion that, as Colonel Knox had said in
his speech.that any tribe which wanted to go might do so subject to con­
fiscation of property, etc., it would not be seemly to try and persuade the
recalcitrant portion of the Dowasir to return. But the wholo tribo had not
left: Shaikh Isa Dosari with a following of about 1,000 was left at
Budaiya. It seemed to me that Colonel Knox had only agreed to tribes
going ofi^ as a body and not to a portion going and a portion staying The
Dowasir « idea of part leaving and part staying did not commend itself
to me at all: obviously they desired to have a foot in both camps which
would not suit the interests of Shaikh Ilamad or ourselves. It would
result in any member of the tribe remaining at Budaiya who got into trouble ■
being in a position to get off to his kinsmen at Dammam and vice
versa.