File 1508/1905 Pt 1 'Bahrain: situation; disurbances (1904-1905); Sheikh Ali's surrender; Question of Administration Reforms (Customs etc)' [‎237v] (480/531)

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5 . Sheikh Ali commenced by denying that he received my message and
also that the ringleaders, whom I named, were his servants. He said _that the
whole power to punish even his own (Sheikh Ah s) followers was wielded by
the Chief Sheikh Isa, and he further alleged that if Sheikh Isa would have per
mitted it, he would have been glad to have tried to settle the case with the
Germans amicably out of Court. At the end of our interview he promised to
send five of the ringleaders over to Moharrag, where Sheikh Isa resides, early
on the following morning.
6 Durino* the night Sheikh Isa sent one of his head servants to Haji Abdul
Nath’s house and told him to rest assured that satisfaction would be given him.
7 . In the morning, unaware of the last incident, I called on the Chief and
sent word also to such°of the sufferers as could move, to be present at the same
time. I believe that Sheikh Ali must also have been to the Chief before my
arrival, for I found Sheikh Isa’s attitude at first most obstinate. He declared
that he would not admit any interference from me in cases between Arabs and
Persians who were all IVfahommedans, and said that he had made up his mind to
have the present case settled by a Shara Court. I urged him to the best of my
ability to hold the enquiry to himself as no Sunni Shara Court was in the least
likely to do justice to Persians, and moreover the conduct of more than one of
the A1 Khalifa family was seriously in question. I then observed that if the
Chief ignored my advice in this matter he would be afterwards sorry for it,
just as I was sure he would regret not having allowed Sheikh Ali to compound
the case which the Germans were pressing against him. fihe Chief replied
that he had heard nothing of any advice given by me to Sheikh AH, and
when I told him that I had said that I thought that if Sheikh Ali wrote
Mr. “Wonckhaus an apology of his own initiative and offered a fair sum of
money as compensation to Mr. Bahnson, the Germans would not be backward
in burying the hatchet; the Chief showed considerable signs of interest, and
enquired what sum in my opinion would be acceptable to the German firm.
This question I did not see my way to answer. The Chief at the close of
our interview, in which other matters were also discussed, reiterated his
declaration that justice would be done to the Persians, and J contented myself
with saying that I should follow the course of the enquiry with interest. I
must not omit to mention that at the beginning of our interview the Chief
declared he would not admit the wounded Persians into his presence, but
before I left he did see them.
8 . On my return to my house I heard that the two chief ringleaders had
again just been assaulting Persians in the Bazaar, that all the Persians in
consequence were keeping their shops closed and that Sheikh Ali’s men were
patrolling the streets in bands of 10 and 15 on the lookout for casual Persians.
I therefore sent Haji Abbas back again at once to the Chief with this news
and a message that if any further harm was done, he himself could not
possibly be absolved from blame. I repeated a suggestion that I had made
that Sheikh Ali should be ordered to reside in Moharrag, during the month of
Bamzan, and that the Chief should send over some of his own immediate
followers from Moharrag to police the Manamah Bazaar streets. The Chief
sent me back word that he would see that no further trouble occurred, and
also that he had after all decided to hold the enquiry himself. He did not,*,
however, follow the advice I had given him as mentioned above.
9. Yesterday, Wednesday, the Persians’ shops remained closed and Sheikh
Ali’s men continued behaving as before. To-day news has been brought to
me that Sheikh Isa has sent a message to Haji Abdul Nabi that as be appealed
to me for help he need expect no consideration from himself. The Persian
sufferers have all been told that they must attend the Shara Court, and the
Persian community in general are to be fined Rs. 5,000 for keeping their
shops closed.
10. In these circumstances I have not considered it desirable to postpone
my report to you until the advent of the next up mail steamer, which is due
in three or four days, but I am sending this letter by a buggalow Large trading vessel. , specially
provided by the Persian community.