File 1508/1905 Pt 1 'Bahrain: situation; disurbances (1904-1905); Sheikh Ali's surrender; Question of Administration Reforms (Customs etc)' [‎88r] (180/531)

durin^nif e w P e r a Dt ' COn ; m r der Somerville of Er ' M - who,
during some weeks spent here on survey and guard duty, had obtained a
quantity of detailed mtormatton and had prepared sketches of important sections
oJe^hSies! iiaVebeen m ° St ValuablG had become ^cessaryT
View of th f th ^ possession of Sheikh Ali’s person was not
e ected, the measures taken can hardly be regarded as completely satisfactory,
aiK 011 ^ v b fl - P erlia P s t>e considered that the fact that Sheikh
A i has by his flight to the mainland placed himse’f under sentence of complete
wvT 111 som f P°; nts of view a convenient denouement than an
alternative which would have entailed our watching him and perhaps
maintaining him for some years to come. At any rate, the Sheikh of Bahrein
seems to me to have been thoroughly brought to his bearings, while loss of life
and local upheaval have been obviated. I trust, therefore, that on the whole
the Government of India will be satisfied with the measures taken, even if the
terms of the ultimatum have not been completely fulfilled.
10. Since the above paragraphs were written the truant Mullah, Sheikh
Ahmed, has repented of his precipitate flight and surrendered himself. The delay
in is return has been due to the fact that he had already reached the mainland
of Katr when his brother’s last message reached him. Sheikh Jasim has
accordingly been allowed to disembark from the Sphit x and after interviewin 0,
both brothers together in the presence of Captain Prideaux and reading them
a very frank homily on the unsatisfactory character of their demeanour in the
past and the intention of the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. and of Government not to tolerate any
repetition of it in future, I have allowed them to go their way, after a friendly
expression of the hope, and the warning, that they should in future limit their
exertions to their recognised sphere and maintain the friendly relations with
this Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. which they admit that our forbearance has now inaugurated,
11. Before leaving Bahrein I have given further consideration to the
question of Sheikh Mamed’s detention. The conditions of it were explained in
paragr^ph^ 5 above. Since then, granting the initial fact, or presumption, that
Sheikh Ali was allowed by him to escape, Sheikh Esa has so far shown his desire
to act in acc >rd with the wishes of Government by handing over his nephew’s
house and property and by issuing the proclamations set forth in the enclosures
to this report. There are several questions connected with the immediate
future of the administration of government in Bahrein which it will be ne
cessary to place before the Government of India, and this I shall proceed to do
with as little delay as possible ; meanwhile Sheikh Mamed’s temporary detention
on board H. M. S. Sphinx and the other incidents of the last few days
will,^ I hope, have imbued him with some sense of his own impotence and the
futility of imagining that he and his father can continue with impunity to
flout the wishes of the British Government, to whom indeed they owe every
thing. I propose, therefore, after consulting Captain Prideaux, to allo w him to
return to the shore before I leave Bahrein to-day.
12. Sheikh Esa has just visited me in order to have a final conversation
before my departure and was evidently much relieved, and grateful, regarding
the permission to Sheikh Mamed to come ashore. I find his attitude altogether
changed, and it is now rather that of a naughty child coming repentant before
his parents than that of a ruler of some 70,000 souls who two months ago
spoke as arrogantly as if he were ready to defy the British Government to
any extent. He said that he was now entirely submissive to Government and
that he and his children recognised that when it came to difficulties they had
no one else to look to. I replied that I hope he would give proof of his assurances
in the future and would look upon his 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. as his best friend and
adviser.
Before taking leave he presentend me with the title-deeds of a plot of
ground adjoining the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. compound which I had told him we needed as a
site for quarters for the Infantry Guard and had asked him to acquire from the
owners for us, but had intimated at the same time that we were prepared to pay
any reasonable price for it. In handing over the title-deed he said that he
would prefer to make a free gift of it to Government, an offer which, subject
to the approval of Government, I accepted with thanks. It is probably worth
about 700 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. .