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‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [‎33r] (65/92)

The record is made up of 1 volume (46 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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55
undesirable tliat he should remain at Wakra, even for a short time, and is o£ opinion that under
pressure of a British ship o£ war his removal can be effected speedily, without raising local
difficulties, this course may be followed.
214. This telegram was repeated to Colonel Kemball, who wired back on
the 2nd June:—
" I think it will be much better that Yusuf Beg should be recalled by his own govern"
^ „ „ , „ . , ment and I see no objection to his remaining short
No. 381 of Secret E., August 1903, Nos 313-402. .. ■, , J , • & .
time longer, so long as ms ultimate removal is
achieved. I am writing more fully. Meanwhile, could not Porte be asked to reiterate orders
which apparently local authorities are neglecting to obey ?
215. On 15th June 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. wired that Mr. Gaskin wrote
on 5th June to say that he had received information, which he believed to be
reliable, that Yusuf Beg had left Wakra.
216. In August 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. reported that
o ™ oo.Yusuf Be? had been dismissed from his
Secret E., May 1904, Nos. 234-293. ^ , ttt 7 i-iii i ji
post at Wakra, but had been replaced by
Abdul Rahman, son of Jasim-bin-Thani, Sheikh of Katar, under order of the
Mutaserrif of Hasa. The information was communicated to the Secretary of
State, who agreed that, as Katar was beyond the sphere in which nominal suzera
inty of the Porte was recdgnizedby His Majesty's Government, we should object
to the appointment by Turkey of any administrative official. The Political
Resident was informed accordingly, and on the 21st of September the Consul
at Basrah reported that the Wali had instructed the Mutasserif of Hasa to
suppress the Mudirate at Wakra, and to revert to the status quo ante.
217. On the 20th September Mr. Gaskin who had been deputed to visit
Katar reported that he had interviewed
both Jasim and Ahmed. The former
stated that his son had been made Sheikh of Wakra five years ago by Sheikh
Ahmed ; and though he had heard of the recent action of the Mutasserif of
Hasa, he had paid no attention to it, and had left Ahmed to deul with the
matter. Mr. Gaskin inferred that be disapproved of the Turks appointing his
son Mudir of Wakra.
Sheikh Ahmed observed that the Mutassarif was apparently anxious to
extend Turkish authority in Katar; and, if he succeeded in his designs, the
whole Peninsula would be absorbed by the Porte, and his family would be
driven out of the country, as they could not oppose the Turks for any length
of time, should they really make up their minds to take over the country and
employ force; for this reason, he was very eager to know whether His Majesty's
Government would extend their protection over Katar in the event of a peti
tion being submitted to them to that effect. The Assistant 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. ,
Bahrein, informed him that the discussion of this subject was beyond his pro
vince, and consequently could give him no reply.
Mr. Gaskin also thought that the influence of the Thani family was likely
to decrease in Katar because most the Arabs being pearl divers, who had
grown rich by the bounty of Sheikh Jasim, would soon be less dependent upon
his bounty.
218. Mr. Gaskin's letter of the 20th September was forwarded to the Secre
tary of State with the despatch dated 22nd October 1903. Information having
been received, that Sheikh Ahmed wished to come and see His Excellency the
Viceroy, while on his tour in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , His Excellency telegraphed
from camp On 10th November—
"I should be glad to know, if possible, before 19th November, whether His Majesty's
No 269 of ditto Government have arrived at final decision regard
ing British protection for Katar. It is
probable that Sheikh Ahmed may come to Bahrein to see me and state his views on 26th
November.^
219. The Secretarv of State telegraphed
No. 2740 tto. the 18th November 1903
« His Majesty's Government considers situation governed by last paragraph of letter* to
Foreign Office, 4th February 1903, stating that no agreement with Sheikh would be possible
if maintenance of status quo was arranged. See enclosure to Secretary's letter No. 7, dated
February 6th. In view of compliance of Turkish Government with request for maintenance
of status quo by withdrawal of Mudirs appointed to Zobarah and Wakra, His Majesty 's
* See paragraph 197 ante.

About this item

Content

The volume, stamped ‘Confidential’ on the front cover, is part 1 (historical and political materials) of a précis of Qatar (spelt Katar throughout) affairs for the years 1873 to 1904. It was prepared by Judge Jerome Antony Saldanha of the Bombay Provincial Civil Service, and published in 1904 by the Government of India Foreign Department, Simla, India.

