Ext 3214/1941 'Welfare of relations of late Shaikh of Mohammerah in Iraq: activities of Shaikh Chasib' [‎41r] (81/412)

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Sir P. Loraine had told him that the most serious danger of friction in South
Persia between Great Britain and Persia would arise from friction between
the latter and the Sheikh and that he believed that a close understanding between
Reza Khan and the Sheikh would directly strengthen the position of Reza Khan
and his Government in Tehran—which would be in accordance with the desires
of His Majesty’s Government; he went further and stated that he wished all
Great Britain’s friends in South Persia to be friends of Tehran and to help
th# own Government and for the latter to feel that the south was safe, loyal
and peaceful, so that, should danger arise from other quarters, the south could
be relied on.
In replying to Sir P. Loraine's report on his proceedings, Sir Austen
Chamberlain said :—
“ I share your view that the policy of His Majesty's Government in
Persia should be to discourage separatist movements likely to weaken the
central authority of the Persian Government and am of the opinion that the
policy outlined in your despatch of rallying the tribal chieftains of South
Persia to the support of the Persian Government is best calculated to
improve the relations of His Majesty's Government with that Government.
The chieftains themselves will thus be led to realise that their traditional
friendship with His Majesty’s Government is fully compatible with their
duty as loyal Persian subjects.”
Sir P. Loraine was aiming at a final and honourable discharge of His
Majesty's Government’s obligations to the Sheikh so that our future action on
his behalf could be limited to securing, so far as possible without prejudice to
our relations with the Persian Government, the observance of Reza Khan’s
promises as regards the Sheikh’s future position, while continuing to
urge the Sheikh to deal with Reza Khan direct in matters affecting his own
position and authority. Given a correct attitude on the part of the Sheikh
therefore, everything turned upon the good faith of Reza Khan.
The Final Downfall of the Sheikh, 1925.
46. After the Ahwaz meeting, the Sheikh appears to have resigned himself
to the new regime and his main concern was now to retain his properties; but
he was in an uncomfortable position, because, with his loss of prestige, he had
become the target for claims by many whom he had dispossessed while at the height
of his power. He informed Reza Khan that he wished to divide his properties
among his sons and travel abroad, but Reza Khan asked him not to leave Persia
and urged him to proceed to Tehran, where his presence would greatly assist in
the regularisation of the position as regards his properties. (Reza Khan may,
or may not, at this time have been genuinely desirous of arriving at a satis
factory An East India Company trading post. settlement of the Sheikh’s affairs, but it is worthy of note that he subse
quently mentioned to Sir P. Loraine the possibility that the Sheikh would
retire to Iraq, where his presence would be an embarrassment to the Persian
Government; no doubt this consideration played its part in Reza Khan’s anxiety
to persuade the Sheikh to visit Tehran.) The Sheikh, in spite of reassuring
messages from Reza Khan and of Sir P. Loraine’s advice to comply with Reza
Khan’s request, was undoubtedly afraid to proceed to the capital. He spoke to the
acting British Consul at Ahwaz on the 18th April about his grievances, main
taining that Reza Khan had broken his promises to him and that he could no
longer place any faith in his word; the Sheikh had been advised to rest, but if
he went to Tehran he would be worried into his grave and doubted whether he
would ever be allowed to leave the capital; such a journey would be a further
humiliation and he could not go there as a suppliant seeking to regain property
which was his legally. He eventually told Mr. Monypenny that, while he would
not go himself, he would send a representative to Tehran; but this decision was
too late, for on the same day he and his son, Abdul Hamid, were arrested by Reza
Khan’s orders and taken to Tehran under escort.
47. Reza Khan sought to justify this new breach of faith as necessitated
by the Sheikh’s refusal to proceed to Tehran voluntarily and by the possibility of
his taking up residence in Iraq. To put himself right with Sir P. Loraine, he
readily agreed to the latter’s suggestion that the Sheikh should receive a welcome
on approaching Tehran and should “ arrive honourably and in no way under
arrest,” and said that a house was being placed at his disposal at which his real
personal friends (though not political agitators) could visit him. Sir P. Loraine’s
view was that there were only two alternative methods of dealing with the
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