'File 19/191 III (C 56) Bahrain, Persian Claim To' [‎103r] (224/396)

17
State and had concluded with it pfn-tofr. + a* t
in 1820 for the ^ tam treaties, namely, one India Bd
the prohibition nf ?K n / pirac y ^nd one in 1847 for to F.O.,
ine pronibition ot the exportation of slaves and tW Hov 7.2.1851.
Majesty s Government must obiect to anv nrrflnn- f i. - i. "'^ or "
would transfer Bahrein to thp domi 'n' rian gement which f. O . to sir
any other Power dominion or protectorship of S. Canning,
/;9 t +1< Constanti-
Lord "palmerstori 0 remarked ^ C "
it is the opinion of the E as i
st to be aimed at is to prevent Bahrein from falling under
the control of any foreign Power, and to keep that inland fn
i s piesent condition of political independence. But I infer
from what has been stated in the despatches which you
have communicated to me, that if that independence could
onger be maintained, and if the ruler and the people of
Bahrein were determined^ to place themselves under some
oreign protection, the last India Company would think
that less evil would arise from affording to Bahrein British
authfintv^to h 11 f ^ 0 ^.^l 10 ,^ 11 ^. French . Persian or Turkish
autnonty to b© GStablisliGd in that lslcl^d. ,,
Attitude of the W ahabis and 1852-53.
r , Iri u ! 8 1 52 1 , 1 ; h r Sheikli Proposed to withhold his tribute Lor I 885
from the Wahabi Aimr but on the advice of the Resident
decided to pay it. In the same year the Consul at Zanzibar
was instructed to inform the Imam of Muscat that Her
Majesty s Government saw no reason to alter the views
regard mg the possession of Bahrein communicated to His
Highness m 1849 (paragraph 58 above). In May 1853 the
Government of India authorised the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions.
to offer every obstacle to an attack on Bahrein by the Wahabi Lor. I 887
Amir (who was now nominally subject to the Turkish
Government) on the ground that Her Majesty's Government
would not permit the occupation of Bahrein by the Turkish
Government or by anyone acting for them or in their interest.
Principle of Nox-interferekce in Internal Affairs laid down
by Bombay Government (1854).
. 0n 20 th November 1854 the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions.
3ii a letter to the Resident laid down the principle of non-^
interference in the internal affairs of Bahrein, and authorised
the Resident simultaneously to inform the Sheikh of Qatif on
the Aiab mainland that the British Government would not
tolerate his further interference with the affairs of Bahrein.
Slavery Agreement with Her Majesty's Government (1856).
65. On the 10th May 1856 an agreement supplementary Aitchison,
to the Treaty of 1847 (paragraph 51 above) regarding the Vol. XI, '
slave trade was made with the Sheikh. Its contents were ;No - ix ' 234 -
identical with that of corresponding engagements entered
into at the same time by the Arab rulers of the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. .
66. The Sheikh's internal government continued to go
from bad to worse. In September 1858 reparation was
secured from him for the ill-treatment of British subjects in
Bahrein. In 1859 a Wahabi attack was averted by British
intervention. The local Wahabi Governor sued for pardon Lor. 1, 887.
to the Senior Naval Officer; the Wahabi ruler, however,
made a formal protest, asserted his authority over Bahrein,
and declared that he was himself a vassal of the Sultan of
Turkey. The Resident, in reply, informed him of the
determination of Her Majesty's Government to preserve the
independence of Bahrein, and pointed out the inconsistency
of his piratical attacks on Turkish shipping with his
professions of dependence on the Ottoman Government.
Sheikh's Appeal to Persia and Turkey, 1859-61.
67. At the end of 1859 or early in 1860, as the result,. Lor. I, 888.
apparently, partly of apprehensions of the Wahabis and
partly of irritation at the restraint exercised by the Resident
2953 E