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'TURKISH JURISDICTION IN THE ISLANDS AND WATERS OF THE PERSIAN GULF, AND ON THE ARAB LITTORAL' [‎114r] (13/28)

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. .

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( 13 )
I
* No.282, dated 15th December 18f7.
„ 65, dated 6th April 1878.
in the Abuth&bi affair. He advised
as follows :—
“ I would therefore instruct the Resident
to satisfy himself as to the facts of the occur
rences at sea in violation of the * Maritime
Huce, for which the Chief of Odeid may fairly
be held responsible. If the Chief’s reply to his
i. e ^ r satisfactory, to let the matter drop;
if it is unsatisfactory, then to send a ship-of-
war to Odeid, and exact reparation by force,
inis done, if Odeid voluntarily submits to
Abuthabi, well and good; but we need take
no further steps, in my opinion, to compel him.”
This opinion was accepted, and the
Resident was authorized—on the as
sumption that he had satisfied himself
that the Clref of Odeid had violated
the ‘ Maritime Truce’—in the event of
the Chief s final reply being unsatisfac
tory, to send a British man-of-war
to exact reparation by force. These
orders referred only to the "Wukra case.
But while no further action was taken
or intended to be taken in respect to
Abuthabi, the instructions of May
1877 remained uncancelled.
14. On the 12th December Colo
nel Ross, who had now resumed his
appointment of Resident in the Per
sian Gulf, telegraphed that his attempts
to reconcile Abuthabi and Odeid had
failed, as the Odeid Chief relied on
Turkey. He asked for an Indian Gov
ernment vessel in preference to a vessel
of the Royal Navy. After some corres
pondence he was directed to apply to the
Senior Naval Officer for a vessel of the
latter class, and the Teazev was placed
at his disposal. Nothing more was
heard from Colonel Ross until the
Secretary of State’s despatch of July
1878 drew attention to the occurrences
at Odeid. It then appeared that Colo
nel Ross had written the two letters
cited in the margin,* neither of which
had been received. The first of these
explained Colonel Ross’s telegraphic
application for an Indian Government
vessel. It also enclosed letters from the
Chiefs of Abuthabi and Odeid. The
former acknowledged Captain Pri-
deaux’s warning that he was not to
act -without consulting the British
Agent at Shargah. The latter de
clared himself to be “ connected with
the Ottoman Government, from which
we shalPnever deviate, nor can there be
any alteration in our allegiance.”
The second letter contains an
account of the proceedings against
Odeid, and may be read. The import-

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Content

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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English in Latin script
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'TURKISH JURISDICTION IN THE ISLANDS AND WATERS OF THE PERSIAN GULF, AND ON THE ARAB LITTORAL' [‎114r] (13/28), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B126, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100036122271.0x00000e> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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