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'File 9/4 Bahrain Reforms. Introduction of Reforms in Bahrain' [‎77r] (170/224)

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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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Serial No. 1. Express letter to the Secretary to the Government op
India in the F oreign and P olitical D epartment ^ D elhi N o. 27 -T
bated the 13 th (received 17 th) March 1924.
Subject : Bahrain Reforms. Pearling Industry.
My endorsement No. 124-S. of 15tli February (Serial No. 295 in file No. 480-X.)
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. has consulted Shaikhs Hamad and Abdulla and all agree that
accounts on the lines I have suggested can be introduced, and that it would be
advantageous to do so forthwith m time for this season. Accordingly I am
telegraphing to 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 get Shaikh Hamad to issue the necessary
orders.
The Shaikhs consider that the nakhudas will not like shar ing actual sale value
of pearls for fear they should be taxed proportionately — a diver's share being
taken as tax in most states. To obviate the chance of fraud and collusion between
nakhudas and drivers to falsify the sale value of pearls the Shaikhs have decided
to charge a regular license fee on pearl boats based on the average diver's share
gained by such boats, but a great deal less. The .average for a good sized boat
in Kuwait is considered to be about Rs. 500 and the Shaikhs propose to levy
license fees in the grades according to the size of the boats, commencing at
Rs. 250 for the large boats'. This will be much less than charged by other Shaikhs,
but a clear gain in Bahrain where for many years no regular tax has been levied
on pearling boats.
-In anticipation of sanction I am authorizing 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 agree to
Shaikh Hamad proceeding with the licenses for the coming season.
2. As another reform the Shaikh proposes to start a Hospital Dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. to tour
round the pearl banks, and requires a Sub-Assistant Surgeon to be in charge. The
expenses of this boat have been entered in the budget : the only difficulty is the
Sub-Assistant Surgeon. Could Government aid the Shaikh by appointing a
regular Sub Assistant Surgeon for foreign service in Bahrain for this duty ? He
should be a Mohommedan, and must be a good sailor, preferably a man who has
served on ships. He should be prepared to stay at least two years, as it will take
him some time to learn the language and get into the work. Salary proposed
Rs. 150 per mensem jj I us Rs. 25 per mensem when out with the Pearling
Fleet.
This man to,be any use this season should be nominated at o ice.
In the off season the Sub-Assistant Surgeon would assist the Assistant Surgeon
in charge of the Victoria Memorial Hospital who has now a good deal of work.
The Shaikh proposes to make him the Official Doctor and pay him a fixed
retaining fee for tfiis duty, as well as his salary for Quarantine work.
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. Surgeon considers the scheme for a Hospital Dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. a very
good one and entirely approves of the suggestion that the Assistant Surgeon
should be the Official Doctor and supervise the Hospital Dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. as well as the
Victoria Memorial Hospital.
As mentioned above I am authorizing Major Daly to get Shaikh Hamad to
proceed with the new system of accounts and the licensing pearling dhows at once
in anticipation of sanction in order to bring the system into operation this
season.
With the same object in view in the case of the Hospital Dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. will Govern
ment be pleased to select a Sub-Assistant Surgeon as soon as possible ?
Serial No. 2.—To the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India in
• the Foreign and Political Department, Delhi, No, 57 -T., dated the
22nd (received 3 1st) March 1924.
Memorial dated 13th ebruary 1924 from Shaikh Sir Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, K.C.S.I.,
to His Excellency the viceroy.
In reply to your telegram No. 480-X., dated 15th March 1924 ( Seri f Jo. 301
in file No. 480-X.), I have the honour to submit herewith comments on ^
memorial. I did not send any with the memorial as all the ^ euts
dealt with 1 herein have been reported to Government at length and m detail as
they occurred, by Colonel Knox and m} self.
M0221FD

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
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'File 9/4 Bahrain Reforms. Introduction of Reforms in Bahrain' [‎77r] (170/224), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/131, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023403812.0x0000ab> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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