!['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' [‎42v] (89/143)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000912.0x00000b/IOR_L_PS_20_70_0089.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'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' [‎42v] (89/143)")
'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' [42v] (89/143)
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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
70
In July the Dutch Minister in Tehran asked His Majesty’s Charge
d’Affaires whether His Majesty’s Government would raise any objection to_a
Dutch syndicate applying for the concession for irrigation works at Ahwaz
in virtue of the option obtained by M, de Sturler.
He said he understood that His Majesty’s Government were only
anxious to be assured that no third power was behind the Dutch group, and he
could assure us that this was not the case. The Dutch syndicate hoped that
at least one-half of the capital would be British and the remaining Dutch,
and in the circumstances he presumed there would be no objection. The
scheme he said had been mooted not by himself but by a member of the Majlis,
and he suggested that the acquisition of the concession would be rendered
easier if the interest of His Majesty’s Government in the matter was con
cealed. A similar enquiry was made in London by the Dutch Minister there,
who assured His Majesty’s Government that the Netherlands Government
w r ould not proceed in the matter of the Karun irrigation scheme without
concurrence of the Shaikh of Mohammerah. He was informed in reply that
His Majesty’s Government would not object in principle to the participation
of Dutch capital if the moment were opportune and the Company British.
The Dutch M inister at Tehran thereupon set about to discover upon what
terms the Shaikh’s concurrence could be obtained, and in September 1910
informed His Majesty’s Minister at Tehran that he understood from a rela
tive of the Shaikh in Tehran (sic) that on certain conditions the Shaikh
would have no objection to the Dutch acquiring a concession for irrigation on
the Karun. His informant probably was Sa’Td-es-Saltaneh r to whom the
Dutch Minister had written on 3rd June asking him to obtain the views of
the Shaikh as to the conditions he would demand as the price of his co-opera
tion. The letter was forwarded to the Shaikh, who returned no answer.
From a perusal of the foregoing review of the correspondence on the subject of
the Karun irrigation scheme since its inception in 1904 it will be seen that
the Netherlands Government and the Persian Government are still impressed
with the potential value of the Karun irrigation scheme; the Dutch Govern
ment in particular seem to be under the impression that it would be a pro
fitable investment for Dutch capital to the extent of one million sterling or
so. But there is nothing in Major Morton’s carefully prepared report to
justify such views. He did not venture to prophesy more than 8 per cent,
return on capital invested—a return insufficient to cover amortization charges
and interest on borrowed money. It is improbable that capital could be
raised at less than 8 per cent, for such a scheme in view of the risks involved
and the lack of any guarantee that the scheme will have the whole-hearted
support of the Central and Local Persian authorities : the scheme has there
fore no financial attractions and it is improbable that it could pay its way.
That the Shaikh would view with strong disfavour any such scheme may
be taken as certain. He is in no way convinced that it is profitable and
would certainly invest none of his money in it. He views with extreme dis
favour the possible large influx of Persians into his territory in connection
wdth the scheme, a measure which he quite correctly regards as inevitable, if
it is to be worked at a profit. He sees no need for the project, as there is
at present no pressure on the land to induce Arabs to take to extensive culti
vation. On the contrary thousands of acres of land irrigable by the tide in
the neighbourhood of Mohammerah have gone out of cultivation in the last
few decades for lack of cultivators and hundreds of thousands of acres of
similar land are available for immediate settlement.
In January 1911, His Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
in reply to a despatch from His Majesty’s Minister, forwarding a communi
cation from 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.
in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, putting forward con
siderations showing that the Karun irrigation scheme was impracticable,
stated that should the Netherlands Government reopen the question he pro
posed to explain to them frankly what are, in the opinion of experts, the
objections to the scheme and to inform them that His Majesty’s Government
cannot bring pressure to bear on the Shaikh to undertake a work from which,
as it appears, he can hope to derive no pecuniary advantage.
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 View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'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' [42v] (89/143), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/70, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100034861789.0x00005a> [accessed 18 July 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100034861789.0x00005a
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_100034861789.0x00005a">'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' [‎42v] (89/143)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100034861789.0x00005a"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000912.0x00000b/IOR_L_PS_20_70_0089.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
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_100000000912.0x00000b/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/20/70
- Title
- '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'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:22v, 24r:46v, 49r:52v, 57v, 65r:66r, 67r:68v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence