'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎21r] (46/143)

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brother Miz‘al used to run in opposition to Lynch, patrolled the Shatt-al-’Arab
and safeguarded our interests in every way possible.
In the earlier stages of the negotiations for the establishment of Customs
at Mohammerah a proposal was made by His Majesty’s Minister to the
Foreign Office that we should guarantee payment by the Persian Government
to the Shaikh of the sum agreed on as indemnification to the latter for the re
moval from his hands of the management of the Customs.
The Shaikh was asked to submit definite proposals.
It appeared from a telegram from His Majesty's Minister to the Resi
dent that if the Shaikh refused to come to terms a Customs cordon would be
drawn round Mohammerah, the “ Persepolis ” being stationed at the mouth
of the Shatt-al-’Arab to prevent all ships from entering info Mohammerah
until they had produced a receipt for duty paid at Bushire on goods for
Mohammerah. The obvious impracticability of such a scheme needs no de
monstration.
Negotiations for the establishment at Mohammerah of the Persian Cus
toms proceeded actively during the winter and spring of 1901-02 and
finally the Persian Government agreed to grant a farman recognising the
rights of Arabs in land cultivated “ up to date.” To this reservation, the
Shaikh strongly objected, and the phrase was eventually deleted.
HajI Rais who had been sent as the Shaikh’s envoy at Tehran, arrived
there early in April and consulted His Majesty’s Minister frequently during
the course of the negotiations, and received advice on many points : at the
Minister’s suggestion he caused the farman to be in the name of the Shaikh
and of his Arabs. 1 HajI Rais at the close of the negotiations expressed his
great gratitude for the assistance and support which he had received from
His Majesty’s Legation.
It was agreed that dates and all fruits, fresh or dry, should be free of
duty; a salary was to be paid to the Shaikh by deduction from “ maliyat.”
In addition to the letters and farmans eventually obtained a second
letter was intended to be sent by the Shah to the Shaikh stating that he had
forbidden the alienation of lands in S. Persia, but should he at any time alter
this, and sell the Fallahiyeh, Deh Mulla and Hindijan districts, the Shaikh
would have the rights of pre-emption.
In May 1902, the negotiations in regard to the Customs which had
dragged on for nearly three years reached their conclusion, largely owing to
the tact and diplomatic skill of HajI Rais, whom the Shaikh had sent to
Tehran as his envoy to discuss the question.
The Persian Government accepted all the Shaikh’s demands, but insisted
on a Belgian Director of Customs. They refused to declare the whole of
Mohammerah to be the property of the Arabs, but were prepared to recognize
their proprietary rights in the date groves and all cultivated lands.
The Shaikh was recommended to accept this compromise and did so. 2
The settlement in regard to the Customs was embodied in two documents
(Appendices 10 and 11 to this compilation), its principal features are as
follows :—
Shaikh to be Director General of Customs of Arabistan and to give
effect to orders of Ministry of Customs. A Belgian and Assistant to be sent
to give effect to new system; the Belgian to have rank as Departmental Head,
but to accept and comply with counsels and orders of Shaikh on all necessary
occasions in regard to matters pertaining to the Customs affecting Arabs and
the local population. His Excellency to give fullest assistance to all Customs
officials and to assist them to levy the 5 per cent, import tax (the new tariff
was not introduced till 14h February 1903).
1 In regard to this point, the Shaikh pointed out at the time that in effect the insertion of the words “ and
his Arabs ” made little difference, as the title deeds for Land held by Arabs were all issued to them by his ances
tors, authorising them to cultivate waste land and to give the Shaikh part of the date crop. But most of the
gardens had now lapsed to him and were cultivated by Fallahs Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. who only get half the crop, or less.
2 Ostensibly on this ground amongst others, Monsieur Passek, Russian Consul General at Bushire, invested
he Shaikh early in 1903 with the Insignia of the 1st class of the Order of St. Stanislaus.
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