File 4535/1928 Pt 8 ‘ – PERSIAN GULF – QUESTION OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PROTECTORATES OVER KOWEIT, BAHREIN, MUSCAT, TRUCIAL COAST.’ [‎76v] (146/194)

* Cp. Teh. De.sj). 79, Feb. 8
1928, 1’. 78/28
t Cp. Teh. Desp. 207,
May 4 1928.
the independence of Bahrein is the recognition of such independence by
the former Sovereign State—Persia, an act which has never taken place.
No reply to the Note has yet been sent by His Majesty’s Government.
37. Till this latest development, despite much activity in the Persian^
Press.* and the encouragements of the Soviet Ambassador in Tehran,! there
seemed little real probability that the matter would 'oe pursued at Geneva. If,
however, the latest communication should make this inevitable, not only can
the paper arguments be strengthened by the addition of miscellaneous evidence
which has come to light since the British Note of January 1928 was drafted,
but the presence of a representative of the Sheikhs will carry some weight.
The difficulty in present circumstances of the establishment by Persia of
effective control in Bahrein, even should her suzerainty per vmprohabile be
admitted in the island, makes it perhaps more probable that she will
endeavour merely to use the question as a pawn in the forthcoming
negotiations. In that event consideration will have to be given to the
remarks of 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. quoted above as to the necessity for
a definite decision and the undesirability of a compromise on the basis
of the status quo, remarks recently reinforced by unofficial statements by the
Financial Adviser in Bahrein (Mr. Belgravc) as to the apprehensions of the
Sheikhs lest His Majesty’s Government should sacrifice their interests to
Persia as the price of an accommodation on matters of purely British
concern. From the point of view of His Majesty’s Government, a settlement
which would enable us to avoid public examination and discussion of
our position in the Islands is to be desired.
B. 349, para 10.
+ Letter from Pol. Res. to
G. of I., 46(5 S., June 25 1922,
P. 3167 ; letter from Pol.
Rea. to G. of I.. 529 S.,
July 10 1922. P. 3401.
Tel. from C O. to Pol. Res.,
1844, May 18 1923.
P. 1868/23; Pol. Res. to
S. of S. for I., B./2, May 19
1923, P. 1913.
Desp. from Pol. Res. to
(J.O., 314 S., June 23 1923.
P. 3020/23.
III. —Ibn Saud and Bahrein.
(a) 1913-1923.
38. Ibn Sand’s contact with Bahrein commenced with his capture of Hasa
from the Turks in 1913. Under the Treaty concluded with His Majesty s
Government on 26th December 1915, Ibn Saud undertook, “as his Fathers
did before him, to refrain from all aggression on or interference with the
territories of . . . Bahrein . . /’ During the war he established a
commercial forwarding agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Bahrein (the Qusaibi) and began to take
some interest at Bahrein ; in 1919 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. found it necessary to
bring pressure to bear on Sheikh Isa to secure an equitable settlement of a
dispute which had arisen owing to the imposition by the Sheikh of customs
duties on goods passing through Bahrein in transit to Hasa and Nejd ; at the
end of July 1920 the Political Adviser, Bahrein, reported that Sheikh Salim
of Kovveit had recently been in touch with Sheikh Isa, it was suggested with
a view to securing his adherence to the movement against Ibn Saud which
he was then fomenting—though nothing appears to have come of this ; while
in 1922 Ibn Saud encouraged the recalcitrant Dowasir Bahrein tribe by
offering them sanctuary in Hasa, an offer accepted on the abandonment of
Bahrein by the tribe after the deposition of Sheikh Isa in 1923.J At the
moment of the deposition of the Sheikh (April 1923) Ibn Sand’s agent had
achieved an objectionable prominence in the Nejdi-Persian rioting which
took place at Bahrein ; and His Majesty’s Government finally approved a
proposal 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. that hie should be removed from Bahrein
by being sent to Ibn Saud with a letter complaining of his conduct,
requesting the Sultan to deal with the case, and asking that His Highness,
before sending another Agent to Bahrein, should arrange to secure the
concurrence of His Majesty’s Government in his choice. A formal protest
by Ibn Saud against this action was disposed of 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. ,
who refused to compromise, and the Qusaibi was finally allowed to return to
Bahrein on a clearer understanding as to his position and functions.
(b) 1923-1928.
39. There were no developments of importance between 1923 and 192/.
When the Treaty of Jeddah was in negotiation with Ibn Saud in 1927, His
Majesty’s Government and the Government of India were anxious to secure
from the King of the Hejaz and Nejd an undertaking similar to that embodied
in the Treaty of 1915 and quoted in para. 38 above. His Majesty would
not, however, go beyond an undertaking “ to maintain friendly and peaceful