‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [‎18r] (35/92)

ficial. It is'very unlibely that Nasir Un Mubarik will abandon hia designs upon the island,
and fresh disturbances on his part must be apprehended from time to time; but if Uis principal
supporter, the Sheikh of El Bidaa, can be deterred from affording him help and encourage
ment, much of his power for mischief will have been taken away. In our opinion there ia
reason to hop* that the Sheikh will not disregfard the warning conveyed to him by Colonel
Ross, and that so far as Bahrein is concerned, his proceedings may for the future be less op*n
to suspicion.
8. We have now, however, to forward for Your Lordship's orders some further papers
reo-ardin^ the position and proceedings of this Chief, an^ to ask for Your Lordship s inst^uo-
tions with respect to the general question of his furture relations with the British Government.
Your Lordship is aware that the Sheikh has before now entertained the hope of gaining a
footing to the eastward, at Odeid, and that he has been forbidden from establishing a
settlement at this spot on the ground that Odeid belonged to the Chief of Abuthabi. It dow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean.
appears that he has again shown a desire to send an expedition into the waters of the trucial
Chiefs, and the Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. has informed him that such a movement could
not be'permitted. We have approved of the Kesident's action in this matter But Colonel
Ross further reports, in a letter* of the 16th August, which forms an enclosure to this despatch,
that Jasim bin Mnhummad has announced his inteation of sending a force by sea to attack
his enemies, the Ajman Bedouins, in the neighbourhood of El Katif ; and it is with special
reference to this matter that we now address lour Lordship.
4. Your Lordship is aware that the Sheikh is nominally under Turkish jurisdiction, a
fact which greatly complicates our dealings with him in all cases ; and in the present instance
his proposal is of such a nature that there is some reason to doubt whether the B itish Govern
ment would be justified in actively interfering against him. The Katif coast is in such close
proximity to Bahrein that any expedition to this neighbourhood may easily have the effect
of disturbing the security of the island, while it would also in all pr lability lead to the
renewal of piracies and disorder in the adjoining waters. On the other hand, the r e is no
definite ground for regarding the expedition as directed against our feudatory, so that we
have some hesitation in treating it as a matter to which Your Lordship's orders of the 26th
August would apply; and. further, until piracies actually result from the despatch of the force,
it appears to us that our cruisers cannot act against the Sheikh's boats under the instructions
conveyed in Your Lordship's despatchf No. 28 of the 5th August, by which we were informed
that Her Majesty's vessels need nipt be too much hampered by the three mile limit in pursu
ing pirate cr^ft into Turkish waters. Under these circumstances Colonel Ross has not
thought it proper to interfere authoritatively in order to prevent the expedition, and we have
expressed concurrence in, and approval of, his views.
5 Your Lordship will observe a reference in the 3rd paragraph of Colonel Ross's letter
of the 16th August to an engagement made in 1868 by the father of the present Sneikh not
to make war by sea. As this agreement had something of a personal character, and as its
force may be hfdd to have been weakened, if not annulled, by the Turkish assumption of
authority over El Bidaa, we have thought it better for the present not to lay any stress on it.
In reply, however, to Colonel Ross's letter, the Sbe-kh has just written to say that he pro
poses to abide generally by Colonel Ross's instructions, and not to commence any warlike
undertaking without his permission. Notwithstanding, therefore, his connection with the
Turkish Government, the Sheikh may be willing to admit as binding on hira the engagement
made by his father; and, if so, the result may he to contribute materially to the sacurty of
Bahreiu and the neighbouring seas. We shall instruct the Resident to bear the point in
mind, and to take any suitable opportunity that may occur of ascertaining whether the engage-
meot may still be treated as in force.
86. The Secretary of State replied in
Pro. Ko. 122, Sec., May 1882, Nop. 122-126. No . 3,' dated iOth January
1882
2. The Chief in question occupies apart of the coast wh^the jurisdiction of the Ottoman
Sultan has not- been formally recognized by Her Majesty s Government, and is, in fa^t, little
more than nominal; but he appears to fly the Turkish tlag on shore, and to have admitted a
Turkish gamson into his fort. On the ot her hand, he is in constant communication with the
British Resident in the Gulf ; he has lately abandoned a contemplated maritime expedition
to the neighbourhood of the Turkish port of Katif, in deference to the remonstrances of that
officer, to whose orders in such matters he professes his intention to submit; and he has ex-
plic tly stated that ho regards the seas of those parts as being " under the British Govern
ment,"
3. It seems, therefore, that to whatever extent the Chief may have accepted the position
of an Ottoman dep ndant, he, like his father before him, maintains very close and direct rela
tions with the authorities of .he Indian Government, and is prepared to defer to them in all
matters affecting the peace of the seas. In the opinion of Her Majesty 's Government, thia
disposition on the part of the Sheikh should be encouraged. There is nothing in it incom
patible with corresponding relations on his part with the Turks as regards his affairs on land,
while, if he act up to his professions, and abstain from ill-treatment of British subjects, the
• Vide paragraph 82 ante.
f Vide paragraph 77 ante.