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Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.' [40r] (80/361)
The record is made up of 1 file (179 folios). It was created in 29 Apr 1936-15 Oct 1942. It was written in English and Arabic. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
2
enough to drop me a line to confirm that the Company
appreciate the limited nature of the decision given
by His Majesty 1 s Government in regard to this group
of islands*'. The Company duly confirmed this.
In spite, however, of the provisional, or
limited, nature of the ruling under reference, it
appears that the Hawar group have subsequently come
to be treated as de facto Bahrain territory: so
much so, that both this Company and another have been
encouraged to make offers to the Shaikh of Bahrain
for a concession to include the Hawar group. It
is reported also that the Bahrain Government have
recently conducted a survey, built a police post,
and otherwise asserted its authority over the islands.
It might appear from this that the matter is
now finally judged and should not be re-opened.
That this is not the view of the Ruler of Qatar
appears from the following extract from a letter
received yesterday from the Company*3 Bahrain
Manager: “When I had an interview with the Shaikh
of Qatar on 13 th June the subject of Hawar islands
arose. The Shaikh put forward quite confident
claims to their ownership as obviously part of
Qatar. He by no means gave the impression that he
is not serious in his claims, which is the view
usually put forward by 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.
He said that he had written three times 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.
without reply. Incidentally, the
Shaikh of Qatar said that he regarded the Hawar
islands as included in our Concession and not for
disposal to an American Company’ 1 .
This attitude by the Shaikh of Qatar is entirely
spontaneous and no steps whatsoever have been taken
by this Company to produce it. The Company cannot,
however, be indifferent to it and cannot but hope
that it will lead, at least, to an examination of
his claims, to which, at first sight, considerable
force is given by the extreme propinquity of Hawar
to the coast of Qatar, and its relatively great
distance from Bahrain.
It may be added that the original negotiator
of the Qatar Concession in 1935* Mr. C.C. Mylles,
was and remained under the impression that Hawar
About this item
- Content
The file concerns the disputed claims of the rulers of Bahrain and Qatar to sovereignty over the Hawar Islands. The issue arose afresh in 1936 in response to a request from Petroleum Concessions Limited to settle the issue of ownership, in order that the Company could claim oil concession rights over the island as part of the concession not previously allocated to the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) (the Bahrain Unallotted Area).
The papers contain statements of evidence on both sides, and correspondence discussing the question from 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; the Foreign Office; Petroleum Concessions Limited; the Government of Bahrain; and the two rulers concerned. The British Government decided in 1939, after examining the evidence, that the islands belonged to Bahrain (folio 44). The papers show that 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 Charles Geoffrey Prior, challenged the validity of this judgement in 1941, stating that the case had been decided 'according to western ideas, and no allowance has been made for local custom and sentiment' (folios 6-8). However, a subsequent letter on the subject from the Government of India to 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. concluded that it was then too late to reverse the decision (folio 4).
The Arabic language content of the papers consists of approximately five folios; these include photographs of judgements (with translation, folios 57-58) submitted by the Government of Bahrain to the British Government, showing that the Bahrain Court had exercised jurisdiction in legal cases concerning residents of Hawar (folios 130-133).
The file also includes photographs of places in Hawar (folios 126-127).
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 (179 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 181; 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. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 3-179, and ff 48-88; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.' [40r] (80/361), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3895, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100076666398.0x000053> [accessed 9 May 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3895
- Title
- Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.'
- Pages
- 23r:23v, 39r:41v, 178r:179v
- Author
- Skliros, John
- Usage terms
- The copyright status is unknown. Please contact copyright@bl.uk with any information you have regarding this item.