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‘Persian Gulf Gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Precis of Turkish expansion on the Arab littoral of the Persian Gulf and Hasa [Al-Hasa] and Katif [Al-Qaṭīf] affairs.’ [‎29] (41/160)

The record is made up of 1 volume (80 folios). It was created in 1904. 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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20
"Your Grace will readily comprehend the difficulty which the continued presence o£ a
• No. 18. dated 22nd February 1870. Turkish naval force would throw in the way of our
„ 28, „ 20th May „ maintaining that position in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
i> 31» !• 27th „ ». which the British Government has, with the best
is ! " IS April 1871. " results, come to occupy, and which it is, we are more
14, " 3rd „ „ * than ever convinced, our true policy to uphold.
» 26, „ 23rd May „ Qur reasons have been fully laid before Your Grace
in the despatches marginally * mentioned, to none of which have we yet been favoured with a
reply; and in view of the many possible contigencies in the neighbouring parts of Asia, we
conceive that at no time was the maintenance of our position in the Gulf of more material
importance than at present to British intprest, to the encouragement of trade, and to the preserva
tion of the peace of the Indian Seas. It would be to us a matter of deep regret that so faithful an
ally as Turkey, one for the very existence of whose power England has made such sacrifices,
should be the first to take a step calculated to alter a state of things, the maintenance of which
we consider important to the interests of our Indian Empire, and from which, both in a political
and a commercial point of view, the Porte herself has gained, and would continue to gain, so
much profit without any expense on her part,
"We would, therefore, earnestly impress on Her Majesty's Government the necessity of
taking immediate measures to ascertain definitely what is the policy of the Porte with regard
to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and whether it is their intention to constitute it for the future one of
their naval stations. If any such intentions have been formed by the Government of His
Majesty the Sultan, it is, in our opinion, necessary that the objections which we have stated at
considerable length in our previous despatches should be fully laid before them, and that no
effort should be spared to induce them to abstain from a line of policy the adoption of which
we could not contemplate with indifference, and which, we believe, would be injurious to the
be.t interests of Turkey herself."
110. The following statement of the naval strength of the Porte was given to
Colonel Pelly by the Turkish Commodore
a Coramodore^ a4'»&p corvette, 17 guns, at [n Noveraher 1871. Colonel Pelly wrote:—
M (>un-vessel, 8 guns, at Bahrein. • " The Turkish squadron now in the Gulf the
« Sabel used as the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 'i steamer. Commodore enumerated as per margin. He added
" Ashur ^ that two more corvettes were under orders from
" Oloos ) ^ ' Constantinople for the Gulf. He mentioned that
" Corvette Srousta, under orders to Bombay for a £ Busreh docks and a powder magazine were being
repairs." constructed for the squadron."
111. 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 Maskat informed Colonel Pelly in September
1871 that he had been told by the Turkish Commodore that in addition to the
Lebanon and Skenderia several more vessels of war would be stationed in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the future strength of the squadron, said the Commodore, would
be 10 vessels. A despatch t was addressed
t No 80. dated 20th December i87i. the Governmen t of India to the Secre
tary of State urging the advisability of an enquiry through Her Majesty's
Ambassador as to whether there was any truth in this statement.
Movements of British vessels.
112. The Government of India was at first disinclined to send a vessel of
war to the Gulf as suggested by Colonel
Secret i., 1871, N ob . 681 655. p e iiy ^ telegram dated 11th April,
the reason being that-—
« If a vessel were present and the Turks were, without challenge on our part, to act against
our views and wishes, this would be equivalent to an abandonment of our policy. V\ hereas
if no vessel be present, we are free to act as circumstances require whatever the iurks may do.
113. On the 28th April the Bombay Government were asked what men of
war were available for service in Gulf. They replied •
" The gun-boats Clyde and Huffh Rose in Gulf. Porte left this 11th April for Aden.
Magpie started for Maskat, 24th April. Bullfinch supposed to be at Maskat.
114. After news had arrived that the Koweit Chief was preparing to aid
the expedition, and it appeared possible
Hid Nos. 6140,623 and 2624. ^ com pi ioa tions might arise regarding
Bahrein, a telegram was despatched to the Naval Commander -in-Chief at Aden
to send a vessel of war to Colonel Pelty at Bushire. The P<>r(e with the Com-
mander-in-Chief had, however, left Aden for Zanzibar, and the Bombay Govern-
ment were desired on the 7th May to send a gun-boat to the Uuil.
[C967FDJ H

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Content

Part 1 of a Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. gazetteer of historical and political materials, a précis of Turkish expansion on the Arab littoral of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and Hasa [Al-Hasa] and Katif [Al-Qaṭīf] affairs. The précis was prepared by Jerome Antony Saldanha, whose preface (under which his surname is erroneously spelt Saldana) is dated 25 November 1904, and published by the Government of India Foreign Deptartment, Simla, India.

