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'TURKISH JURISDICTION IN THE ISLANDS AND WATERS OF THE PERSIAN GULF, AND ON THE ARAB LITTORAL' [110r] (5/28)
The record is made up of 1 file (14 folios). It was created in 7 Apr 1879. 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. .
Transcription
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Poltl. A., March 1872, No. 377.
No. 848.219, dated 31st July 1871.
Poltl. A., June 1872, No. (18.
No. 1256, dated 29th February 1872.
„ 2584 „ 2nd May
* For the agreement in regard to the Maritime Truce see
No. XXVI., page 67, Vol. VII. Treaties.
Poltl. A., November 1873, Nos. 97 & 98.
6. On 1st October Colonel Peily
wrote again, enclosing a translated
purport of a letter received from the
Chief of Abuthabi urgently desiring
an intimation of the views of the Bri
tish Government on the Odeid ques
tion.
Colonel Pelly feared that the matter
w'ould now be complicated by the pre
sence of the Turkish flag in the Gulf.
Humours or reports had, on more than
one occasion, reached him to the effect
that the colonists at Odeid hoisted the
Turkish fl ig on Fridays. These reports
might not altogether be reliable, but
they showed that the notion of claiming
Turkish protection had been enter
tained.
At first no orders were passed, but the
Bombay Government (No. 2581, dated
2nd May 1872) having, in consequence
of a further letter from Colonel Pelly,
pressed the matter, the Government of
India issued the following instruc
tions :—
“ In acknowledging receipt of your letters
marginally noted, relative to the dispute
between the Chief of Abuthabi and the
colonists at Odeid, I am directed by His Excel
lency the Viceroy and Governor-General in
Council to intimate that as no attack has been
made upon the Abuthabi Chief by sea, it
does not appear that any action on the part of
the Resident under the maritime truce is called
for. It will be unnecessary for Colonel Pellv
to interfere unless he apprehends a breach of
the peace at sea between the parties, but he
should report at once if there is any overt ac
tion indicating the intention of the Turks to
establish their supremacy at Odeid.”
In explanation of these orders,
it may be noted that Colonel Pelly, in
his further letter above referred to, had
pointed out that the Chief of Abuthabi
was one of the Trucial Chiefs and had
brought the Odeid dispute to his
(Colonel Pelly’s) notice in virtue of
the position of arbitrator occupied by
the Resident in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
under
the trucial agreement.*
7. Here the matter rested until the
7th August 1873, when Colonel Ross,
w ho had succeeded Colonel Pelly as
Resident in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, forward
ed a letter, dated 20th June 1873, from
the Chief of Abuthabi, on the sub
ject of the settlers at Odeid.
Colonel Ross explained that the
Chief desired to attack the inhabitants
of Odeid by sea, as on account of the
About this item
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Memorandum written by Trevor John Chicheley Plowden, Under Secretary to the Foreign Department, Government of India, 21 Mar 1879, and published 25 March 1879 in Lahore by the Punjab Government.
The memorandum addresses the question of Turkish jurisdiction in the islands and waters of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and on the Arab littoral, looking at the entire southern coast from Koweit [Kuwait] to Ras-el-Had [Ra’s al-Hadd], but focusing primarily on the Arab coast and islands from Ras Tanorah [Ra's Tannūrah] to Ras Mussendom [Ra’s Musandam], including El-Bidaa [al-Bida], Bahrein [Bahrain], Zobara [Zubārah], El-Katr [Qatar] and the territories of the Arab Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. chiefs.
The memorandum commences with a brief history of events at Odeid [Al ‘Udayd] in the 1800s, and the uncertainty in the 1870s over whether or not it was part of the territory of the Chief of Abuthabi [Abu Dhabi] or was an independent territory, and also discusses attempts by the Chief of El-Katr to persuade the Chief at Odeid, Shaikh Buttye to hoist a Turkish flag, which he refused.
The memorandum, which cites correspondence 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. (Colonel Lewis Pelly, Colonel Edward Charles Ross), goes on to consider the Turkish authorities in Nejd [Najd] and their interests in Abuthabi and Debaye [Dubai]; further claims of Turkish interest in Odeid, including in 1877 claims that the inhabitants of Odeid were paying a tribute to the Turks through the Chief of El-Bidaa; and correspondence with the Turkish Government regarding an increase in piracy along the El-Katr coast.
The memorandum focuses particularly on events in Odeid from 1877 onwards, including attempts to mediate a settlement between Abuthabi and Odeid; British intentions to support Abuthabi should a settlement not be mediated; vessels belonging to the Chief of Odeid having attacked vessels from Wukra [al Wakrah], breaching the maritime peace. The memorandum then reverts to the original questions relating to Turkish jurisdiction and concludes that Odeid is not a part of El-Katr territory, and is part of Abuthabi territory and is therefore answerable to the Chief of Abuthabi.
The memorandum then reverts to the larger question of Turkish jurisdiction and considers the area from Ojair [al-‘Uqayr] to El-Bidaa and noting that they were not considered to be responsible for that area, but could have reasonable claim to do so should they wish; it also discusses the possibility of negotiating a line of demarcation to show where Turkish jurisdiction ends and British jurisdiction commences and the need for the British Government to reserve the right to suppress maritime irregularities at sea. The memorandum concludes by considering whether the question of a line of demarcation should be put to the Secretary of State for India; how to ensure that Bahrein [Bahrain] is recognised as independent of all Governments except Great Britain; and what impact such an agreement might have on Persia.
Accompanying the memorandum is a note written by Sir Alfred Comyn Lyall, Secretary to the Foreign Department, Government of India, 7 April 1879 which supports the proposals outlined within it.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (14 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at folio 108 and terminates at folio 121, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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. An additional foliation sequence is also present in the top-right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio; these numbers are also written in pencil but are not circled.
Pagination: This section of the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/18/B126
- Title
- 'TURKISH JURISDICTION IN THE ISLANDS AND WATERS OF THE PERSIAN GULF, AND ON THE ARAB LITTORAL'
- Pages
- 108r:121v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence