'File 19/191 III (C 56) Bahrain, Persian Claim To' [‎99v] (217/396)

10
Lor. I,
Lor. I, 865.
Bombay
Selections,
XXIV, 389.
Pol. Res. to
Govt, of
Bombay,
47.1839.
the Government of India em P 0 7 red 'place
Sheikh elaimed of
fte temporary protection o'. had'been
Mir military
Droceedings until the views of both Governments were
Cwn falling whieh Bahrein wonld be ^ded agms
intervention by them until the pleasure of H er 8
Government had been communicated to the local authorit e .
In the same month the Sheikh promised the Assistant
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. to take no steps to place himself under
the authority or protection of a foreign Power without first
consulting 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. .
Sheikh submits to Egyptians (July 1839).
34. In J uly 1839 the Sheikh " suddenly and un
expectedly" acknowledged the supremacy of the Egyptians
and agreed to pay them a tribute of 2,000 dollars a year, on
the understanding that his local authority would be observed
and that no representative of the Egyptians would be sent
to reside in Bahrein. The Resident protested m writing
to both the Sheikh and the Egyptians, and expostulated
with the Sheikh on the way m which he was sacrificing his
independence. The Sheikh explained that his action was
the result of the refusal of Her Majesty's Government to
give him advice or a specific assurance of support. For a
trifling financial payment he had now secured immunity
from Interference. He offered, however, in return for a
written and distinct pledge of protection, to repudiate his
agreement with the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and to avow himself a dependent
of Her Majesty's Government; but on being_ pressed he
refused to confirm this in writing and said that in any event
it would be necessary for him to justify his change of attitude
to the Egyptians on the ground that it was the result of
compulsion by Her Majesty's Government.
Precis, 393.
Hertslet,
1874, p. 5.
1839-40. Views of Her Majesty's Government on future
Policy towards Bahrein.
35. As a consequence of the activities of the Egyptians
discussion appears about this time to have taken place as to
the desirability of declaring a regular protectorate over
Bahrein. On 1st July 1839 the Secret Committee Pre-1784, the Committee responsible for protecting East India Company shipping. Post-1784, its main role was to transmit communications between the Board of Control and the Company's Indian governments on matters requiring secrecy. of the
East India Company informed the Government of India that
if necessary they would " not disapprove of your entering
into an engagement with the Chief of Bahrein to protect him
against encroachments from Mehemet Ali, but we concur in
the doubt expressed by Captain Hennell [then Political
Resident] as to whether it wovdd be expedient for that
island to be taken under the protection of the British
Government." On 24th February 1840 the Foreign Office
wrote to the India Board (with reference to an enquiry from
the Bombay Government) that it was important that the
Egyptian troops should not be allowed to take possession of
Bahrein and that if the Company's troops could occupy it,
even provisionally, such a measure could not fail to be
attended with advantage. On the retirement o£ the
Egyptians from Hasa in 1840 their relations with the Sheikh
came to an end.
Summary, 1830-40.
36. From 1831—33 Bahrein was subject and tributary to
the VVahabi Amirs. She revolted from them in the latter year,
but in 1836 again entered into an understanding, which