File 2902/1916 ‘Treaties and Engagements between the British Government and the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast of the Persian Gulf’ [‎19v] (49/448)

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on the occasion of the outbreak of war between Great B " ta “\ J^eikh
course of the year 1915 however the question of concjudi g * (Political
draft treaty was ready for presentation to the Shei i. ^
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1868. Sheikh Abdullah to undertake to co-operate with H ls Majesty^ Uover^^^^ ^
the TS'cHefe^^^T-abid^ by^he^spirit and obligations of the treaties and
^TrfHi^^X^ST ISTblnah the sanre
advances St ttffial ChTefs. Copies of all the Trucial Treaties to be signed by
SheilA AbduUah^n^the^BrWsh Adding the anus traffic in
his n^r s and territories His Majesty’s Government, on their part, to furnish him with
^L P ed quantity Of arms per aminL public use, and with a subsidy of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. 1,000
per imu ^ gijgikh Abdullah to receive andprotect British traders and, if His Majesty s
Government so desire, a British agent. ■■ t y P‘ , • i Sheikh
Art 5 Duties levied on British goods not to exceed those 1© .
Abdullah’s own subjects or 5 per cent, ad valorem, and no other dues to be imposed
Bntirii good^or Bntash s j tQ have relations with any other Power without the
consetfofHIri Majesty’s GovernmenMmdnot to a^^
l0W Art. 7 S Sheikh * Abdullah not to grahfVoncessions( without the consent of His
M ^ e lrt.% G Teikh e Abdullah to accept and protect a British post-office and telegraph
instaUation in^his ^yy G ^ erument to undertake to protect Sheikh Abdullah, his
subiects and his territory fronTaggression by sea. f ABrlnllab
' Art 10 “ His Majesty’s Government also to undertake to grant She _ r- +
ffood offices should he or his subjects be assailed bjriandmthm thete^
lut that it’ shall be thoroughly understood that this obhgation restsllpon the Bnti
Government only in the event of such aggression, whether by land <? r se ;b be g
unprovoked by any act or (of?) aggression on the part of Sheikh Abdullah or his
subjects^against othem.^ ^ gheikh Abdullah’s name, prohibiting. the arms traffic, was
r^On^he^ietrS^tember, 1915 (U6749/1072947l6) copies of these drafts were
communicated by Sir R Cox to the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Koweit with instructions to
proceed to Katar and negotiate a treaty with Sheikh Abdullah on this basis. Sir . ox
noted that articles 3, 4, 6 and 7 were essential, but that concessions might be made
^OnthetfsTand ^nd, October, 1915, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Koweit accompanied
bv the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrein, discussed exhaustively with Sheikh Abdullah the
two drafts and also the treaties with the Trucial Chiefs, to the terms of which Sheikh
Abdullah was to subscribe under article 1. Finally the Sheikh consented to ® ver y t . 11 . n g
except articles 4 (reception of British traders and agent), o (guarantees for British
trade) and 8 (British post-office and telegraph installation) of the draft treaty, and
article 6 of the general treaty of 1820 with the Gulf Chiefs, under which each party
accorded the other the right to accredit a representative * In regard to tliese articles
Sheikh Abdullah sent the following verbal message to His Majesty s Government
“ Please tell them that I will gladly undertake everything else that you have
nut to me, and that I am very sorry indeed not to be able to accept British or any
other foreign subjects as permanent residents m my country at present. I woul
welcome them gladly myself, but my people are not yet sufficiently civilised nor is
my rule sufficiently consolidated, and I am afraid of serious trouble, which could only
end in my own destruction, if I allowed foreigners m now. You may add, howe\ei
that this is only a temporary difficulty which I hope rem0V f e ’ r a f ^
I promise, if Government will allow clauses IY, Y, and YIII to stand over for the
* the headquarters of the several Chiefs on the one side, and at the British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. at Bushire
" on the other.
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