'Historical Summary of Events in Territories of the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Arabia affecting the British Position in the Persian Gulf, 1907-1928' [‎32v] (71/188)

G2
i • eport, para. 12. 5 The effect of the recommendations of the Masterton-Smith Committee
of 1921 was to leave control of Bahrein affairs, other than matters of policy
affecting relations with Ibn Saucl, which were reserved to the Colonial Office
to the Government of India, subject to the general control of His Maiestv's
Government, and to the prior concurrence of the Colonial Office in matters of
See discn. on p. 1787/23 !'P olitical significance." The question of the channels through which the
and p. 1878/23. instructions ol iiis Majesty s Government on matters affecting the Islands
issue is dealt with in paras. 4 and 5 of the Note on Political Control in thp
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , p. 40.
6. Expenditure on Bahrein in respect of the suppression of the slave
trade (Ps. 52 in 1919-20) and of sanitary arrangements (Ps. 1,200 in
• siraitoytoMr. 191.9-2°) ns divided equally between the Government of India and the
Wakeiv, d.o. 195(5 e.a ., foreign Uttice. All other expenditure, on the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Darbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). present
July 21 1921, p. 3588/23. (amounting in 1919-20 to Rs. 79.304) is borne wholly by the Government of
India/' 1 "'
Tel. fioin Viceroy, July G
B. Internal History of Bahrein (including relations with His Majesty's
Government), 1908-1928.
T1 f inte^'lhistory of Bahrein falls into two periods : the first from
190b to the deposition of Sheikh fsa in 1923, the second from 1923 to the
present day.
(1) 1908-1923 : Sheikh Isa.
8. Little of importance occurred between 1908 and 1919. In 1909 a
formal request in writing that he should be relieved by His Majesty's
Government of the responsibility of exercising jurisdiction over foreigners
xci.viceroy, jmyo ^ ' lls country was obtained 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. from the Shpikh
1912, p. 2632/12. (P 1314/09). His Excellency explained in 1912 that by " foreigners " lie
had not intended the dependants of petty Arab potentates in the Gulf a
contention which was accepted by His Majesty's Government in 1919 but
which, in view of the attitude of the Arab chiefs affected, it proved
impossible, as explained below, to continue to entertain. The Order in
Council approved by the King in 1913, Hie introduction of which was
postponed till 1919, limited the jurisdiction of 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. to
G . l o ?f pT om 01 ^- 0 f fore, S ners wlt J 1 respect to whom the Sheikh has agreed with His Maiesty
niii, p 2062/11'; letter' 0 ). 01 consented to, the exercise of jurisdiction by His Majesty." Certain
son' of r 10r a< j minia trative improvements were effected by the Sheikh from time to
p. 50/12!' 0 ' ' 111116 x ' 11<Jer strong pressure from 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. ; in 1911 His Excellency
+ f.o . to i.o.. Oct. 18 1909, t0 fiT any g? ^"ower to open a Post Office in Bahrein and not
sS'l'm'V'i'i'Ro in foil) p vT "'SeoHcession to foreignerst; a wireless station was erected
p. 4oh2/12 ; letter from' . ° 1912 > with gi eat difficulty the Sheikh was persuaded between 1912 and
Poi. Res. to G. of i.,, 1348, 4 to 1 emedy the grievances of traders in regard to landino- arrange-
May 101914, p. 2408/14. mcnts and the handling and storage of cargo "at BahreinJ r^ter some
a'STiMSMiy^rigu ^' SCU ? SI ? 11 he a § re ecl in 1914§ not to search for'oil himself or give others
p. 2609/14. ' " ' ' R rmsM0n to do so without consulting 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. and receiving
Letter from Poi. Res. to . p!,, ^ GOT ernment of India (subsequent developments as
c 2 nc ^. SIOn8 ,n Bahrein are dealt with in para. 19 below);
' in rtp ^ ^ the quarantine duties, which had caused some difficulty
ItSTmitfS*- attitnl nf W % Ml! 11 TV" 1916 by the Government of India; the
190«, p. 1840/08. ' ' li,' " Sheikh and his sons during the war was correct. But
deterLr I pH ^ 1 ? e ' W t ee °. th ® famil J' and their subjects steadily
" A! hill' lapS(:d . uctil ^ couId be reported in 1922 as
"i i belnnd the times in comparison with other Arab States" **• the
the'eommti^ro 01 ^ ' ^ tlieS f eikh 9 uo te 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 1911),
of^r i^ weak . nes f ^ m embers of his family, and the succession
save ike tn ^ perpetrated by the Sheikh, his wife and his sons, not only
was not in n ' t aSln f P0pular °'' on tent, but, since 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.
Government nn^ t\ r' ln t erven e effectively (the energies of His Majesty's
uufavourtblv n, &ove ™ m ent of India being elsewhere engaged), reacted
unfavourably on our position m the Islands. J
p. 4624 /10. in charmrfCnif n" 1 '™ i b p" lla ,' f he 8beikh ' s y?™gest son, visited England
of Sheikh Iqn nn tli" ' oav, to convey 1° His Majesty the congratulations
Is;l on tlle successful outcome of the war, and was received by the
** Major Daly's Report,
Nov. 1921, T. 900/22.