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Ext 3214/1941 'Welfare of relations of late Shaikh of Mohammerah in Iraq: activities of Shaikh Chasib' [‎43r] (85/412)

The record is made up of 1 file (205 folios). It was created in 12 Jun 1941-30 Dec 1947. 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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21
neighbouring tribes acting or professing to act under its orders; but that you
wished to know whether we should protect you in the event of an attempt by a
foreign Power to depose you or deprive your people of the rights which they at
present possess. This might happen in two ways: either such a foreign Power
might be at war with Persia, and might, as an enemy of the Shah, send ships
to attack your district; or such a Power, pretending to be the friend of the
Persi an Government or to act on its behalf, might attempt, also by means of its
to conquer you and the Arabs. I replied that both contingencies were
extremely unlikely, but if either were to arise we should, I believed, interfere,
provided you had acted in accordance with our advice; and our fleet, which is
the strongest of any in the Gulf, would be employed to prevent any forcible
measures against you. J stated, however, that I would refer these questions to
the Foreign Minister of the British Government, and he has now authorised me
to say that we shall protect Mohammerah against naval attack by a foreign
Power, whatever pretext for such action may be alleged, and also, so long as you
remain faithful to the Shah and act in accordance with our advice, shall continue
to give you our good offices and support.
As I have, however, said above, I do not regard the danger—at any rate at
present—as a real one.
The Persian Government desires, I am sure, as earnestly as you do, the
preservation of peace in Arabistan, and the establishment of a custom-house at
Mohammerah is, as I assured you last year, a fiscal, not a political, measure.
It has already informed me in a friendly spirit of the conditions under which
the new arrangement has been made, and the British Government has instructed
me to intimate its acquiescence in them. We reserve, of course, our right to
object to any further change which we may consider likely, as affecting peace and
trade on the Karun, to be detrimental to our interests.
I trust that the new arrangement may work smoothly. There will be very
likely some small difficulties and friction at first, but I trust to your wisdom and
judgment to deal with them prudently and patiently.
Our consul has my orders to afford you all help and advice, and you may place
every reliance on my friendship. You can write to me freely should you wish
to do so, as well as to the Resident at Bushire.
ARTHUR H. HARDINGE.
No. 2.
Sir A . Hardinge to the Sheikh.
(After compliments.)
Your Excellency, Bagdad, 2±th December, 1903.
I have received a telegram in reply to the one to His Majesty’s Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs from Mohammerah, after my first interview with your
Excellency.
Lord Lansdowne says that if, as he presumes is the case from my account
of your Excellency’s statement to me, the Persian Government is really attempting
to repudiate the arrangement made with you last year, I am authorised to say
that you are, in his opinion, justified in opposing such attempt. He instructs
me to remind you of the message which he sent you last year, and to add that you
may rest assured of the support of the British Government so long as you on
your side observe the conditions of the arrangement made between the Persian
Government and yourself . He has authorised me to point out to that Government
the necessity for respecting the conditions of the arrangement on their side. I
do not propose to do so until I hear further from you, as I think it will be better
in the interests of good relations between the Persian authorities and yourself
that our intervention should not be invoked until all other means of adjusting
matters directly between them and you have been exhausted. Meanwhile, I should
be obliged if you would send me to Tehran, through His Majesty’s Resident at
Bushire, a copy of the note from M. Naus, promising not to take duty on your
personal imports, and any further information on the subject.
r h^vp Rro
ARTHUR H. HARDINGE.
M

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Content

The file comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, and notes, relating to the welfare of the relations of the late Shaikh of Mohammerah as well as the activities of Shaikh Chasib, eldest son of the late Shaikh of Mohammerah (Shaikh Abduallah Khazal).

The discussion in the file relates to the guarantee given in a letter (see folios 155 and folio 151) ) by 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. (Stuart George Knox; Percy Zachariah Cox) to the Shaikh of Mohammerah in 1914 shortly before and after the outbreak of war with the Ottoman Empire. The substance of this guarantee was that if the Shaikh cooperated with the Amir of Najd and the Shaikh of Kuwait in the capture of Basra from the Ottoman Turks, then the Shaikh and his male descendants would be supported against encroachment on his jurisdiction from the Persian government, whether it be royalist or nationalist. Furthermore, his date gardens on the Turkish side of the Shatt al-Arab would remain in the possession of the Shaikh and his heirs and exempt from taxation in perpetuity.

Further discussion surrounds the establishment of the genuineness of the letter, as well as the implications for the British government of admitting this claim for protection and what measures could be taken to enforce it. Also discussed is the attempt by the Shaikh to foment rebellion against the Persian Government in Khuzistan and the measures taken by the Iraqi Government to stop this.

The principal correspondents in the file include 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. , Kuwait (Major Maurice O'Connor Tandy); the Secretary of State for India, London; HM Ambassador, Tehran; HM Ambassador, Baghdad; and the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

The file include two dividers, which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (205 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 206; 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.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Ext 3214/1941 'Welfare of relations of late Shaikh of Mohammerah in Iraq: activities of Shaikh Chasib' [‎43r] (85/412), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/525, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100046122113.0x000056> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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