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'File 9/4 Bahrain Reforms. Introduction of Reforms in Bahrain' [1fv] (19/224)
The record is made up of 1 volume (98 folios). It was created in 30 Dec 1921-27 Jul 1924. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
imprisoned and very likely murdered if I did not take some steps. This seemed
to be quite true, and as I had to leave that afternoon, and m any case it seemed
probable that something might be done to the man before I could refer the question
I came to the conclusion that the only thing to do was to authorize the Political
Agent to give the man protection until his case could be enquired in o.
I requested 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 furnish me with details of the more glaring
cases of oppression some of which had been reported verbally then, and on receipt
I will address the Government of India again on the subject.
It is obviouslv not desirable to make the
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
into a court of appeal against
the decisions of the Shaikh, but on the other hand, as the deputation pointed out,
Bahrain subjects are afraid to take the law into their own hands as the ohaikh
is under our protection, and they urge, with s^me reason, that we ought in conse
quence to take steps to prevent the Shaikh from abusing his authority.
As far as 1 can see the only way of doing this*will be to authorize the Political
Agent to intervene in cases of glaring oppression and give the individual British
protection, pending some regular enquiry into his case. I will not however make
any definite recommendations on this point at present, but will make any sugges
tion I have in my next letter.
Enclosure of Seriaf No. 1.
Translation of a petition presented to 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.
on 21st December 1921
by a large deputation of Bahrain subjects.
Praise be to God Who had made Kings as spacious shadows to which the
refugees from heat take refuge and which is the resort of the helpless at the time
of calamities, and Who made their justice a cause of bliss. If a king acts cruelly
times change, and any wise man should take lesson of the conduct of his predecessor.
Look at the Tasm, Faroahs and Tobba, of whom there is no trace, and look how
justice lasts long. The British Government (for instance) has not lost her name and
her honour does not decrease. God has blessed His creatures by strengthening
that Government and the talk of that Government's justice is prevalent. Her
justice has superseded that of Anawsherawan. The people have seen the justice
of the late Queen Victoria who would administer justice.to an oppressed even against
herself in oy cler to safeguard the interests of her subjects and her honour. After
her came the Great King Edward and after him the present King George whose
justice has spread ove? all the world.
Secondly, we beg to state to the possessor of great wisdom and good temper,
the Chief of the Gulf, that the Shi'ah community is in a state of great humiliation
and subject to public massacre. They have no refuge, the evidence of none of
them is accepted, their property are subject to plunder and themselves liable to
maltreatment every moment. Injustice is increasing every day. If we were to
enumerate the outrages, we could do so, but in deference to the respect of the Chief
we do not do so and only refer to one thousandth part of them./
This Government is answerable to God for our bloodshed and for the injustice
to which we are subjected, because she is able to help the weak and the poor and
to relieve us from the hand of the oppressors.
Then, do rescue us, 0 Chief, before we perish. The inhabitants of the villageQ
gathered together to-day to come and take refuge with you, but the advice of the
two good men, Muhammad Sherif and Haji Abdun Nebi, prevented them. The
headmen refused and insisted on coming to Your Excellency.
We appeal to you in the name of God to help us. If you do not give us our
rights and do not help us, you are helping the oppressors to continue their practice.
Our patience and power are exhausted. If we leave this "sanctuary and the Chief do
not help us, we will meet with death and he is responsible to God.
This petition is from all the Shi'ahs of Bahrain.
About this item
- Content
The volume contains printed copies of Government of India confidential correspondence, relating to the Bahrain reforms. The majority of the letters contained in volume are printed copies of correspondence originally sent to the Government of India either by 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 Arthur Trevor or Acting Resident Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Knox), or 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. at Bahrain (Major Clive Daly). Much of the correspondence featured in the volume can be found in the original (or as office copies) in a number of files in the two Bahrain Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. subsubseries ‘File 9 Bahrain Reforms’ (IOR/R/15/2/127-138) and ‘File 8 Miscellaneous’ (IOR/R/15/2/121-126), and the Bushire 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. subsubseries ‘File 19 Bahrain’ (IOR/R/15/1/314-77).
The printed correspondence contained in the volume covers a range of subjects:
- Events leading up to the programme of reforms carried out in Bahrain: allegations of the oppression of Bahraini subjects by members of the Āl Khalīfah family, violence, the deteriorating economic situation;
- The reforms proposed and implemented by British officials: replacement of Shaikh ‘Īsá by Shaikh Ḥamad as defacto ruler, economic reforms, judicial reforms, pearl diving industry reforms, customs house reforms;
- Specific incidents of violence involving Sunnis and Shias, or Najdis and Persians.
Some of the papers in the volume are accompanied by duplicate copies:
- Folios 61-64 are duplicates of folios 57-60;
- Folios 68-69 are duplicates of folios 66-67;
- Folios 81-84 are duplicates of folios 77-80.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (98 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume's contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, starting with the earliest items at the front and finishing with the latest items at the end.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using uncircled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. . Most of the items in the volume are printed items that have their own internal pagination systems, using printed numbers in the top-right corners of recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages and the top-left corners of verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. pages, or centred at the top of both verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. and recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages. The following foliation anomalies occur: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'File 9/4 Bahrain Reforms. Introduction of Reforms in Bahrain' [1fv] (19/224), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/131, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023403812.0x000014> [accessed 20 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/131
- Title
- 'File 9/4 Bahrain Reforms. Introduction of Reforms in Bahrain'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1ar:1fv, 2r:15r, 17v:18v, 21r:42v, 44v:46v, 47v:71v, 73r:74v, 75v:79r, 80v:83r, 84v:91r, 92v:93r, 94v:103v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence