'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' [‎27v] (59/143)

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that this region has not fallen into a similar plight. With this short preface, I ^ ill
proceed to present Your Excellency with the said decoration and m doing so I only
need to add the hope that you may long be preserved to render loyal and patriotic
services to your own Government and to continue as in the past to promote the cordial
relations which have long existed between the Shaikhs of Mohammerah and the lintisb
Government from the time of Shaikh Haji Jabir Khan until now.
After the investiture, Sir Shaikh Khaz’al Khan made the following
reply to the Resident, the text being read out by Haji Rais on his behalf .
Your Excellency,
I feel most grateful and proud at this indication of the favour of His Majesty the
King George the Fifth, may his kingdom endure. . , , . ,
Well aware as I am of the cordial relations and sincere friendship existing between
the British Government and my own, it is with great pride that I adorn my breast with
this August decoration and I pray God that the sincere friendship between the two
Governments may be steadfast and enduring and that the Almighty may ordain that 1
should render service and devotion to my own Government so that by such means and
bv preservation of order and security in the limits and dependencies of my jurisdiction
the safety of the trade routes and of’ internal and foreign commerce may be assured and
I may earn the approval of the British Government to an increasing degree.
I am grateful and obliged for your presence here to-day, and beg you to convey
my most sincere thanks to the British Government for the great distinction now con
ferred on me.
Copies of both these speeches were handed afterwards to the Karguzar 1
in order that he might have no excuse for making misrepresentations as to
what took place. # . .
The Shaikh subsequently confirmed the above expression of gratitude in
the following communication to the Resident dated the 16th October 1910 :—
After compliments,
Though I expressed my gratitude in my speech at yesterday’s gathering, I feel
it necessary now to convey my thanks more fully for the various demonstrations of
good will and benevolent advice with which I have been favoured during the three years
past by Your Honour and the High Authorities of the British Government. Signs which
have been present alike during the struggle between the partisans of despotism and
constitutionalism: in connection with the aggressive proceedings of the Wali of Basrah
at Kut-i-Zain (in regard to which they found me to be in the right): in the increase of
my salute as a personal distinction 2 and now’ in the bestowal of this present honour
with its August Insignia and in other ways which are a source of encouragement to me.
I feel the utmost gratitude and pride for these favours, and it goes without saying that
my position in the future will be the stronger for them: while the prosperity of
Mohammerah and its dependencies will be increased and foreign commerce and enter
prise protected.
I beg that you will be good enough to communicate my representations to the
high authorities of the British Government.
May you be preserved, etc.
The Shaikh subsequently received a telegram of congratulation from the
Viceroy through the 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. and His Majesty’s Consul and replied
in suitable terms. He also received a similar telegraphic message from His
Majesty’s Minister.
The news of the bestowal of a British decoration on the Shaikh of
Mohammerah attracted much attention both in Persia and Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. ,
and the British Government and Shaikh Khaz’al were for some time the
objects of much ill-informed and malevolent criticism in the native press of
Baghdad, Basrah and Tehran on this account.
On December 8th, the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs asked His
Majesty’s Minister whether there was any truth in the information which
had reached him that Shaikh Khaz’al was under the protection of His Maj ^s-
ty’s Government. In reply His Majesty’s Minister said that the Shaikh was
not a British protected person but that we had special relations with him
and in the event of any encroachment on his rights would give him our
support. * 3
1 The Persian Foreign Office Agent.
3 In 1909, the Shaikh’s salute of 5 guns was increased to 12, when visiting a man-of-war as Shaikh of
Mohammerah, and a salnte of five guns was prescribed for bis son when visiting a man-of-war on behalf of his
father. A similar provision was made for Shaikh Mubarak. It appears fn m a letter No. 290 of 10th October
1879, from P. J. C. Robertson, E^q., Assistant Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. and Consul, B i^rah. to Lieutenant-C' lonel E. C.
Ross, C.B., that though only entitled to five gnns, Haji Jabir Khan always received 9, to which his position
and rank of Amir Toman 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. w#re supposed to entitle him.