File 1508/1905 Pt 1 'Bahrain: situation; disurbances (1904-1905); Sheikh Ali's surrender; Question of Administration Reforms (Customs etc)' [‎227r] (459/531)

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+ The Chief will probably endeavour to avoid doing anything in the matter
as be is a little afraid of Sheikh Ali and bis brothers, and it may be necessary
for you to bring strong pressure to bear upon the Chief to induce him to punish
the offenders.
Enclosure No. 2.
Dated the 29th September 1904,
p rom —H err Robert W onckhaus, Bahrein,
To—J. C. Gaskin, Esq., Assistant 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. , Bahrein.
I am sorry to have to report to you the following matter. This forenoon
some of my regularly employed coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. were engaged in measuring shells and
in bringing them into my godown; while thus employed one of the coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory.
was taken hold of by one of Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed’s men, as Sheikh Ah bin
Ahmed wanted some coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. to work for him (sukhra). The coolie A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. refused
and ran into my godown leaving one empty bag of mine in the hands of
Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed’s men who stuck to it. My native clerk, Abdulla
bin Ostat Ahmed, noticing this went to Sheikh Ali bm Ahmed’s man
asking him why he did so, and adding, out of politeness to Sheikh Ah bin
Ahmed, that if Sheikh Ali was in need of some coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. he might only send
to his Saheh, and he would be sure of getting some but that those coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. in
question were employed just now in urgent work for me, but other coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory.
were at his disposal if he cared to make it known to me. The Sheikh s man
replied he wanted these very coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. and none else, saying this in a very inso
lent w r av. Thereupon my native clerk, Abdulla, requested the man to return
the empty bag belonging to me, which he had taken £ ” clbl y fr ° m ® 00 '! e -
This man refused again, becoming insolent. Abdulla then took hold of the
bag adding at the same time that if Sheikh Ah bm Ahmed was in need of
some empty bags too, he might send to me and ask for some. The man of the
Sheikh did not listen to reason, and each of the two parties tried to tear the
bac from the other. So far this had happened just in front of my house, but
during this dispute about the bag, both of them entered my godown. In my
eodown the Sheikh’s man got hold of my clerk by the throat whereupon my
flerk in his turn got hold of the other man’s throat and struck him once or
twToe with the slick belonging to the _ Sheikh’s man. This stick he had
managed to take away from the man during the fight. _
Mr Bahnson, a European employee of mine, who was sitting in the office
nnstairs' heard the noise and ran down, succeeding, together w.th another man
belongin" to Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed, to separate the two people. Mr. Bahnson
thereupon returned to the office upstairs.
•Five or ten minutes after this Mr. Bahnson was informed by one of my
r. iw slipikh Ali bin Ahmed had come into my house himself, where-
Mr* Bahnson invited him through the clerk, Abdulla, to come upstairs,
“Shttm Sheikh refused. The Sheikh then asked Abdulla who is person-
^ well known to him, whether he had struck him the Sheik’s man; and
receiving a reply in the affirmative he struck Abdulla several blows with his
Inck Abdulla crossing his arms and offering no resistance whatsoever out of
‘ el w Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed, which according to my personal idea this
reSP ev^dXved I tnu^t add here that Sheikh Ali did not come all by
himself hntwas accompanied by about twenty of his servants and followers
who all of them were armed with sticks.
Some of Sheikh All’s people took one of my coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. who was absolutely
unconcerned in the matter and gave him a strong hiding in front of Ah bin
Ahmed. This all happened in my own house ]ust below the office.
when Mr Bahnson heard a noise again he went downstairs and seeing that
the Sheikh’s men were hammering away at one of my coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. in my own
house ordered them to stop, and when this had no effect covered tne coolie A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory.
with his own body, naturally assuming that this would effectively stop _ their
; rnnrlnct Mr. Bahnson had run down as he had been sitting in the
Sut a hat on and naturally neither carried stick nor any other arms,
which iSf shfuld have proved to the people that he had absolutely no
' aggressiveIntention. Instead of stopping the beating of the unfortunate coolie A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. ,