Skip to item: of 566
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

File 345/1908 Pt 2 'Mohammerah: situation. Sheikh's dispute with the Vali of Basra. decoration for Sheikh. renewed assurances to Sheikh.' [‎122r] (248/566)

The record is made up of 1 volume (281 folios). It was created in 1910-1915. It was written in English. 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. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

farms are in the hands of his own fellow tribesmen. The Sheikh’s version is that
Muhammad Chanan would not let his men replace those whom Mishri wanted
to turn out, and I believe this to be correct. Mr. Crow tells me he has no infor
mation in corroboration or otherwise of the Wall’s statements on this subject.
That he committed aggression in Turkish lands, is, as far as I can ascertain,
untrue. What kind of aggression ? That he threatened to kill the owners, is,
as has been said above, an accusation simply based on hearsay. In this con
nection the Sheikh draws attention to the fact that it was the murder of Mishri’s
Agent which was first said to have been threatened by Muhammad Chanan.
Later, the accusation was that it was Mishri himself whose life was said to have
been threatened. Muhammad Chanan was not present at Dawasir at the time,
and denies that he ever said such a thing. It is, of course, conceivable that one
of his irresponsible followers may have done so.
The last accusation that Muhammad collected an armed force to oppose the
gendarmes of the Slate, is unsubstantiated by any evidence that I can obtain,
and Mr. Crow tells me that, beyond the Wall’s statement, he has heard nothing
of it. The Sheikh says, and it is impossible to doubt him in this circumstantial
particular, that the Tabur Agassi and Muhammad Chanan came to his place in
the same boat, and discussed the question in quite an amicable way, no com
plaints being made on either side.
It is, therefore, difficult to avoid the conclusion that the. Sheikh is fully
warranted in saying that there was nothing against Muhammad Chanan that
could not have been settled by half an hour’s conversation with the Wall, as he
tried to arrange. Had the Wali, instead of discourteously refusing to see the
Sheikh at all on the subject, discussed the question with him, and heard the
other side, things would undoubtedly have turned out very differently. The
Sheikh believes that Mishri has a spite against Muhammad Chanan because the
latter would not let his men act, in the English working man’s parlance, as
“ blacklegs,” and that he induced the Wali to believe that Turkish rule was be
ing flouted by Chanan. 16 17
16. The principal chronic accusation made against the Sheikh by the Turks
is that he exercises illegitimate influence in Turkey. The influence of the Sheikh
in Turkish territory is due to the fact that he is the titular head of more than
half the Arabs occupying the Turkish bank of the Shatt-el-Arab and expects, and,
in a large measure, receives implicit obedience from them. He is a large landowner,
with more extensive property on the Turkish side of the river than is possessed by
any Turkish subject. He owns valuable house property in Basrah, and, though
it has been considerably diminished in value in the last few months by the Wall’s
expropriation schemes in connection with new roads, the Sheikh has not allowed
the question to interfere with his friendly relations with the Wali, {vide Mr.
Crow’s despatch No. 14, of 9th March 1910), asking only to be treated as well
as British subjects were being treated. Had he adopted a hostile attitude to the
Wali on this point, he would have secured the support of the influential families
in Basrah, and might have embarrassed the Wali very seriously.
Again, when the news of the attack of the Wali on the Sheikh’s properties
was spread abroad, the latter received numerous voluntary offers of active assis
tance and co-operation from almost every important Turkish Arab Chief from
Amara to Fao. Had he accepted them, and commenced active reprisals against
the Turks, he would, I have no doubt, have gravely embarrassed the Turkish
Government in Mesopotamia and secured his object, the dismissal of the
Wali.
Realisation of this fact is not, however, in my humble opinion inconsistent,
as Mr. Marling suggests in his telegram No. 31, dated 31st May, with a recog
nition by the Sheikh that the rising naval power of the Turks would overwhelm
him in the end, unless he could count on the support of His Majesty’s Govern
ment.
17. The other important general accusation against the Sheikh is that he
has, in the past, connived at or instigated the perpetration of outages in Turkish
territory.

About this item

Content

Correspondence including telegrams, hand written letters and printed enclosures, discusses an attack by a Turkish gun-boat on a village - Zain, belonging to the Shaikh of Mohammerah - which lay on the Turkish bank of the Shatt al-Arab waterway. The correspondence outlines the circumstances that led to the quarrel between the Turkish authorities and the Sheikh of Mohammerah, and suggestions that the Porte should be urged to replace the Wali of Basrah with a less aggressive official.

Correspondence discusses the proposal to give the Shaikh of Mohammerah assurances against naval attack, whatever the pretext for such action; letters and telegrams also discuss the award of a decoration (Knight Commander of the Indian Empire) to the Shaikh of Mohammerah.

A letter (dated 7 December 1913) from Percy Zachariah Cox, 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. , outlines the Government of India's interests in Arabistan including: the oil fields and their future; irrigation; railway enterprises; telegraphs; Russian and German activity.

Correspondents include Percy Zachariah Cox, 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. ; Sir Gerard Lowther, Ambassador to Constantinople; Charles Murray Marling, Ambassador to Tehran; Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign affairs; Francis Edward Crow, H M Consul at Bussorah [Basra]; Arnold Talbot Wilson, H M Consul at Mohammerah; Shaikh Khazal bin Jabir, Shaikh of Mohammerah; Wali of Bussorah; Viceroy of India.

Extent and format
1 volume (281 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. The subject 345 (Mohammerah: situation) consists of two volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/132-133. The volumes are divided into two parts, with each part comprising one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 278; 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.

The folio sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the one ending flyleaf.

An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel throughout; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

File 345/1908 Pt 2 'Mohammerah: situation. Sheikh's dispute with the Vali of Basra. decoration for Sheikh. renewed assurances to Sheikh.' [‎122r] (248/566), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/133, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100030525714.0x000031> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100030525714.0x000031">File 345/1908 Pt 2 'Mohammerah: situation. Sheikh's dispute with the Vali of Basra. decoration for Sheikh. renewed assurances to Sheikh.' [&lrm;122r] (248/566)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100030525714.0x000031">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00001a/IOR_L_PS_10_133_0248.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00001a/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image