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'Shaikh Ali bin Ahmad' [‎21r] (41/630)

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The record is made up of 1 file (313 folios). It was created in 20 May 1905-15 Jan 1917. It was written in English and Arabic. 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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No. 331, dated Bushire, the 16th (received the 24th) July 1905.
From M ajor P. Z. Cox, C.I.E. Officiating 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,
To—S. M. F raser, Esq., C.I.E., Secretary to the Government of India in the
Foreign Department,
1 have the honour to forward copies of the letters marginally noted, addressed
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, to Resident, Nos. 204 to me by 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. , Bahrein, on
a tS'ft e aP„miJai n A6. 9 „tBahrein, No. .006, receiving a copy of Foreign Department
dated 16th July 1905. letter No. 1873-E. B., dated 17th May
1905. A copy of my reply to Government to the latter communication had not
then reached him. My letter No. 781 to which he also refers, covered my written
message of 7th June for delivery to the Sheikh. A copy of it was-forwarded to
Government with my No. 259 of 1 ith June.
2. Now that the Government of India have at Bahrein a Political represent
ative of some standing and experience, I take for granted that they would wish,
especially at the present juncture when the affairs of Bahrein are sub judice, to be
placed-ln possession of his views first hand in all Important matters, irrespective
of the question whether the Resident can entirely endorse them or not. It is on
this supposition that I submit his present communication for consideration.
3. After a careful scrutiny of his recommendations I am inclined to think
that 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. 's zeal for reform has a tendency to carry him too fast
and too far, and that his present proposals are mainly of a nature which is only
compatible with a declared and effective British Protectorate.
In their letter No. 1873-E. B. to which Captain Prideaux's present com
munication (No. 204) refers, the Government of India explained to me with some
emphasis that they had set their, face- against any such extreme measure as
being altogether opposed to the policy of His Majesty's Government. They
went on to express the view that they might reasonably hope that such other
reforms as were necessary would be brought about by the gradually increasing
personal influence of 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. .
The declaration of a Protectorate being out of the question, I fully concurred
with the Government of India that as soon as coercive measures were held to
have come to an end, our only course was to rely on the personal influence and
friendly advice of our 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 further our policy in other respects.
When replying on this point in my letter No. 244, dated 14th June, I ventured to
indicate the nature which that influence must in my opinion possess in order to
have any chance of success.
4. Apart from such further reforms as this dominant influence may be able
to bring about in the future, I doubt if there is any middle course open to us
between the extreme ones of treating Bahrein {a) as a British Protectorate, and
(^) as an independent principality. I grant that if King Log does not give
satisfaction there is presumably nothing to prevent us from^ changing him for
King Stork, but it seems to me that we cannot at one minute insist that the
Ruler is an Independent sovereign and expect him to assume responsibility as
such (as we did in connection with the Fracls-Times lawsuit arising out of
the f< Baluchistan " seizure, vide the cor-
Office,^nesp^tfh^No^V^ecre^iated^'-th 1 March respondence marginally noted), and at
1899 to Government of India and previous corre- another treat him like a petty Indian Raja King
spcndence. and intervene in his internal administration
to the extent suggested by Captain Prideaux.
Lest I should appear at all inconsistent in making these observations, I
would reiterate here that the reforms advocated in my letter No. 123 ,dated 1 ith
March 1505,.were proposed essentially as component items of our punitive mea
sures against the Sheikh, at a time when I doubted whether Government would
consider those already taken as sufficient. Since then several months have elapsed
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Content

The file relates to Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed Al Khalifah (also referred to as Ali bin Ahmad), nephew of the Ruler of Bahrain, Sheikh Esa bin Ali Al Khalifa [Sheikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah]. The file includes correspondence from the Government of India, 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. , 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. , Bahrain, the Ruler of Bahrain (in Arabic with English translations), and Sheikh Ali himself (also in Arabic with English translations). The file includes:

  • papers relating to the exile of Sheikh Ali from Bahrain [frequently referred to in the file in the spelling Bahrein], the question of whether the Government of India or the Ruler of Bahrain should pay the costs of his maintenance allowance during his exile in India, and the amount of that payment, May - October 1905;
  • papers relating to the question of the future adminstration of Manama and Bahrain, September - October 1905;
  • papers recording the payment of Sheikh Ali's maintenance allowance on a monthly basis by the Ruler of Bahrain, 1906-1909;
  • papers concerning the possibility of the return of Sheikh Ali to Bahrain, July 1906 - December 1907;
  • papers concerning the proposed occupation of Sheikh Ali's former house in Bahrain by the Ruler's son, Sheikh Hamad [Sheikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah], September 1906;
  • papers concerning the terms of a proposed agreement for the return of Sheikh Ali to Bahrain before the expiry of his term of banishment, including details of properties and allowances in cash assigned by Sheikh Esa for the maintenance of Sheikh Ali, December 1907 - May 1908;
  • papers concerning the return of Sheikh Ali to Bahrain, July 1908 - February 1909;
  • subsequent reports and correspondence about Sheikh Ali, including note of his death, September 1912 - January 1917.

The date of the first original piece of correspondence in the file is 22 August 1905. The file also contains copies of correspondence printed by the Government of India dating from 20 May 1905.

Extent and format
1 file (313 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1 on the front cover and terminates at 315 on the back cover. These numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio. A second sequence, comprising a combination of pagination and foliation, numbered 1-343, can be found between ff. 2-314. These numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in either the top left or top right hand corners of the verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. or recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio respectively.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'Shaikh Ali bin Ahmad' [‎21r] (41/630), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/19, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023610570.0x00002a> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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