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File 4949/1912 Pt 4 ‘Abu Musa – Angelegenheit. 1907.’ [‎254v] (510/528)

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The record is made up of 1 file (263 folios). It was created in 23 Oct 1907-20 Nov 1908. It was written in German, English, French, Arabic and Persian. 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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10
So much for the abstract history of Abu Musa as an appanage^ of Shargah. We
may now turn to the aspects brought into relief by the present misunderstanding in
connection with the grant of a Concession for mining oxide on the island.
In the year 1883, the ruling Chief of Shargah was Sheikh Salim-bin-Sultan. He
had held the reins of tribal Government for about eighteen years, but his leg'.me vas
a w^eak and unpopular one. • • *-. nr
This Sheikh had taken a particular and enterprising interest in Abu Musa and
had planted some date groves and built himself a rough residence thcic. In the
spring of 1883 he was according to his habit spending a few weeks there with the
tribal horses and flocks and had left his nephew, Sagar-bin-Khalid, a young man of
about 25 years of age, in charge of his head-quarters at Shargah.
Among these Arab Chieftains the principle of “might is right” prevails, and
Sagar-bin-Khalid, finding that the majority of the tribesmen of the principality were
tired of his uncle’s rule, and ready to support himself in a coup d'etat, seized the
government and proclaimed himself Sheikh on the 4th April, 1883, informing the
Resident of his action.
The British authorities leave these questions of personnel to the wall of the tribes
concerned, and usually do no more than recognize the individual whom the support
and choice of the tribe puts in a position to handle the reins of government; and in
this case Sheikh Sagar received recognition in due course. .As soon as he had made
sure of his position he addressed the Resident (on the 17th May, 1883) saying that
he now proposed to expel Sheikh Salim from Abu Musa. In reply he was reminded
that the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. had in former years specifically notified to the Trucial Chiefs that
the principles of the maritime truce must be held to apply to the islands as well as
the seas of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and that he should consequently endeavour to arrange a
peaceable settlement with his uncle.
Simultaneously Sheikh Salim left Abu Musa for Lingah, and thence wrote to the
Resident asking his good offices. He in turn was advised to remain in Lingah (it
being more convenient for purposes of communication) until he could come to an
understanding wdtli Sheikh Sagar.
Being in the weaker position Salim soon came to terms and a settlement
guaranteed by the Sheikhs of Ras-el-Khaima and Debai was arrived at in July 1883,
under which Sheikh Salim was to receive a pension of GOO dollars per annum for his
maintenance.
A copy of the settlement is attached. Sheikh Salim, however, found it difficult
to refrain from intriguing against his nephew, in the hope, no doubt, of getting back
the Sheikhdom.
Thus, on the 21st January, 1884, Sheikh Sagar complained to the Resident of his
uncle’s conduct, and in the course of his letter he wrote:—
“ At present you are aw T are that Salim resides on Bu Musa, which is an island
dependent on Shargah, and 1 cannot spare it to others, and perhaps Salim may create
some disturbance which may break the maritime peace. I beg, therefore, that you
will kindly warn Salim and inform him that if he is desirous of living at Abu Musa
he must do so peaceably, you being his guarantee that nothing wrong will be done by
him of a nature to disturb the maritime peace. But should he not choose to obey it
will be your choice either to remove him from the island or to leave us to settle the
matter between us, and in that case we should not be called to account in the
event of our attacking one another. I leave the matter to your disposition.”
In reply the Sheikh was informed that if cither party broke the maritime peace
he would be promptly repressed.
About this time the Sheikhs of Ras-el-Khaima and Debai also complained to the
Resident against Sheikh Salim’s violation of the Agreement, guaranteed as it had been
by themselves.
On the 14th February following Sheikh Sagar again wrote to the Resident,
politely urging that it was all very well for him to say that whoever broke the
maritime peace, w r ould be repressed, but reminding him that Abu Musa was his—
Sheikh Sagar’s property—a hereditary appanage of Shargah. He added:—
If Salim wants to live there and guarantees that he will not commit anything
which would interfere with my affairs, or disturb the maritime peace, so be it; but I
cannot dispense with tins island, which is of the greatest use to me. I beg, there
fore, that you will plainly write to me on the subject, and likewise instruct your
agent.”

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Content

Correspondence exchanged between the German Consulate at Buschär [Bushire] (Helmuth Listemann) and others: the Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh] representative of the German firm Robert Wönckhaus and Company (Herr H Rosenfeld; Herr Krumpeter); the British 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. (Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Zachariah Cox); German Government officials at the Auswärtiges Amt (Foreign Office) in Berlin, the German Chargé d’Affaires in Tehran (Hartmann Oswald Heinrich Ferdinand Freiherr von Richthofen).

The correspondence refers to a dispute over a concession for the mining and shipment of red oxide at Abū Mūsá, originally awarded to Arab merchants by Shaikh Sālim bin Sulṭān Āl Qāsimī One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. of Sharjah in 1898, and part of which was subsequently acquired by Wönckhaus and Company in 1906. The dispute was sparked by the Ruler of Sharjah, Shaikh Ṣaqr bin Khālid Āl Qāsimī’s cancellation of the concession in 1907, and subsequent claims by Wönckhaus and Company and the German Government, over financial losses arising from the cancellation of the concession.

Amongst the papers are copies of correspondence, agreements and other papers dating between 1892 and 1907, relating to the original contract to mine red oxide at Abū Mūsá. Many of these agreements are in Arabic, with most accompanied by English translations.

The majority of the file’s correspondence is in German. Official letters exchanged between the German Consul at Bushire and the British 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. are in French.

Extent and format
1 file (263 folios)
Arrangement

The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end.

The subject 4949 (Abu Musa oxide) consists of six volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/318-323. The volumes are divided into six parts, with each part comprising one volume. Part 6 (IOR/L/PS/10/323) is missing.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 263; these numbers are printed, 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.

Written in
German, English, French, Arabic and Persian in Latin and Arabic script
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File 4949/1912 Pt 4 ‘Abu Musa – Angelegenheit. 1907.’ [‎254v] (510/528), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/321, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100040957880.0x00006f> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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