Page 230 - The Arabian Gulf States_Neat

168 THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE ARABIAN GULF STATES
I Muscat to conquer Bahrain.1 At this stage the British Government
had no definite policy towards Bahrain but took a neutral stand,
neither defending Bahrain nor assisting Persia.2
However, in 1822, the British Government in Bombay was taken by
surprise at finding that an unauthorised agreement had been concluded
between the Persian authorities in Shiraz and the British Political
Resident in the Gulf, Captain 'William Bruce, in which the latter
recognised the Persian title to Bahrain. The agreement, dated 30
August 1822, comprised five articles. In article 2, Bahrain was regarded
: as ‘being always subordinate to the province of Fars’. And in articles
4 and 5, the British Government was committed to supply Persia
with war vessels for the purpose of conquering Bahrain.3
This unauthorised agreement was disapproved of by the British
! Government in Bombay. Thus the Governor of Bombay, Mount-
: stuart Elphinstone, immediately wrote to Captain Bruce expressing
his surprise at the agreement which he said, ‘is not only not authorised,
but entirely inconsistent with the views of Government and with the
obligation of the public faith’. He also denounced the admission of the
King of Persia’s title to Bahrain of which, he said, ‘there is not the
least proof’, and which will be injurious to the ‘independence of
Uttubis, to whom we are bound by a treaty of friendship’. Finally, he
! concluded that he
has therefore been obliged to disavow the treaty in the most explicit terms
. . . and ... to remove you from your appointment of Resident at
Bushire . . ,4
Following his disavowal of Bruce's agreement, Mountstudrt Elphin­
stone wrote to the Shaikh of Bahrain expressing his regret about the
agreement and informing him of Britain’s good intention towards
Bahrain. In his letter to the Shaikh he said:
I beg leave to assure your Excellency that the British Government consider
the relations with your State as existing in the same force as from the first
and that it is my wish to preserve them undiminished.8
Bruce’s agreement was also denounced by the Shah of Persia who ex­
pressed his displeasure to the Prince of Shiraz for entering into an
1 F.O. 60/17, 1820. Correspondence between W. Grant Keir and Henry Willock,
2 Ibid., Bombay Government to Henry Willock, H.M.G. Charge d’Affaires at
Tehran, 15 December 1819.
3 F.O. 60/21, 1822. Treaty of Shiraz, 30 August 1822.
4 F.O. 60/112, 1845. Copy of a letter from the Secretary to the Government ot
Bombay to Captain Bruce, Resident at Bushire, Bombay Castle, 1 N°vember
* F.O. 248/48. Draft of a letter from the Governor in Council to the Shcikrt oi
Bahrain (no date), about November 1822.