'File 19/172 II (C 94) Bahrain Armed Police' [‎207r] (456/478)

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From this description it will be seen that except in the Court of the Political
Agent—established under the Order in Council—a member of the A1 Khalifa is
associated with all the proceedings of justice. Even the Political Agent’s Court
refers many matters for native opinion and advice.
As already stated, the Al Khalifa are uneducated and ignorant and it would
be impossible for them to manage affairs without the support given them by the
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. or the Adviser. Both Shaikh Hamad—when he can be aroused
to interest himself—and his son, Sulaiman, on all occasions, are excellent in dealing
with cases demanding local knowledge ; but as they themselves confess the} would
not pass sentences of death or take action against prominent men without the
support of their advisers. In the course of time, Shaikh Sulaiman may get
sufficient courage to stand on his own feet. A successor will be trained to take his
place, when he succeeds his father in the Rulership or gets tired of his magisterial
work.
(/) Before 1923 the divers were wholly in the hands of their nakhudas and the
merchants, who worked through the single venal member of the Salifah. Now
a proper system of accounts lias been established and, thanks to the super\ ision
of the Courts over the Salifah, the divers have very little cause for complaint.
Their lot from being the worst has become the best in the Gulf.
(g) Bahrain, in addition to town sites, has an extensive area under gardens.
It was found that Shaikh Isa, as Lord of the Soil, in his happy-go-lucky way,
had frequently sold or gifted the same area to two or even three different persons.
The result was innumerable disputes, which could only be terminated by careful
enquiry followed by an accurate survey. A survey of all towns and of certain
village areas followed.
At first the survey of villages was resented as people could not understand
the reason for it, but now they have come to realise its benefits. Those villages
which have not hitherto been surveyed, owing to paucity of staff, have begun
to demand that a survey should be carried out immediately,
(/?) Public Works have not been numerous and there is no regular Public
Works Department; but public utility works such as the sea wall and the road
alongside it are much appreciated. One of the results of these works is that the
inhabitants of Kuwait and other ports are apt to point to the deficiencies of then-
home towns and get into frouble with their Shaikhs, but the leaven works. If
Bahrain continues on its own initiative to supply public gardens and walks, start
electric schemes and carry out works for the public benefit, such as the proposed
causeway from Manama to Muharraq, it is sure, by its example, to ameliorate
the conditions in its lesser advanced sisters on the Arab coast, and wean them
from that surly isolation in which most of them live.
I mention “ on its own initiative ” because all public utility schemes—except
the Manama sea wall and road, which are the work of Major Daly,—were conceived
bv Bahrain subjects themselves, though they have looked to their European
advisers for guidance. The British name is benefited by this progress.
(i) Education is still backward, but thanks to the push of Shaikh Abdulla,
the Ruler’s brother, it has made immense strides during the past two years. The
drive in this case has come wholly from Bahrain subjects themselves. Except in
the matter of making hitherto fruitless efforts to persuade Shaikh Hamad to
educate his own sons, neither the 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. nor the Adviser has taken any
steps unduly to push education, although their services in obtaining
masters from Iraq have been put at the service of the State, when asked. Syrian
and Iraqi masters have been imported in most cases without the intervention
of the 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. or Adviser, at good salaries and there are now five indigenous
Arabic boys’ schools and one girls’ school on the island, in addition to two Persian
nationalist schools. In addition, eight Bahrain boys, including three close
relations of the Ruling Chief, have been sent to the American University at Beirut
for education.
I trust that these three boys will turn out well, and with Shaikh Mubarak—
the most promising of the sons of Shaikh Hamad—will provide material lor the
higher appoietments in the State, and ultimately will prove competent to take
over the position now held by the European Adviser and Customs Director.
MC502FD