File 522/1922 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Bahrein: Internal' [‎111r] (226/616)

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43 On the 13th February 1925 Shaikh Isa submitted an appeal to His Excel-
lency the Viceroy against his deposition. N
T ‘t he says “ the 4 reforms ’ which my subjects did not want or demand and
h ch indeed they condemned took the form of forcing on me inadmissible de-
( )j ia ncls for concessions to foreign syndicates.
He also refers to the resolutions passed by his chiefs of tribes of which one was
“ H t the British Consul should abide by the contents of the treaty contracted be
tween the British Government and that of Bahrain and should not meddle with
| internal affairs.
He concluded.
“ It is against the intolerable persecution to which I myself have been
subjected in breach of Treaty obligations in the matter of my prero
gatives as an independent ruler of Bahrain that I seek protection and
redress at Your Excellency’s hands.”
44 At the beginning of Shaikh Hamad’s rule affairs in Bahrain were in chaos.
Disturbances which owed their inception to the party which desired Shaikh Isa
and his misrule, were rife and finally an attempt was made on Shaikh Hamad s
life.
45. In 1926 the Subedar commanding the Baluch levies was killed by one of the
Senovs in the force, and Major Daly was attacked and wounded. I consider that
this incident, though it had some connection with the general unrest, need not be
considered politically! It had no Arab significance, except as a symptom of g ene '
ral conditions, it was not due to the causes which preceded the attempt on Shaikh
Hamad’s life.
The Baluch Levy .Corps was however abolished and an armed Police Corps
of Punjab Mohammedans enlisted, again under a British Officer.
46. To-dav Bahrain is quiet. Shaikh Isa meets 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. and 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. , and he draws his allowance. The Dowasir tribe who left Bahrain
are coming back again on the conditions which we named, and we are attemp g
more and more to make Shaikh Hamad the obvious head of the State.
47. But it is still obvious to the world that Shaikh Hamad does what the Poli
tical Agent wants him, that he frequently does what he does not want, because
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. tells him—we should say advises him.
A glaring example of this is the Dowasir case, in which the Dowasir and al
the Island knew that Shaikh Hamad’s sympathies were with e expe e n e,
he joined with that tribe to obtain Ibn Sand s recommendation o us m or e
make easier his task of obtaining their return to Bahrain.
48. In the meantime we have a British Administrator, a servant of the ^at®^
who sits with Shaikh Hamad on tribunals, we have the Customs Director and the
Chief of Police, all of whom were appointed by the British Governmen , g
under Shaikh Hamad’s signature.
The British are still looked upon as the rulers, and how indeed can it be other-
wise ? We make and unmake rulers, we appoint admimstra ors an . *
Every important point is referred to us—the question of landing c arges, re
sion of the Dowasir, arrival of foreigners, visit of the Shaikh to Qa ar, e c., e
49. Now on reading the history of the last 100 years it is not difficult
the present situation has come about, nor the causes of the di erences w i
occurred between the Shaikh and 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. , the difference of outlook oi
Shaikh Isa and Lord Curzon.
50. In the course of putting down piracy we were bound to
Bahrain affairs, for we could not allow the Islands to fall into e an s qu-jv
power who might allow it to be a centre of disorder. In 1843 we allowed ,
t° be oustea as we did not find him satisfactory, and he was rep ace 3} u J ,
who was equally unsatisfactory, and who finally fled in 1868. e 16 a i we
Shaikh Ali, who was killed by usurpers, whom we defeated anc c epo >
then installed his son Esa in his place in 1869, and in 1923 we deposed Shaikh E
and again appointed this son to rule.
MC 531 FD