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'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' [‎25r] (54/143)

The record is made up of 1 volume (68 folios). It was created in 1912. It was written in English and Farsi. 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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35
guarantee his independence. Our Government does not, I imagine, contem
plate such a contingency, but we can tell him that we regard him as the most
influential person in this part of the world, and that we intend as far as possible
to suppoit him, believing that it is for the interest of the country that he
should be strong. If ever he wants our advice he will get it. In return we
expect lie will help us in matters of trade and the like. As to the withdrawal
of the Customs from Mohammerah, I will do all I can to help him. He may
lel^y on oui hearty good will at all times, and upon our help whenever we can
give it without ill-faith to the Persian Government.
Sir H. M. Durand did not meet the Shaikh, but returned from Nasiri via
Dizful and Luristan to Tehran. He, however, sent him the Royal Victoria
Medal which the Shaikh accepted, having first obtained pennission from the
Central Government to do so. 1
In August 1901, a telegram was received by the Shaikh from the Gover
nor-General of Luristan and Arabistan at Hurujird, ordering him to make
over the management of the Imperial Customs to Imperial officials, but the
Shaikh, representing that scarcity prevailed and that popular feeling was
unsettled, succeeded in obtaining a respite, nominally of five months. 0 The
delay brought into evidence the forces ranged on either side. On the one
hand the Khans of Dashtistan near Bushire were said to have assured the
Shaikh of their support, if he resisted the Customs by force, and the Bakh-
tiari Khans, on whose help the Persian Government were believed to rely in
case coercion of the Sheikh became necessary, declared that they would not
lend themselves to any such policy, and even professed their greatest friendli
ness for the threatened Shaikh. On the other hand, the Russians, who had
begun to interest themselves in Mohammerah affairs urged the Persian Gov
ernment in the interests of equality of trade to bring the Customs arrange
ments at Mohammerah into line with those already established elsewhere.
Shaikh Khaz al, after some deliberation, proceeded to negotiate, as Sir
A. Hardinge had counselled from an early stage of the difficulty. He des
patched Haji Rais to Tehran, and thanks largely to that astute individual’s
tact and diplomatic skill, succeeded in effecting a compromise which to a very
large extent safeguarded his interests. The nature of this compromise, and
the means whereby it was effected are described in Chapter V.
It included the grant to the Shaikh of three farmans, whereby the Shaikh
was recognised as the owner, with his tribes, of (1) Mohammerah, ’Abbadan
Island, the lands on the bank of the Bahmanshlr river, and the “ Karun ”(t.e.,
the banks of that river up to Ismailiveh), (2) Fallahiyeh, (3) Hindijan and
Deh Mulla, and the lands east of the Karun (but excluding the Jarrahi
district).
Copies of these farmans appear as appendices 7, 8 and 9 to this volume.
The Persian Government at once proceeded to take advantage of the
understanding, and on the 23rd September 1902 the Customs passed under
Imperial control with results temporarily injurious to British commerce. It
may be observed that the Persian Government, unaware of the evidence pos
sessed by the British Government, subsequently denied the existence of an
“ agreement ” between themselves and their subject the Shaikh of Moham
merah.
Before the conclusion of the negotiations between the Shaikh and the
Shah, and for some time afterwards, the situation was fraught with anxiety
to the British Minister at Tehran. A visit of Prince Dabija, the Russian
Consul at Ispahan, to Mohammerah had exposed the Shaikh to direct Russian
intimidation and it is believed that Russian blandishments and threats were
subsequently exercised on his envoy at the Capital, with a view to bringing
about a veiled Russian protectorate over Mohammerah. At one time Shaikh
Khaz’al appeared to waver, and Sir A. Hardinge feared that unless a fuller
measure of confidence in the British Government could be instilled into his
mind, Russian influence would soon be found supreme and active at Moham
merah. The Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, supported the Minister’s view
that an explicit assurance was necessarv, and at length in December 1902
Lord Lansdowne authorised Sir A. Hardinge to communicate to the Shaikh
1 After consultation with H. M/s Minister, the Shaikh did not ask for this permission in the case of his K C T ,E
n 1910,
F 2.

About this item

Content

This volume consists of a précis issued by the Government of India which provides comprehensive details regarding the history of relations between the British Government and the tribes and rulers of 'Arabistan. The volume is divided into eleven sections as follows:

  • I. British Interests in 'Arabistan;
  • II. 'Arabistan: Internal Politics up to the death of Haji Jabir and genealogical table of Shaikhs of Mohammerah, 1527-1881;
  • III. Shaikh Miz'als's rule, 1882-1897;
  • IV. Shaikh Khaz'al's rule, 1897-1910;
  • V. Shaikh Khaz'al and the Persian Customs;
  • VI. Shaikh Khaz'al: Political Relations with British Government;
  • VII. Piracies;
  • VIII. Turko-Persian Frontier Question;
  • IX. Shaikh of Mohammerah and Turks;
  • X. Irrigation in 'Arabistan;
  • XI. Acquisition and Tenure of Land in 'Arabistan with Annexes.

Between folios 51-70, the volume contains a number of appendices including copies of various relevant agreements. On folios 69-70, the volume contains the Persian text of a concession granted to the Nasiri Company for running ships from Ahwaz to Shushtar.

The volume was compiled by Lieutenant Arnold Talbot Wilson, Acting Consul for 'Arabistan. The printing statement reads, 'Calcutta: Superintendent Government Printing, 1912'

Extent and format
1 volume (68 folios)
Arrangement

The volume opens with a contents page (folio 4) followed by a prefatory note (folio 5), a list of relevant officials (folio 6), a schedule of appendices (folio 7), eleven chapters of text (folios 8-50) and ends with sixteen appendices (folios 51-70).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 70; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An original printed pagination sequence is present in parallel between ff 8-65.

Written in
English and Farsi in Latin and Arabic script
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'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' [‎25r] (54/143), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/70, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100034861789.0x000037> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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