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'Persian Gulf - Turkish jurisdiction along the Arabian coast (Part III)' [‎18r] (29/30)

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The record is made up of 1 file (15 folios). It was created in 2 Dec 1881. 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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Mi
1 30th October
* Secret, No. 145,
*<881. Enclosure 9.
ed 30th October
dated 30th October
29
of importance, and the Sheikh was rightly given
to understand that he would not be permitted to
disturb it. The question of the Sheikh's projected
expedition to the Kateef coast stands on a somewhat
different footing, and the Governor General in
Council considers that you acted with prudence in
not authoritatively forbidding it. This point will
be referred for the orders of Her Majesty's Govern
ment in connection with the general question of
Turkish jurisdiction on the Arabian coast of the
Gulf. Meanwhile the Sheikh's proposed expedition
to El Kateef should not be prevented by force.
" 4. I am, however, to, add that, if the proposed
expedition should lead to any act of piracy, you
will be able to deal with it under the instructions
recently issued by the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty regarding the pursuit of pirate craft
beyond the three-mile limit."
Intermediately, the Chief of El Bidaa (9th Sep
tember) replied to Colonel Ross's letter of the 16th
August, to the effect that it was not his intention
to undertake maritime expeditions without the
Resident's permission.
Upon learning this the Government of India
(26th October) sent the following further instruc
tions to Colonel Ross *
44 2. The question of the Sheikh's projected ex
pedition to the Kateef coast has already been referred
for the orders of Her Majesty's Government, and,
in the meantime, with reference to the connection
between Jasim-bin-Muhammad and the Turks, you
have been instructed not to prevent it by force.
Erom the enclosure to your letter, it now appears
possible that, notwithstanding this connection, the
Sheikh may be willing to admit as binding on hi m
the engagement made by his father in 1868.
Should this be the case, the result may be to con
tribute materially to the security of Bahrein and
the neighbouring seas, and I am therefore to
request that the point may be borne in mind, and
that, if a suitable opportunity should occur, you
will endeavour to ascertain whether the engagement
can still be treated as in force."
In reporting to the Secretary of State the cor
respondence and the foregoing orders, and requesting
instructions with respect to the general question
of the future relations of the Chief of El Bidaa with
the British Government, the Government of India
observe:—
"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 British Government would be justified
in actively interfering against him. The Kateef
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 probability, lead

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Content

A printed memorandum written and compiled by Adolphus Warburton Moore for the Political and Secret Department of 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. , and dated 2 December 1881.

The document is a continuation of ' Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. - Turkish jurisdiction along the Arabian coast (Part II)' (IOR/L/PS/18/B19/2) and broadly addresses the same issues, namely, how to respond toTurkish claims to sovereignty along the southern coast of the Gulf that could potentially impinge on Britain's commitments with local rulers (in Bahrain and the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ) and their security responsibilities at sea (the suppression of piracy).

The document summarises correspondence from the previous two years (1879-1881) that had dealt with the matter, beginning with an outline of the opinions of officials from the main departments and institutions involved: the Foreign Office, the Government of India, and 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. (whose opinion Warburton represents). Other correspondents include officials from the Residencies and Agencies in both the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. , as well as the Ambassador at Constantinople.

The documents cover several topics, including:

  • The threat to Bahrain from the Beni Hajir tribe and Ottoman ambitions to extend their sovereignty to the island, including the Turkish plan to build a coal depot on the island as a pretext to further political involvement;
  • Questions of how to police the waters under Turkish authority;
  • How Britain should deal with Shaikh Jasim [Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thāni] of El Bidaa [Doha];
  • Turkish claims to parts of the coast of Guttur [Qatar].

The document concludes with the perceived outcomes of the discussions, including closer ties with the ruler of Bahrain, who, in December 1880, agreed not to open relations with any foreign power other than Britain.

The author quotes extensively from the correspondence and other sources, notes on which are to be found in the margin throughout.

Extent and format
1 file (15 folios)
Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation for this description commences at folio 4 and terminates at folio 18, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between folios 4-197; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the bottom right corner of each folio.

Pagination: the document also has an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'Persian Gulf - Turkish jurisdiction along the Arabian coast (Part III)' [‎18r] (29/30), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B19/3, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023807397.0x00001e> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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