The preface is an historical outline of the struggle for political dominance in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , including Portuguese, British, Wahabi [ Wahhābī A follower of the Islamic reform movement known as Wahhabism; also used to refer to the people and territories ruled by the Al-Saud family. ] and Turkish expansion. The chapters (titles shown in italics) deal with the subject in an roughly chronological fashion:

1. Early history of Hasa and Katif , including: references to the area in Arabic writing; the first known Arab colonists; and early references to the area in British (East India Company) records;

2. Conquest of Hasa by the Wahabis and Turkish expeditions into Nejd [Najd] and Hasa, and their results 1800-1865 , including: conquest of the area by the Wahabis; Turkish expeditions to the area, 1811-19 and 1836-40; Amir Feysal’s [Fayṣal ibn Turki Āl Sa‘ūd] nominal dependence on Turkey, 1855; troubles in Katif, 1859-62; Turkish protest against British proceedings at Damaum [Dammām], 1862; the British war against Amir Feysal, 1865-66; obsolete title of award of Arabia by an Abbasid caliph to the Ottoman Porte; Ottoman ambitions in Arabia (Holy Ottoman Empire);

3. Turkish expedition to Nejd and Hasa, 1871-72 , including: origins of the expedition; intelligence from 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. , Colonel Lewis Pelly; British policy in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and effects of the Turkish expedition on that policy; Turkish assurances to Britain, communicated to Bahrain (spelt Bahrein throughout) by Pelly; Turkish promise of non-interference with the rulers of the Trucial coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ; narrative of the events leading up to and including the landing of the expeditionary force in Nejd; Turkish designs on Katar [Qatar], and their hoisting of the Turkish flag at Budaa [Al-Bidda]; Turkish naval activity in the Gulf, and Britain’s naval response; murder of a suspected Turkish messenger at Bahrain; reasons for the non-interference of the British Government in operations on land; further narrative of the expedition and affairs in Nejd; evidence of Turkish designs on Bahrain; Turkish assurances; relations between Turkey and Abuthabi [Abu Dhabi]; close of the Turkish expedition;

4. Internal affairs of Hasa and Katif, 1872-1904 , including: administration and internal organisation; and a list of governors at Hasa, including events of significance occurring during their rule;

5. Survey of the Katif coast, 1873-74 , including: British intentions and permission gained from the Ottoman Porte; complaints of British survey officers landing on the Nejd coast; written permission to land to undertake surveying.

6. Increase of Turkish military and naval forces in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and Turkish policy , including: a memorandum by Captain T Doughty on the state of affairs in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ;

7. (1) Trade Relations of Hindu and other traders of Bahrain with Katif, and their disabilities , and (2) Proposal appointment of a consular officer at Katif ;

8. Piracies , including: piracies in Katif and Bahrain waters, 1878; ; revolt in Hasa and piracies in Katif and Bahrain waters, 1878-81; Turkish responsibilities and jurisdiction for the purpose of suppressing piracies in Katif waters, 1878-81; piracies in Katif and Bahrain waters in 1883; piracies in Katif and Bahrain waters in 1886; piracies in 1887-88; piracies in 1891-92; piracies in 1899-1900; piracies in 1902 and the proposal of the Chief of Bahrain to maintain an armed dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. for the pursuit of pirates, 1902-03;

9. Murder of Sheikh Selman-bin-Diaij-el-Khalifa [Shaikh Salman bin Diaj Āl Khalīfah] , a cousin of the Chief of Bahrain and his party about 40 miles south of Katif. Question of satisfaction and compensation for it ;

10. Turkish designs on Oman and the rest of the East Arabian Littoral, 1888-1899 ;

11. Summary of British declarations against Turkish encroachments in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and of the Porte’s assurances, 1871-1904 .

The cover of volume, on which the title is printed, also has a number of different pencil and pen annotations, marking former external references or numbering systems (‘P.2557/29’, ‘No.5’, ‘C238’).

Extent and format
1 volume (80 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arranged into eleven chapters, preceded by a preface. Each chapter is organised by subheadings, and its paragraphs numbered. The paragraph numbers are continuous throughout the whole volume, beginning on 1 at the start of the first chapter, and ending on 553/553A at the end of the eleventh chapter. A contents page at the front of the volume (ff.4-5) lists the chapters by their headings and subheadings, with each referring to paragraph, rather than page, numbers.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Pagination: The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence, with page numbers located top and centre of each page.

Written in
English in Latin script
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‘Persian Gulf Gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Precis of Turkish expansion on the Arab littoral of the Persian Gulf and Hasa [Al-Hasa] and Katif [Al-Qaṭīf] affairs.’ [‎29] (41/160), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C238, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514031.0x00002b> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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