Letter No. 111 of 1868 from Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Pelly, HBM's Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, at Kurrachee [Karachi] to The Secretary to Government, Political Department, Bombay

Content

Letter regarding the recent affairs of Bahrain, Guttur [Qatar] and Aboothabee [Abu Dhabi] and their breaches of the peace at sea.

The letter goes on to give details of a dispute between Persia and Muscat which had given rise to the Arab tribes and boats looking to plunder Persian ports and their concerns regarding Persia's interests in Lingah [Bandar-e-Lengeh] and the island of Kishm [Qeshm].

The letter continues by discussing the situation in Bahrain and Chief Mohamed bin Khuleefa [Shaikh Muḥammed bin Khalīfah Āl Khalīfah] who had been opposing the British and had fled to Khor Hassan on the Guttur coast, and noting that many of the Arab tribes were weary of his 'tyrant, exactions and eccentricities'.

Pelly proceeds by reporting on his arrival at Wukra [Al-Wakrah], the chief town on the Guttur coast, where the Chief's involved in came on board his vessel and confessed to their breaches of the maritime truce as well as their outrage at the plunder and destruction of their own towns and property by the Bahrain chief after which they agreed to seal documents to secure the general peace and hand over Muhamed bin Khuleefa.

From Guttur Pelly reports that he proceeded to Bahrain where he met Sheikh Alee [‘Alī bin Muḥammed Āl Khalīfah] and other prominent chiefs who all agreed to the outlawing of Mohamed bin Khuleefa and made a declaration to Pelly promising to hand over all war vessels and belongings of his and to preserve the peace at sea.

Pelly then reports on his work in overseeing the destruction of the fort, cannon and war vessels belonging to Sheikh Mohammed before returning to Wukrah where Sheikh Mohamed ben Sanee [Muhammad bin Thānī] of Guttur gave a declaration to abide by the maritime truce and to pay a tribute to Bahrain through 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. . From there Pelly reports that he travelled to Abothabee to enforce the Government's wishes there and that he had to threaten to destroy the fort in order to convince the Chief of the seriousness of the matter and to convince him to also sign the declaration, following which he was forced to return the horses plundered from Wukra and to surrender his guns which would be returned on deposit pending his good behaviour.

Extent and format

8 folios

It is part of

Manuscript copies of correspondence between Pelly and the Political Department, Bombay.

146 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/40

Written in

English in Latin script

Type

Letter

Access & Reference

Original held at

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.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Mss Eur F126/40, ff 30-37

History of this record

Date(s)

25 Sep 1868 (CE, Gregorian)

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Letter No. 111 of 1868 from Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Pelly, HBM's Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, at Kurrachee [Karachi] to The Secretary to Government, Political Department, Bombay, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/40, ff 30-37, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100024102587.0x00000c> [accessed 23 April 2024]

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