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File 345/1908 Pt 2 'Mohammerah: situation. Sheikh's dispute with the Vali of Basra. decoration for Sheikh. renewed assurances to Sheikh.' [‎174v] (353/566)

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. .

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2
not conceal the great surprise my letters had caused him, and that he was nre rl
to meet any criticism of his acts, provided it came from the proper quarter naml
his own department. He was astounded that I should have represented the Sh
of Mohammerah as being interested in the affair of Kut-el-Zein, as that localitv 1
part of Turkey, and the brigands who w^ere harboured there were Turkish suh'ieet^
I He remarked that he had directed the acting vali to accept no interference from me 8
the matter, either official or private, as the question in no way concerned England 1
He then went on to tell me that before his appointment as vali he had been edit
of the “ Tesvir Efkiar,” and was quite au courant not only of events in Persia but
also of English foreign politics, and he proceeded to give me a lengthy and somewhat
journalistic account of his views on these subjects. His arguments, however, as far as
I could measure them, seemed as wide of the matter in hand as they were removed
from the precincts of reason.
I replied that I was sorry we were such an interfering people; unavoidably we
had our finger in many pies, but this need not disturb the excellent relations which
existed between ourselves, and I merely wanted to tell him what the Foreign Office
said about this Mohammerah business. I said we were glad to hear he had effected a
reconciliation with the sheikh, and were obliged to him for meeting us in the matter
I had already communicated the views, not of myself, but of His Majesty’s Government
on this subject to the acting vali. I had received many telegrams from the Foreign
Office, our embassy at Constantinople, and the legation at Tehran, and all agreed on
tlm necessity of arranging matters amicably between himself and the sheikh. His
Majesty’s Government wished the affair dealt with locally, and I now desired, with his
permission, to communicate the instructions I had received. As to the matters in
dispute, his Excellency had communicated directly with the sheikh, letters had been
exchanged, and friendly relations re-established. I had twice written privately to his
Excellency regarding some^ expression of regret on his part to the sheikh for his
personal family trouble. His Majesty's Government thought it would be well, in order
to strengthen and confirm the good understanding now arrived at, “ if his Excellency
would express in a friendly and private manner his regret, that is to say, his condolences
lor the personal injury sustained by the sheikh, namely, the death of his wife and the
discomfort caused to his^ mother, and would assure the sheikh that if he kept his
promises his tribes and his property on Ottoman soil would not be molested.” I read
this passage to him, and offered to give him my Turkish translation, but he said he
preferred to have it verbally. I also carefully explained to him that His Majesty’s
Government did not ask for mi apology for what had occurred, but simply an
expression of regret for the sheikh’s private trouble, and I pointed out that, although
w e u y realised the difficulties of the Turkish Government on the river, we were old
nencs o t ie sheikh as with Turkey, and if we had not protected the sheikh in his
ealmgs with the rersian Government, Mohammerah and Arabistan would have gone
n°ir m C -?r S 01 p^ a ? 0 \ . ^ e were deeply interested in Arabistan, where we had about
la a mi ion o capital invested^ and we wanted no quarrels between the Governors of
ljussorah and Mohammerah. We were prepared to use our influence with the sheikh
to keep him from fomenting disturbances on the Turkish side, but if he did not
keep Ins promises we should certainly not protect him.
The vali answered that he had practically fulfilled the second part of our request,
as e a written privately to the sheikh on the preceding day and assured him of his
nen s i 1 ? an d good-will and protection of his affairs in Turkey, and assurances to the
same eflect were given in the last paragraph of ‘his previous letter (see Enclosure 3 in
my espa e o. -6 of the 14th May to the embassy), but he firmly, though politely,
0 wri te anything to the sheikh in the form of condolence or regret for the
sheikh s personal concerns, with which, he said, he had nothing to do. He declared
himself convinced that his action at Zein was justified and fully vindicated by past
mstoiy on the river, and as the action was undertaken on behalf of his Government
am a,c not mg personal about it, any personal expression of regret on his part would
be useless and meaningless.
, ^ replied that his Excellency must decide for himself, and that I could do no more
than reiterate the express wishes of His Majesty’s Government which I had been
ins ructed to explain to him and I would communicate his views to Constantinople.
i again visited Abdul Wahab-el-Kartass at Saraji on the morning of the 9th instant,
an ic o me e ad spent several hours with the Sheikh of Mohammerah at Failieh
on the preceding day, and had read the vali’s private letter, which, he said, was
/lend a ncl conciliatory He said good relations were restored and the breach
ma e< . consi er Abdul Wahab s opinion of value. He is an important personage

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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
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File 345/1908 Pt 2 'Mohammerah: situation. Sheikh's dispute with the Vali of Basra. decoration for Sheikh. renewed assurances to Sheikh.' [‎174v] (353/566), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/133, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100030525714.0x00009a> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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