File 522/1922 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Bahrein: Internal' [‎105v] (215/616)

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Legation informed the Persian Government that they maintained the British right
to exercise good offices on behalf of Bahrainis and declared the Persian claim to be
entirely inadmissible. They stated that the island was under British protection
and that the Ottoman Government who had on several occasions advanced a claim
to Bahrain had invariably received this reply. On this the Grand Vizier again
raised the question and referred to Captain Bruce s agreement of 1822. In reply
it was pointed out that the agreement in question, so far from having been ratified,
had been expressly repudiated by the British Government, and that the Shah had
also withheld his approval, and had censured the Prince Governor A Prince of the Royal line who also acted as Governor of a large Iranian province during the Qājār period (1794-1925). of Shiraz for
entering into such an agreement without his authority.
57. Thus, though both Turkey and Persia had been informed by the British
Government that Bahrain was under British protection, neither of them had up to
1914, when war broke out, waived their claims to that place.
58. In 1910 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. , Bahrain, reported that two Persian merchants
were issuing passes for travel to Persian subjects iji Bahrain, while the Persian offi
cials in Persian ports were taking Rs. 100 security from Persian travellers to ensure
that their passports on return were vised by Abdul Nabi Kazeruni, a Persian
merchant residing at Manameh, the capital of Bahrain.
The matter was reported to Tehran, but the Foreign Office decided that it was
undesirable to raise the question by a protest to Tehran.
59. Presumably the custom continued until 1913, for in that year the Political
Agent again reported the incident, but brought successful pressure to bear on the
merchant to make him discontinue this practice. Reports show that in 1914
two other merchants were viseing passes, but the signature of any known merchant
or 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. was accepted.
60. The German firm of Wonckhaus had been established at Bahrain since
1901, and in 1909 the German Hamburg Amerika Agent appeared desirous of sup
porting the Turkish claim, for ships of that line hoisted the Turkish flag while lying
in harbour. On 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. taking up the question the practice was
stopped.
In 1913 Bin Saud captured Hasa, and with this and the Great War Turkey
faded out of the picture.
61. During the war Bin Saud established a commercial forwarding agent at
Bahrain, and he began to take some interest in Bahrain affairs.
During the -war period there was nothing to notice. At its termination how
ever, Bin Saud began to take more interest in Bahrain and he encouraged the
Dowasir tribe in its contumacy by offering them sanctuary in Hasa.
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. reported :—Bin Saud is seeking to interfere in Bahrain
affairs, and it is to his advantage that inefficient administration should continue,
so as to enable him to make secret alliances with independent factions such as the
Dowasir ”.
W hen this tribe finally left Bahrain in 1923 they were given shelter by Bin ^aud
in Dammam in Hasa.
62. In 1922 the Persian question again arose over the matter of passports. 1°
June of that year the British Consul at Bandar Abbas reported th£t the Persian pass
port officials at Lingah, the port at which the British India ships call from Bahrain,
had ruled that Bahrainis were Persian subjects and should be given Persian pass'
ports. They seized tw'o British certificates of identity issued to Bahrain subjects,
but on representation orders were issued from Tehran to Limmh that this action was
n ot to occur again.
■p , ^ 1.923 the I orsian Government instructed its officials in the Gulf to treat
a raims as I ersian subjects, and the Persian Consul at Nejef issued a notice to t e
effect that Bahrainis should register at his Consulate as Persians,
In the previous year, 1922, a Postal Conference was held at Bushire, and tb*
Persian delegate while not for the moment pressing for the Bahrain Post Offic
intimated that his attitude was without prejudice to Persian claims on Bahrain.
At the same time a press campaign was started in the Persian papers, demand'
ug the return of Bahrain to Persia.