The main subjects of the précis, which is comprised chiefly of extracts from Government correspondence, run as follows:

  • Turkish movements in Qatar, 1873; Chief of Bahrain (spelt Bahrein throughout) advised to keep aloof from complications in Qatar, 1873;
  • British intervention refused to Chief of Debai [Dubai] in case robberies committed against vessels of his subjects on Qatar coast, 1873;
  • Threatened attack on Bahrain and Qatar (Zobarah [Zubara]) by the Bedouin tribes of Beni Hajir, 1874;
  • Complaints of Turkey about Chief of Bahrain’s encroachments in Qatar, 1874;
  • The Beni Hajir attack Zubara and commit piracies, 1875;
  • Aggressive policy of the Turks and establishment of a new Turkish province on the Arabian littoral of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ;
  • Plunder of a Bahrain boat by the Beni Hajir and an excessive contribution levied by the Chief of Bidaa [Al-Bidda] on British Indian traders residing there;
  • Claims preferred by the Government of Basrah [Basra] on behalf of the inhabitants of Qatar against certain residents of Bahrain, 1876;
  • Alleged ill-treatment of British Indian subjects, 1879;
  • Piracies at Zubara – destruction of Zubara by Shaikh Jasim [Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī], 1878;
  • Ill-treatment of Indian traders, 1879;
  • Question of suppression of piracies on the Arab coast. Claims of the Turks to Odeid [’Odaid] (1871-81); previous history of ’Odaid, 1837-76;
  • History of ’Odaid continued, question of Turkish jurisdiction on the Qatar coast, and suppression of piracies, 1878-81;
  • Removal of section of the Al-bu-Kowareh tribe from Al-Bidda to Foweyrat [Fujairat], 1879;
  • Threatened attack on Bahrain by Nasir-bin-Mobarik [Nasir bin Mubarak] and Shaikh Jāsim of Al-Bidda, 1881;
  • Shaikh Jāsim’s desire to occupy ’Odaid, 1881;
  • Policy as to the relations to be maintained with Shaikh Jāsim and the Turkish Government in Qatar, 1881;
  • Ill-treatment of British subjects by Shaikh Jāsim and exaction of a fine from him, 1880-82;
  • Protest of the Porte against British proceedings at Al-Bidda. British disclaimer of Turkish jurisdiction in Qatar, 1883;
  • Shaikh Jāsim’s projected expedition against a branch of the Beji Hajirs in 1884;
  • Fight between the Ejman [Ajman] and allied tribes on one side and Morah and Monasir tribes on the other, 1884;
  • Disputes between Shaikh Jāsim and the Chief of Abuthabi [Abu Dhabi], Jāsim’s intentions to occupy ’Odaid and the ill-treatment of Bedouins at Al-Bidda, 1885-86;
  • Outrages against Indian subjects under Jāsim’s instigation, and Shaikh Jāsim made to pay a fine, 1887;
  • Protests of the Porte against British Government proceedings, 1888;
  • Question of withdrawal of the Turkish garrison from Al-Bidda;
  • Turkish expansion along the Arab coast and the policy of the British Government, 1888;
  • Hostilities between Shaikh Jāsim and Shaikh Zaid [Zayed bin Khalifa] of Abu Dhabi, reported movements of the Chief of Jabal Shamer Ibn Rashid towards Oman in order to aid Shaikh Jāsim, 1888-89;
  • Jāsim carrying munitions of war by sea, 1889;
  • Turkish project of rebuilding Zubara, 1888;
  • Turkish measures for establishing their jurisdiction on a firmer basis on the Arab coast. Increase of Turkish forces in Qatar, 1888;
  • Intrigues of Jāsim against Abu Dhabi, 1889-90;
  • Turkish projects for rebuilding Zubara and ’Odaid, 1890-91;
  • Hostilities between Shaikh Jāsim and the Turks, 1891-93;
  • British policy towards Jāsim during the hostilities. Chief of Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, 1893;
  • Question of Turkish jurisdiction in Qatar, 1893;
  • Removal by Turkish authorities of the British flag from a boat at Al-Bidda, 1897;
  • Occupation of Zubara by the Al-bin-Ali tribe with the support of the Turks and Shaikh Jāsim. Threatened attack of Bahrain, and the energetic measures taken to expel the settlement, 1895;
  • Arab rising against the Turks in Qatar;
  • Disturbances off the Qatar coast between the Amamera and Al-bin-Ali tribes, 1900;
  • Piracies committed by the Beni Hajir off the Qatar coast, 1900;
  • Reconsideration of our general policy on the Arab side of the Gulf;
  • (1) Proposed British protectorate over the Chief of Qatar; (2) Aggressive action of the Porte in attempted to establish mudirates at ’Odaid, Wakra and Zubara, 1902-04.

The appendices are as follows:

Extent and format
1 volume (46 folios)
Arrangement

The contents of the précis are arranged in rough chronological order, and organised under a number of subheadings, with each paragraph numbered from 1 to 229. Three appendicies follow the main précis. There is a contents page at the front of the volume (f 5) which lists the subheadings with their corresponding paragraph numbers. The appendices are referenced using the volume’s pagination system.

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 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. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [‎33r] (65/92), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C243, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023526379.0x000043> [accessed 29 April 2024]

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