'Persian Gulf précis. (Parts I and II)' [‎7v] (14/120)

10
r • 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. to Foreign Office, dated the 17th Jann-
•S nry 1907.
^ . [ Foreign Office to 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. , dated the 24th Janu-
C 1 J ary '907.
p " 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. to Foreign Office, dated the 7th Fchrnary
< I 1907, enclosing copy of Secret despatch No. 2, dated the
^Ist February 1907.
" It will be remembered that it
was decided after correspondence
in 1907* to treat cases of this
on their individual merit8' ,
kind
Secret E., August 1903, Nos. 313-4-02.
Secret E., May 1904, Nos. 234 293, Pro. Xos. 236,
238-239.
9. In 1903-01, Turkish Mudirs were appointed at Odeid,—which the
Government of India consider to be
Abu Thabi territory (see Trucial
Chiefs)—Wakra and Zobara. His
Majesty's Government protested and
the officers who had started to join their appointments were recalled, a British
warship being sent to prevent the Mudir landing at Wakra. Again in 1910
similar appointments were either actually made or attempted. Hepresentations
were made at Constantinople that the proceeding was a disturbance of the
status quo, and an assurance was given by the Porte that if sunh appointments
had been made by the Mutasarif of El Hasa, they would be cancelled.
10. But while vigorous action against these appointments on the Katar
Coast was taken by His Majesty's Government, they have nevertheless
deprecated (1903-05) the revival of our Treaty of 1868 with the principal Chief
of Katar, who, at the time of the Turkish occupation in 1871, accepted a
Turkish flag and the title of Kaimakam, but who in 1902 asked to be taken
under British protection. —" '
The request was referred to Secretary of State, with the remark that the
Government of India saw no objection
pro. ao. 526 in secret e., jdy 1902, nos. 519-526. to the Resident being permitted to
institute enquiries as to the actual
position of Ahmed-bin-Thani, and that, should it prove that the Shaikh was
established as Chief of El Katar, they would propose to authorise Colonel
Kemball to conclude with him an agreement similar to those excuted with the
Trucial Chiefs of the Arab Coast. It was added that this agreement would
involve an assurance to the Chief of protection agairst Turkey and other
Powers. On the 5th September 1902, the Secretary of State concurred in the
Pro. No. 66 in Secret e ., May 1903, Nos. 64- proposed action, but said that, before any
87- steps were taken towards the conclusion
of the proposed agreement, the question of the extension of the British Protec
torate in Arabia would have to be considered carefully, both from the political
and from the military point of view. The Secretary of State was informed on
the 19th Jar uary 1903, to the effect that Jasim-bin-Thani was the recognised
Chief of Katar, and that the Turks
styled him Kaimakam, though he repu
diated the title ; that his brother, Ahmed-bin-Thani, was the de facto Chief,
and was regarded as heir to his brother who was over 80 years of ai?e. The
Viceroy suggestedf that to prevent Tur
kish designs, it wouid be wise to enter
into an agreement, but that if His Majesty's Government were not prepared
to take this step at once, which would, perhaps, depend upon the attitude of
the Turks, the Shaikh might be told that we prefer to wait till he succeeds later
on to the Chiefship.
In the meanwhile, the complications of 1903-04 (paragraph 9) had arisen
Pro. No. 66 in Secret e., May 1903, Nos. 64-87, With the Turks who attempted to esta-
« xt - o „ blish certain Ottoman Mudirates on the
Pro. No. 279 in Secret E., May 1904, Nos. 234-293. -w r* j. i • . .
.Katar Loast, and in a communication
addressed by the 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. to the Foreign Offine on the 4th February
1903, Lord George Hamilton was of opinion that " should the maintenance of
the status quo in El Katar be arranged, for the present at least, no agreement
with Shaikh Ahmed-bin-lhani will be possible." In this view the"Foreign
Office concurred in November 1903. Meanwhile, further correspondence ensued
in which the Government of India pressed the proposed agreement with the
Katar Shaikh, but His Majesty's Government linally vetoed it, as will be
Pro. No. 66 in Secret E., May 1903, Nos. 64-87.
t Secret E., Mny 1903, No. 80.