'27/1 SALUTES AND EXCHANGES OF CALLS BETWEEN H.M.'s SERVICES AND ARAB RULERS.' [‎35r] (69/548)

Confidential .
D♦0.!?o:C/206-l(a)/8. Political . agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ,
Bahrain, the 18th June 1933•
My dear Fowle,
Gastrell’a arrival to ta&e over charge as Political
Agent,.Bahrain,will give rise to a question which should he
settled before he conjee. He will he the first 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.
to tahe over since the death of the late Shaihh and,as you
know,for many years Shaikh *Isa was too feeble to pay or return
calls.
2. The practice of recent years has been that Shaikh
Hamad (as Deputy Ruler) has called first on 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. ,
At that call a time was arranged for 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. to call
on Shaikh ♦Isa in Muharraq,and also to return Shaikh Hamad’s
call.
3. My records are incomplete,but Shaikh ’Isa (as Ruler)
called on 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. first on the occasion of
Mr.Mungavin taking over from me in 1918 axkl on the occasion of
Major Daly’s taking over charge in 1921. I cannot trace when
Shaikh ’Isa’s health necessitated hie ceasing to pay calls.
4. I am inclined to think that the time mey have coiue to
introduue the principle of the in-coming 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. calling
first on the Shaikh,as it is in our interests to emphasise his
status as an independent Ruler. He has now eleven guns as a
personal salute,and it seems anomalous for a Ruler to pay the
first call on an officer accredited to him. Moreover,the
conditions in the past were rather different from those of the
present day. In Qatar 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. pays the first call
on the Shaikh. I should,however,before making a definite
recommendation,like to know what happens at Muscat and Kuwait.