Page 14 - Personal Column (Charles Belgrave)_Neat

am sure, for the rest of his life he dined out on the story of how the I, had to answer such pertinent questions as ‘What is he going to advise you
‘Sheek’ had absolutely insisted on his eating a sheep’s eye—but Shaikh about?* or ‘Why did you get such a young one?’ I enjoyed the visit too.
Hamed thought it very odd. We then called on Shaikh Isa, the Shaikh’s deposed father, who lived
The Shaikh was very talkative after the meal. He seemed interested in
in a big house in the middle of Muharraq. We walked through several
the fact that we had come abroad five days after being married, and asked
courtyards, filled with gaily dressed visitors, and climbed a steep, narrow
whether this was to avoid the jokes which newly wedded couples have
staircase, where, being 6 ft. 4 in., I had to duck my head, to a room on
to put up with. But before we left he began to look worried and had a
the roof where Shaikh Isa awaited us. He was a little old man with a
long conversation with Daly about the situation in Bahrain. When Daly
white beard, beautifully dressed in an old-fashioned style; though differ­
made signs of moving the Shaikh called for rose-water and incense.
ences are not very discernible, there are fashions in Arab clothes. He was
Servants sprinkled rose-water on our hands and waved incense-burners
dignified and extremely frigid. He paid no attention to me, probably
under the beards of those who had them and under the chins of those
regarding me as an interloper. When Daly enquired after his health he
who had none. This was the signal for departure.
♦ The Shaikh had cause for worry. Bahrain was unsettled and public replied, ‘Though I may appear to be well, in truth I am ill, and only you
security was at a low ebb. Recently there had been murderous attacks on have the medicine to make me well again.’
As we left I asked Daly the meaning of this cryptic remark. It referred
villages by Arab gunmen and there was fear of raids on the coast by the
to the allowance which the Shaikh received from the Government, which
disgruntled Dawasir tribe. The powerful pearl merchants, who controlled
he considered inadequate. I was soon to learn that every member of the
the diving industry, on which the economy of the country depended,
family drew an allowance from the Civil List, which every one of them
were opposed to the reforms which the Shaikh was introducing. Many
regarded as inadequate. This matter became one of the most constant and
people resented the prospect of organized government, knowing that it
trying problems during my years in Bahrain.
would affect their vested interests, and there was a faction which would have
Shaikh Isa became Ruler in 1869. His father, Shaikh Ali, reigned for
preferred someone else in the Shaikh’s place. It was the older men, religious
one year and was killed in battle during a civil war between two factions
leaders and merchants, who had political influence. Now it is the younger
of the Khalifah family and Shaikh Isa retired to Zabara, on the coast of
generation, who have not long left school, who are most active in politics.
Qatar. The British intervened and arrested Shaikh Ali’s brother, Shaikh
Daly had given me some idea of the complicated internal situation. I
Mohammed bin Khalifah, who had led the rebellion against the lawful
described it in my diary as ‘a mixture of Lyceum melodrama and Arabian
Ruler. Shaikh Isa, then aged twenty-one, came back from Qatar and was
Nights Pantomime’. Later, having met the ‘leading characters’, I found
proclaimed Shaikh of Bahrain by the unanimous wish of the people of
that it was more like one of Shakespeare’s plays. Instead of Kings and
the country. During his long reign Bahrain was constantly threatened
Princes there were Shaikhs and Amirs. Instead of prelates there were
with attacks by the Arab tribes of Qatar, and the Turks and the Persians
Kadhis—religious judges—whose appearance and eloquence were truly
both laid claims to the islands, which were firmly repudiated by the
Shakespearean. Some citizens played leading roles, as did a few of the
British Government. The presence of British men-of-war in the Gulf de­
villagers, often providing comic relief. There were no female actors, but
terred any attempt at invasion. Shaikh Isa made a number of Agreements
off stage they played important parts in the drama.
with Britain, undertaking not to treat with any foreign power or to allow
The festival at the end of the month of Ramadhan fell soon after our
agents of foreign governments to reside in Bahrain without the agreement
arrival and we went with the Dalys to Muharraq, in the Agency launch,
of Britain. He signed an Agreement prohibiting the import and export of
to pay calls. While Daly and I paid calls on the leading Shaikhs our wives
arms, he asked the British Government to exercise jurisdiction over
visited Shaikh Hamed’s wife. Marjorie was greatly impressed by her beauty
foreigners resident in Bahrain and, in 1914, gave an undertaking not to
and intelligence; they became great friends and Marjorie used to consult her
embark on the exploitation of oil, or grant oil concessions, without the
about problems connected with the girls’ schools, in which the Shaikha
approval of the British Government.
took much interest. The Shaikh was in his town house. I thought he seemed
We called on Shaikh Mohammed, another son of Shaikh Isa’s, where
to enjoy introducing ‘my Adviser’ to the Arabs who were there. As he, not
we sat on chairs at the end of a long room, while sons and relations sat,
24
25