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'File 9/4 Bahrain Reforms. Introduction of Reforms in Bahrain' [‎16v] (49/224)

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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. .

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\
4
Consul, Shiraz, to His Majesty's Minister, Tehran, forwarding copy of two
extracts from the Shiraz newspapers 4 Asr -i-Azadi' and 'Istakhr.*
A certain Hirza Ahmed Khan, who is employed on the staff of the
4 Asr-i-Azadi', has lately been making a tour of the Gulf, in the course of
which he paid a visit to Bahrein, so some such campaign as this in the press
was to be expected. Doubtless by making wild and baseless accusations
against 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 Bahrein, and representing him as an oppressor
o? Persian subjects residing there, anti-British agitators hope to enlist the
sympathy of the Persian Government and reopen the question of the latter's
claim to Bahrein.
The Mohammad Sharif referred to in the articles is one of the principal
Persian merchants in Bahrein, and the recognized leader of by far the largo
section of the Persian colony. There is however a loud voiced minority of Persians
led by Eaji Abdul Nabi who are hostile to us and agitate to induce Persia to
reassert her dubious claim to Bahrein. Haji Abdul Nabi is the man on whose
behalf the British Government intervened in 1904 on account of the assault
made on him by Sheikh Ali and his followers, and who subsequently became
notorious about 10 years ago as the sell-styled Persian Consul and Passport
Officer. The diatribes in the ' Asr-i-Azadi' are doubtless inspired by this
gentleman.
In respect of the allegation regarding Abdullah Bastaki I may remark
that when this was first made in an Egyptian paper 1 made enquiries and
found that the man died of pneumonia some days (during which he had plied
his trade as a " hamal") after his release from the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. lo3k up.
It may be within the memory of the Government of India that in July
1910 His Majesty's Government approved the expulsion of Eaji Abdul Nahi
from Bahrein; I cannot trace in the 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. records why this was not
carried out, but it is certainly to be regretted that he was allowed to remain
in Bahrein and continue his anti-British intrigues.
A copy of this letter is being forwarded to His Majesty's Minister,
Tehran.
Enclosure to Ko. 71, dated 30th September 1922.
Serial No, 8.
From— H. G. Chick, Esq.,
To—Sir P. L. Loraine, Bart , C.M.G-., His Majesty^s Minister, etc., etc., etc , Tehran.
For some time past the newspapers of Shiraz have been conducting an
active campaign for direct Persian representation of Persian interests in the
Bahrein Islands, and a week rarely passes without some allusion to Persian
postal communications with the islands, the passport question, the teaching of
Persian children, the disputed sovereignty, or alleged British oppression of
Persian subjects.
I now have the honour to forward for your perusal translations from last
week's papers on the subject, as there appears to be an appeal to the Deputies
in the Majlis or the Persian Government to take up the question. A copy cf
this despatch and enclosures has been forwarded to the Political Bssident in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
[Translation.]
Newspaper ' Istakhr ' of Shiraz, No. 24 of 17(h September 1922.
"Where is Bahrain, and what is its condition'* (written to us bv a
traveller).
The Persian Government certainly has not desired to know what, where
and in wimt condition is Bahrein. If it had wanted to know and understan d
it would have undoubtedly be thought itself of giving some com fort to th

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.

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English in Latin script
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'File 9/4 Bahrain Reforms. Introduction of Reforms in Bahrain' [‎16v] (49/224), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/131, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023403812.0x000032> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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