Page 118 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

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(«-.) British Declarations to the Ottoman Government respecting their Claim to
Sovereignty over Bahrein.
1830.
• r!' i!8™/ on .t,l° occnHi',n of 1,10 irruption of (lit* Egvptinn Army into Nejd, tlio
Mr. K. IJcr Islet's Memo- "''V , 1,1 tl,u (lull' informed flu; agent of (ho Egyptian Conimuudor
ranilum, Maroli 23, 1871, Hint Hiitiali Government could not ailinit any claim of (he Tasini li.e.. Krypt ami
P-*r»* Turk* yj upon Bahrein. ’ 1
I SGI. i*®* l*10 •<*lmikh of Bahrein wan reported (o ho desirous of placing himself
To Sir siraif<ir«i IV1 ai'kiali protection. Sir Stratford Canning was thereupon instructed to inform
No in Kobroary r»’ 1 ,u . m Ministers that Her Majesty's Government could not acknowledge nor
1851. ocnuiesce hi any mich arrangement, seeing that the Government of British India had
had relations with Bahrein as an independent Slat*', and had concluded with it certain
1 reaties. He was, moreover, to inform them that (no British Government must object
to any arrangement which would translcr Bahrein to the dominion or protectoivhin of
any other Tower.
1870. -January 1870, the 'Turkish Ambassador in London communicated to the
Foreign Ollieu a telegram Irom the Torte, asking for an explanation of the proceedings
at Bahrein of the British Besident. In this telegram Banrein was referred to in tho
following terms: " L’llo do Bahrein n’ayant jamais cesse, quo jtnus sachions, do luire
l’urtie dcs .possessions Ottomancs.’’ 1’pon this, the British Ambassador at Cmistanti*
To Mr. Barron, No. 10, noP^° WUH instructed “ to explain courteously to the Torte that the British Govc-rnment
February 8. 1870 ; and could not recognize its claim to the sovereignty of Bahrein, with regard to which a
from ditto. No. 21, Fob- similar decision was pronounced by Lord Tiilmcrston in his despatch of tho 12th
ruary 19, 1870. February, 18.51.”
1874. •1. In 1874, in referonco to a claim made by the Torte to enforce conscription
against natives of Bahrein resident in Bussomh, the Turkish Ambassador was referred
TOiiNIiK7irUS Al>riI l'J the communications of 1851 and 1870, distinctly stating that Her Majesty’s Govern­
ment did not admit tho claim ol Turkey to consider Bahrein as a part of tho Ottomun
dominions, mid that, if nnfives of that island applied to British Consuls in Turkey for
protection, the latter could not refuse their good ofliee.s on bcliulf of such persons.
1S74. 5. In 1874 a piratical attack was made upon Bahrein by tho Beni Ilajir tribe,
instigated by Nuzir-bin-Mobarik and other Bahrein exiles, who signed a IVtiiion
claiming the protection of the Turkish Government. A Memorandum on this subject
was handed to the Torte by the British Ambassador, in which it wus stated that tho
Sir H. Klllot, No.0, January British Government could not recognize any rights or pretensions of the Porte over
8. 1875. tho island.
1875. (5. At the end of 1875 the British Ambassador ut Constantinople spoke to tho
Turkish Minister, Safvet Bey, about the supposed intention of the Torte to cause a
Octo- lighthouse to be creeled at Bahrein, and pointed out 1o him that Her Majesty’s
Government would not nll-*w the independence of Bahrein to be interfered with Irom
any quurtcr. uud that any uaim on the part of the Torte to sovereignty over Bahrein
would not bo acquiesced in by them.
1S76. 7. In 187(> steps were taken by the Governor ol Bussorah to enforce the claims of
El Katr moi chants against Bah rein esc. Sir 11. Elliot addressed a note to tho Turkish
S r** 18760k'• n Government on tho subject, reminding them of the determination of Her Majesty’s
“’ ‘ * Government to protect Bahrein against any attack upon its independence.
1879. 8. In 1879 the British Ambassador made representations to the Torte respecting
Sir II. Layard, No. 750, tlic imposition, by the Turkish authorities at Bussomh, of double taxes on vessels
Anxu-tt 24, 1879. arriving from Bahrein and Muscat, on the ground that those places were Turkish ports.
He reminded the Torte that Ilis Majesty's Government hud never recognized the porta
as belonging to Turkey, and protested against the assumption that they were 'Turkish
ports.
1S88. U. 'The Turkish claim to jurisdiction over Bahrein was renewed in 1888, and tho
Ottoman Government were consequently inlormcd that any attempt to efleet a landing
8ir W. White, No. 112, at Bahrain would he opposed by force. They were also informed that any claim ol
March 15, 1388. tho Torte to jurisdiction over the Chief of Bahrein could not be admitted, us llor
To Sir W White, No. 121, Majesty’s Government regarded him us an independent Ruler, with whom they wero in
April 17. 1888. ’ * Treaty relations.
10. A question arose in 1802 ol tho British protection of Bahreiuese at Bussorah.
1S92.
Acting upon instructions, tho British Ambassador at Constantinople addressed u noto
c* v -Ms *° the Torte, stating that, as Bahrein was under the protection of Her Majesty the
^November15 189& ' Q,lcon °1' England, no interference by the Ottoman authorities with natives of that
" ' *" island could be admitted. #
1892. 11. In the samo year*(1892) a landing of Turkish troons ill the island was appre-
Sir Cl.iro Ford, No. 110 bonded, and tho Torte was accordingly informed that such notion would be opposod
(Toleirraphic), Docomhor jyy British ships of war.
11,1892. A further communication was made to the Torte in 1803 on tho subject of
1893. British protection of Bahreiuese. 'This pointed out that the refusal of Her Ma jesty a
Sir Clare Fo$d, No. 189, Government to recognize tho sovereignty of the Sultan over the island had been
May 11, 1893. consistent uud undoubted. It went on to say that, having regard to the engagements
towards tho Chief of Bulavin undertaken by Her Majesty’s Government, ilu-y must
continue to maintain the right of tlic-ir Diplomatic and Consular Officers in tbo Ottoman

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