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'File 8/8 II Annual Administration Report of The Bahrain Agency' [‎90r] (179/720)

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The record is made up of 1 file (358 folios). It was created in 16 Jan 1941-15 Feb 1944. 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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• • •
It is of interest to note the rapid improvement in
physique and work value of Qataris after a few weeks*
Company messing.
The Company employs an Indian S«A*S« based on Dukhan
Camp where he has a small hospital. His services are in
considerable demand by the Shaikhs whom he visits at frequent
and regular intervals. The Shaikh has no medical facilities
whatsoever at Doha or anywhere else in his Shaikhdom apart
from this Company’s service.
It is interesting to note that the Shaikhs are realizing
the benefits of vaccination for small-pox and when an epidemic
broke out in Arabia large numbers of Qataris (mostly relatives
of the Shaikhs) were only too anxious to be done. There
were no epidemics in Qatar during 1940.
(h) Security
Security was excellent. Hone of the Company convoys or
personnel was molested and travelling in Qatar is probably
as safe as anywhere in the Sast. The Company employs some
thirty odd of the Shaikh’s personal adherents as guards
distributed over the camps at Zekhrit, Dukhan and No.2 Well.
The guards are supposed to accompany all vehicles moving out
side the camps.
In Doha, Company’s foreign personnel are not supposed
to walk in the streets or bazaar unless in company with one
or more of the guards. There is little doubt that the Shaikh
finds it convenient to keep up a pretence of insecurity in
order to Justify his contention that it is necessary for the
Company to pay and maintain a large number of his followers.
In early days he talked glibly of over 1000 men under the
command of his son, Hamid, and doubtless dreamt of a private
army at Company expense. Crime in the Company camps except
for petty thefts of wood tools etc. is practically unknown.
The culprits are usually the Shaikh’s guards who are ostensibly
there to prevent such irregularities. The Company enjoys a
great advantage in that its locations are very far removed
from any villages or settled areas. It is contact with the
local population which invariably leads to trouble, as far
as the Company can observe the Shaikh’s relations with his
neighbours (except for Bahrain) are very amicable, ^he
Shaikh has a stock of at least 500 modern rifles with
correspondingly large amount of ammunition but so far he has
not found it necessary to take any rifles or S.A.A. out of
the boxes.
The Shaikh makes no effort to tax Bedouin nomads from
Arabia entering his peninsula and passing the Company area.
It is believed that he subsidises them with the result that
they show no inclination to resent the presence of foreigners
on their grazing routes.
Certain of the Shaikh’s brothers and their sons are
highly dissatisfied with their share of oil monies and this
is a potential source of possible internal trouble. So far
the resentment has shewn itself in the departure of some of
the younger members to Bahrain where they seem to be assured
of a sympathetic hearing.
While the old Shaikh lives internal dissatisfaction is
unlikely to become dangerous as although avaricious he
commends respect.

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Content

The file contains correspondence relating to the collation and submission of the annual Administration Report of the Bahrain Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. Office, as well as the reports themselves.

Present within the file are the reports for the years 1940-43. Each Bahrain Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. report contains a prose statement and sometimes statistics on all or most of the following subjects: Officers; Ruler of Bahrain and the Al Khalifa Family; Bahrain Police; Local Affairs; Bahrain Petroleum Company; Agriculture; Municipalities; Customs; Public Works; Electric Department; Pearling Industry; Boatbuilding and Shipping; British Interests; Post Office; Medical; Judicial; Visits of British Notables; Visits of Foreign Notables; Visits of Arab Notables; Qatar; Petroleum Concessions Limited; Foreign Interests; Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Fighter Fund; Accidents Within Port Limits; Education; Royal Air Force Levies; Economic; and Cable And Wireless Ltd. Each subject comes under its own sub-heading. Each report is signed by the officiating Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at the time of submission to 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. at Bushire.

Each report on the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. contains information on all or most of the following subjects: Personnel; Trucial Shaikhs; British Interests; Tours; Aviation; Royal Navy; Shipping; Medical; Raids and Disturbances; Oil; The [Second World] War; Red Oxide; Pearling; Fighter Fund; Local Affairs; Royal Air Force Levies; Economics; Security; Population.

Preceding each report is correspondence between the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. and the institutions and offices that provided reports and statistics for the final Administration Report. These include: Charles Belgrave, Advisor to the Government of Bahrain; the Director of Customs and Port Officer; the Postmaster or sub-Postmaster of the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department; doctors and other employees of the American Mission Hospitals (men's and women's), the Victoria Memorial Hospital, and the Medical Department of the Bahrain Government; representatives of Bahrain Petroleum Company and Petroleum Concessions Ltd; the Political Officer at Sharjah; and representatives of The Eastern Bank and Cable and Wireless Ltd.

At the back of the file (folios 355-59) are internal office notes.

Extent and format
1 file (358 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged chronologically.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; 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. A previous foliation, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'File 8/8 II Annual Administration Report of The Bahrain Agency' [‎90r] (179/720), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/299, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025546701.0x0000b4> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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