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File 1508/1905 Pt 1 'Bahrain: situation; disurbances (1904-1905); Sheikh Ali's surrender; Question of Administration Reforms (Customs etc)' [‎229v] (464/531)

The record is made up of 1 volume (260 folios). It was created in Nov 1904-Aug 1914. It was written in English and French. 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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12
These are the views I have formed on the case, and if you acquiesce in
them, I think, I shnll be able to bring the affair to a speedy conclusion. If
vou are not satisfied it will be necessary to await definite orders from my
superior officer, 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , who will retuin to
Bushire from the interior of Persia on or about the 20th November next.
Enclosure No. 9.
Dated Bahrein, the SOth October 190t.
From— Herr Robert Wonckhaus,
T 0 —Captain F. B. Prideavx, 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.
Your letter, dated 28th instant, was duly received by me. I cannot agree
to what you say that “ there have been errors of judgment and improper actions
on both sides At least as far as Mr. Bahnson is concerned, I venture to have
a different opinion and concerning the action of my man Abdullah I do not
think that blame is to be attached to his behaviour.
You yourself admit that the first mistake of course was committed by the
man of Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed refusing to give up the firm’s bag to my man
Abdullah. I believe that this was not the first mistake committed by the
Sheikh’s man; the first mistake was undoubtedly that he pressed a coolie A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory.
employed by me and that he stuck (sic) to him though he was told in a very polite
way by my servant Abdullah that if Sheikh Ali wanted some coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. he might
only send over and ask me for some as a favour.
According to your idea Abdullah “erred still more seriously when he
endeavoured to recover the bag by force, used language which was calculated to
accentuate the quarrel and ended by striking the Sheikh’s servant with the
latter’s own stick.”
This I believe is not quite correct; I should think that if a man takes away
property of mine and be it only an empty bag he is a thief and I do not see the
reason why a man should not try to recover his lawful property from a thief by
taking it away from him even by force if necessary.
It is not at all certain that Abdullah was the first man to use language
“ which was calculated to accentuate the quarrelon the contrary, he asserts
that it was the Sheikh’s man who used offensive language and who was even the
first one to attack. Abdullah had only touched the bag so far and not the man
at all. That in the fight which ensued Abdullah proved the stronger, managed
to take the Sheikh’s man’s stick away from him and struck the man with it,
Abdullah quite admits, but I do not think it fair to blame a man when being
attacked first, for his getting the best of the fight.
At this point Mr. Bahnson was assisted by another servant of the Sheikh
to terminate the fight, and if matters had ended here, the whole affair would not
have been of much importance, and I venture to think that even at this time
the balance would not at all be in favour of the Sheikh’s man.
If you have been told by somebody that my man Abdullah has an overbear
ing manner that somebody does not seem to be a competent judge of it. This
servant of mine is with me for six years and I daresay I can claim more know
ledge of his character and manners than any outsider, and I can honestly
confess that I have never noticed an overbearing manner of his in his dealings
with people.
The fact of Abdullah’s submitting to the unjustified hiding (sic) he
received from Sheikh Ali without striking in his turn does not seem to me to
bear out your presumption of his having an overbearing manner.
I must say that I and with me probably most people have noticed that
more or less all the servants of the different Sheikhs of this place do possess an
overbearing manner. This fact is borne out by the stories and threats against
Europeans generally which have been started by some of Ali bin Ahmed’s
people in these days after the affair.
So much for this less important part of the affair. What happened after
this seems to me to be such a serious misbehaviour of Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed

About this item

Content

The volume contains correspondence relating to disturbances in Bahrain and the consequent discussion over administrative changes. The correspondence is mostly between the 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. , the Foreign Office, and the Government of India. Further correspondence, included as enclosures, is from the following:

The disturbances centred around attacks on a German man and several Persians by Shaikh Isa's nephew, Ali bin Ahmed, and his followers in late 1904. The papers within the volume cover several matters related to these attacks:

  • the investigation into the details of the attacks;
  • the discussion over what to do about Ali bin Ahmed and his eventual exile;
  • British naval operations to enforce order;
  • Turkish claims that Shaikh Isa believes himself to be a Turkish subject;
  • the discussion over increased administrative intervention in Bahrain, specifically control of customs.
Extent and format
1 volume (260 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The subject 1508 (Bahrain) consists of three volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/81-83. The volumes are divided into five parts, with parts 1 and 2 comprising one volume each, and parts 3, 4, and 5 comprising the third volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 262; 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 sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 1508/1905 Pt 1 'Bahrain: situation; disurbances (1904-1905); Sheikh Ali's surrender; Question of Administration Reforms (Customs etc)' [‎229v] (464/531), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/81, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100027013014.0x000041> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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