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'File 9/4 Bahrain Reforms. Introduction of Reforms in Bahrain' [‎64v] (145/224)

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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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8
sclieme of reforms aimed at the improvement of the status of the oppressed
Shiahs of Bahrein, is rendered perfectly useless as long as their lives are in
constant jeopardy. Of what avail is Hamad s Court, in which for the first
time Bahreinis have an opportunity of obtaining redress, if after decisions
therein, the witnesses can be murdered with impunity .
Sheikh Muhammad, who has been acting for Hamad m the latter's
absence, has been unable to induce any of the accused to surrender themselves,,
and has no means of enforcing any orders, had he the desire to do so which is
certainIv not the case. They have sent him messages to the eifect that they
are willing to appear before the Shara' Court, but inasmuch as no member of
M Khalifah has ever been condemned before that court, although several have
nominally been " tried the reason for this is obvious, although they present
the matter in the guise of religious scruple.
Yesterday the Chief Qadhi called on mo and expressed his abhorrence of
the outrage, and said he had no doubt that Sheikh Khahd's sons and their
followers were guilty.
I endeavoured, therefore, to ascertain how he would be likely to dispose
of the case it it went before him. He proceeded to give a cumber of ingenious
reasons why it would probably be impossible for him to give an effective
decision.
He stated without hesitation that this was a Political crime, the punish
ment for which should be dealt out by the Ruler, or failing him. His Majesty s
Government. He added " Great Britain has protected these Islands for 96
years. She placed Sheikh Isa and his descendants in power on condition
that they should rule with justice. They have failed to do so and your Gov
ernment has neglected the matter. The policy of your Government is beyond
my understanding in these matters. She is responsible for the maintenance
cf order in Bahrein. Ho they fear Mustafa Kemal Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , that they do not
force order ? What more obvious reasons can they need than these outrages.
Bahrein needs direct rule by a strong Government until a Ruler ^can be taught
how to govern. I told all this to Sir Percy Cox many years ago ".
How far the Qadhi is sincere in his statements one cannot say, but he is
without doubt the most experienced and educated man in Bahrein.
Several deputations of Baharneh have called at the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. . They all
state that His Majesty's Government is pledged to remove gross oppression.
They quoted replies to questions in the petitions as assurances of adequate
protection. They are deriving considerable support from the Persian Shiah
community, with whom the Baharneh are much inter-married. The Persians
are making political capital out of our alleged connivance at the murders of
Shiahs. and there are rumours that alarmist reports have been sent to Teheran
to this effect. Doubtless, there will be the usual crop of anti-British articles
in the Persian Press.
GCP, Delhi—XI—708 (S)-12-2.24—7.

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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' [‎64v] (145/224), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/131, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023403812.0x000092> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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