Page 65 - Personal Column (Charles Belgrave)_Neat

we got on to the train for Istanbul, the servant developed nerves and
arrangement. Shaikh Abdul Hussein was an Iraqi, from Hilli, an intelli­
declared that he could not stick a needle into the Shaikh’s arm. The only gent, humorous old man who always wore an enormous round, white
thing to do was for me to take on the job, though I had never given any­ turban and a black cloak; he had a neat, dyed black beard. Shaikh Abdul
body an injection in my life, but by the time that the Shaikh left Istanbul Latif was a fussy little man in white robes with glasses; when he got
the servant had come to his senses and was no longer afraid of acting as a excited his voice rose in a crescendo. The Shaikh arrived, earlier than had
medical orderly. been arranged, and sac in the drawing-room, looking rather gloomy, and
In February 1940 Shaikh Hanicd, after a great deal of thought and Narayan read over to him the document which he studied attentively.
consultation with me, decided to appoint his successor by writing a secret Finally Shaikh Rashid made his appearance, leaning heavily on his curved
document which was not to be made public until after his death. Person­ stick, his old face very lined, his beard dyed bright red; he was gradually
ally I was in favour of his making a public declaration, but he did not wish losing his sight but he obstinately refused to wear spectacles. We all
to do this as he thought it might cause dissension in the family. Among adjourned to the ‘Veranda Room’, so called because we had constructed
the rulers of the Gulf succession is not necessarily by primogeniture; the it by enclosing the whole of the big north veranda to make a large sitting-
successor to a Shaikhdom is the member of the family who, in the opinion room with windows overlooking the garden and the sea beyond. The
of the family, is the man best fitted to rule and the decision rests with the three old gentlemen were agog with curiosity; they were told that all
family council. In Bahrain ‘the family’ was restricted to the direct descend­ that was required of them was to witness the Shaikh’s signature to ‘a
ants of Shaikh Isa and did not include the members of all the innumerable document’. After the Shaikh had slowly signed the paper Shaikh Rashid
branches of the Khalifah family. In recent years, however, there have been sat down at the table and signed it, his red beard almost brushing the ink,
changes in the old custom and several rulers have, during their lifetime, then it was the turn of Shaikh Abdul Latif, who gazed a long rime at the
appointed their successors. King Abdul Aziz al Saud appointed his eldest folded paper as if hoping chat his glasses would reveal what was written
son, the present King, as Crown Prince in 1933; Shaikh Sulman, the ruler on the underside; then Shaikh Abdul Hussein signed. Abdulla bin Jabr,
of Bahrain, appointed his eldest son, Shaikh Isa, as Heir Apparent in urbane and on the spot, leant over them as they wrote, making sure that
1958; and in the case of Qatar the late Shaikh Abdulla, before he abdicated, nobody turned over the document to read the contents; meanwhile the
nominated his second son, Shaikh Hamed, as his successor; it was only Shaikh and I sat and watched the proceedings and I took a snapshot of
because Shaikh Hamed died that the present ruler of Qatar, Shaikh Ali, each person as he signed. As soon as all was done Shaikh Abdul Latif
who was the eldest son, inherited the Shaikhdom. turned to the Shaikh and said, ‘Now that this matter has been completed
Only four people were aware of Shaikh Hamed’s decision: myself, you can tell us what it is about.* Abdulla bin Jabr countered by saying,
Hugh Weightman, the Political Agent, my Indian Secretary, K. P. ‘Oh, Kadhi, you tell us now what is the subject of your sermon in the
Narayan, and Abdulla bin Jabr, the Shaikh’s Secretary and confidential Friday mosque this morning.’ The Shaikh, who had recovered his spirits,
man. Narayan drew up the document, leaving space at the bottom for the laughed, and Shaikh Abdul Hussein, always glad to get an opportunity
signatures of the Shaikh and the witnesses so that the contents of the docu­ of scoring off his Sunni colleague, said, sanctimoniously, ‘Evidently this is
ment could be folded over. Narayan, who worked with me in 'Bahrain an important State document and it is not for us to enquire about the
for about thirty years, was in the Shaikh’s confidence and was often en­ contents.’ Coffee was then brought in and the Shaikh took his departure,
trusted by the Shaikh with delicate personal negotiations. On a Friday handing to me, for safe keeping, the document appointing his eldest son,
morning, when my office was closed for the holiday and there were no Shaikh Sulman, as his successor; later I lodged it in the bank. I never
Arabs waiting about in the compound, messages were sent to Shaikh heard any mention of the document which was signed in my house that
Rashid bin Mohammed, the Shaikh’s father-in-law, a senior member of morning until the day on which Shaikh Hamed died; the three witnesses
the Khalifah family, to the Sunni Kadhi, Shaikh Abdul Latif, and to the evidently kept a discreet silence.
Shia Kadhi, Shaikh Abdul Hussein al Hilli, who was rather a particular In spite of the war Bahrain continued to develop, though progress
friend of mine, asking them to come to my house on a matter of import­ was slo^y mainly because it was difficult to obtain building materials from
ance. The two Kadhis arrived together, by accident rather than by abroad. The women’s section of the hospital was opened by the Shaikh’s
118 119