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Coll 30/70 'Bahrain: Amendment of contracts of Capt Parke, Commandant of Police, & Mr Belgrave, Adviser to the Sheikh of Bahrain: leave of Mr Belgrave, etc.' [‎41r] (81/379)

The record is made up of 1 file (188 folios). It was created in 13 Mar 1930-24 Mar 1948. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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Bahrain 21st July, 1947
S/S
The Minister of Colonies, ! * ^ f ^ 1^7
United Kingdom, London.
I
Your Excellency,
We the Bahrain population have the honour to put
the following petition to your honour requesting you to be kind
enough to study it carefully and give it the necessary attention.
It is now nearly two centuries since the Islands
of Bahrain have become under the kind protection of the Great
Britain and we have enjoyed the kind control and organisation of
all your officials without any exceptions, but an idea was created
twenty five years ago that we should have a financial adviser to
which we were thankful at the begining and would have remained so
had it not been that we were so unluaky to get the wrong type of
man to maintain this post. Hereunder we beg to give an outline
of our disapproved and most gravely position.
Mr.C.Dairymple Belgrave, the financilar Adviser
took office in Bahrain in 1921 and he was only to manage and
organise the financial side of the country which he did for a
certain period as there was a strong 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. in the
person og Major Daily, so he was watched carefully and put back
to the right track from now and then. Since about ten years this
gentleman has declared his dectatorship over Bahrain and ignoredd
every one on these Islands including our Shaikhs and most of the
Political Agents also unless they are exceptionally outstanding
figures.
On the occasion of conducting the agreement between
Bahrain Government and American Oil Company, this man took the
liberty without consulting either the local authorities nor the
public representatives and limited the wages of Bahrain employees
in each categary no matter what their capability oi> ability may be
they should not exceed that limit. People brought from abroad for
the same job receive twice or even more that a Bahraini and bothe^
persons work in the same post and under the same roof. Lately this
geiitleman to give Bahrain Petroleum Company as much help as he can
he stopped Bahrainis from leaving to Gulf countries such as Saudi
Arabia, Qatar Peninsular etc. where they get much more pay and canc
elled all the Passports previously Issued. This action only to fore
them to work with this American Company and to show his authority
and his unresistible dectatorship.
This man has utilised the weakness of our present
ruler and had his own way. Below we enumerate the the posts at
present are occupied by either British or Indan Officials in Bahrain
but only namely as they cannot do any single thing in their own jobs
whatever their experience is. It might not be believed when we
state that he even interferes in Doctors directorship of hospitals
etc. causing one of the best British Doctors we ever had Dr.Jhons
to resign^:
1.
2 .
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8 .
9.
10 .
11 .
Finance (his own no doubt)
Director of Customs & Port Officer.
Education Director.
Commandant State Police.
State Medical Officer.
General Chairman of Municipalities
The Head Judge of the Law Courts.
The Head Judge of Ctiminal Courts.
State Engineer.
Passport Officer.
Superintendent Public Works.
(Moharraq & Manamah)

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Content

The file concerns the terms of service of British officials working for the Government of Bahrain, principally Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain.

The principal correspondents are the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; 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. , Bahrain; Belgrave; and officials of the Government of India, the Foreign Office and the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. .

The papers cover: changes to the contracts of Belgrave and Captain L S Parke, Commandant of State Police, Bahrain; discussion of Belgrave's pay, leave, and workload; proposed improvements to Belgrave's terms of employment; proposals to appoint an Assistant Adviser to the Government of Bahrain; the issue of 'nationalist agitation' against Belgrave, including an anonymous petition from the 'Bahrain Island Population' to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, calling for Belgrave's replacement as Adviser, and making complaints about his administration of Bahrain, particularly in terms of education, the courts, and the Bahrain police (folios 40-42); the Bahrain state budget, including a note of discussions at Bahrain on 16 March 1946 between the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Charles Geoffrey Prior) and Belgrave, which covers all aspects of the administration of Bahrain, and is critical of Belgrave (folios 17-21); and discussion of Belgrave's possible retirement or dismissal.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (188 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 189; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 30/70 'Bahrain: Amendment of contracts of Capt Parke, Commandant of Police, & Mr Belgrave, Adviser to the Sheikh of Bahrain: leave of Mr Belgrave, etc.' [‎41r] (81/379), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3787, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100036542140.0x000052> [accessed 25 April 2024]

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