'File 19/218 (C 84) Bahrain Succession' [‎22r] (45/210)

■1'$
14 • ib
Confidential.
Tne 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. ,
Buanire, tne 30tn Jeceufcer, 1937.
D.O.No.908-3.
9?,• '' |c
Could you please refer to correspondence er iing witn
my telegram No.1194 of tne 30tn December 1937.
2. It is unfortunate tnat tne 3nailcn nas found nimself
compelled to accept tne invitation from Ibn Saud, and thus to
make a somewhat arduous overland Journey in his present state
of health.
3. T/en If accompanied by a medical attendant the 3nBikh
will run risks of not surviving the overland Journey, and this
risk brings to a head a matter which I nave had on ny mind
for some time i.e. what is going to nappen when the Shaikh does
actually die, either in the course of the ntxt re# months, or
<?
the next fe* years.
4. as you know, Arabs do not generally recognise primo
geniture though they do insist that the successor to a Shaikh
must come from the lhaikhly family, beyond this it is simply
a case of the best man winning, by getting the strongest party
in the State on his side. Sometimes he succeeds by bloodshed
(the famous Mubarak, of Kuwait, killed two of his brothers in
one night),and sometimes by a mere show of force as in the
case of the present r>naikh of Snarjah when ne deposed nis
;
relative Thai id.
5. In lahrain Salman is the eldest son, but is ne likely
to succeed, or #111 another member of the family probably
Abdullan bin ' laa or tne Shalkn'a youngMt son, Abdulian
put /
Veightman, TUsquire.
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.