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'File 19/243 III (C 95) Zubarah' [‎194r] (402/462)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (231 folios). It was created in 21 Jul 1937-14 Nov 1946. 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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KOTB.
iJhaikh Saimari canie to aoc me on the 2nd Jeptemoer
as a result of a letter ^hich I wrote to him to the
effoot that I waa not willing to enter into disouseione
about Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. until after Colonel Oalloway # 8 return from
leave tout that there were other matters of a more urgent
nature about whioh I wished to epeak tc him after ^amadhan.
2* In apite of my letter ftfl soon cis formalities
were over tue Shaii^n started off at onoe on the auhject
of Zubaran and resisted all my attempts to stop him.
tfhen I eventually aid get him to tali about other subjects
he kept on breaicing off and returning to Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. . Ho
said he had brought papers with him which he wished to
show me but X relused to see them# He at great
ieri^th cuout "my rigQt;s ,, and "my laacl M and so on ^nd
complained that it *aa two ye^rs and two months since
he liuPi liiiyfieu tue agreement and nothiiag had been done to
implement it. He complained of the further delay caused
oy my refusal to discuss tUe matter until Colonel trails
return alio said that no doubt the matter wou^d t»e further
postponed owing to my departure on leave. He saia he
wan becoming a laughing stock of all the Ara^® bec^uee
In spite of his friendship with the British he was unable
to obtain uis rights. He did not refer at all to the
tower in the course of the conversation but mentioned
chiefly the restrict Ions the Shaikh of Qatar was placing
on Bahrain subjects entering and leaving Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. . If
I understood him rightly he stated that he did not claim
sovereignty over Zul)«»rah but only wanted his grass and
water. When I remarked that there was no profit for him
in Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. he replied that it was not a matter profit
as he knew that there was nothing of value in Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha.
but one of prestige. He said that Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. was of more
importance to nim than anything else in the world and that
so long as the present position existed he would continue
to remain in a state of anguish. He finally said that
he could not bear the present uncertainty and panted a
decision one way or the other even though it was unfavooraole»
I replied that I could not possibly give a decision until
I naC heard what the Shaikh of Q^atar had to say on the
subject and suggested that I might even have to inspect
the spot.
5* As soon as I was able I brought the conversation
round to the subject that I wished to talk to the Shaikh
about. I said that now that the life of the oilfield
and the income from it was assured for 50 years I thought
that more ought to be spent on improving conditions in
Manama and iluharraq* I referred to the lack of any
development plant the bad state of the roadB> to the need
for a hotel, town planning etc. I also mentioned the
difficulty that Colonel Blood-jforth had experienced in
obtaining' land for an automatic exchange at Luharraq and
to the unsatisfactory position that had been created by
the faot that although Mr. Tunnicliffe is nominally Group
Captain lisigh 's assistant he has not been placed in subordin
ation to him. Shaikh Salman first said that he could not
do anything until the Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. question had been settled»
at which I showed obvious signs of annoyance. He then said
that Bahrain was greatly in advance of the other Gulf States
so far its administration was concerned, and that he could
not be blamed for being conservative in expenditure when
the oil refinery could be completely destroyed by one bomb.
I did not argue matters at great length but contented myself
on this occasion by giving the Shaikh myjviews. I think
he had probably been informed beforehand \the subject regarding
which I wished* to speak to him and briefed by Mr. Belgrave.
RHL.

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Content

This file contains correspondence regarding the situation after hostilities that occurred between the Al Naim tribe (supported by Bahrain) and Qatar in Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. in June and July 1937.

The correspondence covers the period immediately following the events and continues for several years until 1946. It contains details of British mediation efforts between the two sides and also includes the text (in English and Arabic) of a reconciliation agreement between the two sides from 1944.

The file also contains a translation of an Arabic-language letter published in the Cairo publication 'Rabitat Al Arabieh' (f. 25). The letter is from a Bahraini and argues that the British had sided with Qatar in the conflict regarding Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. as they were afraid that if under Bahraini control, the concession for oil deposits near the town would be given to an American (as opposed to British) oil company as had been done in Bahrain.

Extent and format
1 volume (231 folios)
Arrangement

File is arranged in chronological order, from earliest at beginning of the file to most recent at end.

Physical characteristics

A bound correspondence volume. There are two incomplete foliation sequences and one complete foliation sequence. The complete sequence is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of each folio. It begins on the title page, on number 1, and runs through to 224, ending on the inside of the back cover of the volume. Anomalies: f.1A; f.126A; f.126B; f.141A; f.141B.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'File 19/243 III (C 95) Zubarah' [‎194r] (402/462), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/371, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023850386.0x000001> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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