'Persian Gulf Gazetteer, Part I Historical and Political Materials, Précis of Bahrein [Bahrain] Affairs, 1854-1904' [‎1l] (20/204)

1L
Chapter I.— Introduction. Brief History ante 1753 to 1853.
An exhaustive narrative of events in Bahrein from early times to the
year 1853 appears in the Selections from Bombay Records of Miscellaneous
Information connected with the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , No. XXIV, new series. A brief
summary of the events, however, will not be out of place as an introduction to the
narrative of events from 1854 to 1904, and for this purpose liberty is^aken to quote
from the Brief ;History of the Bahrein Is-
Secret e ., January 1501. No. sag. lands prepared by Mr. Gaskin up to the
year 1853.
While perusing this precis, an occasional glance will be necessary on the
genealogical table of the Bahrein Sheikhs, which is printed as Appendix A.
2. The history of the ruling family of Bahrein, so far as is known to us,
dates back to about the commencement of the eighteenth century, when Bahrein
was a Persian dependency. The A1 Khalifa, a sub-division of the Utubi Arabs
and ancestors of the reigning Chief Sheikh Esau bin Ali, about 50 years after
seizing Koweit in conjunction with their fellow tribesmen, the A1 Sabah and
A1 Yelahima from the Persians, attracted by the prospects of the Bahrein pearl
fishery, migrated to Zobara, a shallow sheltered bay in the south-west corner
of Katar peninsula. Sheikh Nasir, the Persian Governor of Bushire and
Bahrein, fearing the increasing influence of the Arabs, repeatedly attempted
in 1777 to expel them from Zobara without effect. The A1 Khalifas in retalia
tion took advantage of the war and confusion which took place on the death of
Kurrim Khan and made a successful raid upon Bahrein, compelling Sheikh Nasir
to retire to his fort. The Persians, assisted by the Sheikh of Ras-al-Khaima, six
years later blockaded Zobara, but a determined sortie by a large force drove the
invaders back to their boats with great slaughter. A Koweit fleet arriving op
portunely enabled the Utubis to follow up their success, and on the 28th July
1783, they captured Bahrein from the Persians. From this date the Persian occu
pation of Bahrein terminated.
3. After a period of comparative peace, lasting about seventeen years, the
Imam of Maskat subdued Bahrein in 1800 and took twenty-five families as
hostages to Maskat. The Utubis returned to Zobara, and with the aid of the
Wahabis recaptured Bahrein the following year. The application to the
Wahabisfor assistance brought them under the yoke of that sect, to whom
they paid tribute, and in 1810 the Wahabi ruler took the reins of the govern
ment of Bahrein and Zobara into his hands and appointed as his agent Abdullah
bin Ufeysan, whom the Utubis drove out in 1811, thus regaining their supre
macy over their islands. In 1816 an attempt was made to subdue Bahrein by
the Imam of Maskat, who was signally repelled with great loss. From this
period forward the Utubis have maintained their rule over the islands*
4. In 1819 the Bahrein Chiefs entered into agreement with the British Govern
ment to prevent the sale of British property in their territory. The general
treaty* of 1820 with the Arab Chiefs was
* See Appendix c. ^ rs |. signed at Ras-al-Khaima on the
5th February by the Agent, and subsequently endorsed on the 23rd February of
the same year by Sheikhs Sulaiman and Abdullah, sons of Ahmed A1 Khaiifa.
5. With a view to avert the joint attack of the Imam of Maskat and the
Prince of Shiraz, the Al Khalifas concluded through their agent an agreement
with the Imam the following year and bound themselves to pay him an annual
tribute of 30,000 German crowns, and His Highness in return engaged to release
[C943FD]
A