'Minutes memos despatches etc' [‎27v] (54/156)

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rampanl in the Gulf, and the vessels of the Indian Mi irine were engaged in a long and
arduous struggle with the Arab pirates who infested its southern coasts. This conflict,
which was conducted entirely by British agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and means, without any help from
the Persian Government, resulted in the establishment of treaty relations with the
great majority ol the Arab Chiefs, under which they bound themselves to observe
perpetual peace and to reier all disputes to the British Resident at Bushire. The
pax Britonnica, which has ever since, with rare exceptions, been maintained, is the
issue of these arrangements and is the exclusive work of this country. Of similar
origin were the soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. of the channels, the surveys of the shores of the Persian
t<ull, and the lighting and buoying of its waters, which the navigators of all
nations owe to the labours of a long line ol naval officers of the Indian service.
Dining the nineteenth century British trade acquired almost a monopoly of the
foieign commerce of the Gulf ports. Indian merchants from Shikarpur and other
parts ol Scind have settled in considerable numbers at Lingah, Bunder Abbas, Bushire,
and Bahiein. Before the advent of the Belgian Customs officials at the former ports,
and until quite recently at Bahrein, they have farmed the Customs. Foreign imports
and expo its loi the most part are conveyed to and from the Gulf in British ships, more
t han one Anglo-Indian Company (the “ British India, ’ the “ Bombay and Persia ” and the
Anglo Aiabian and Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ) having maintained for years a merchant steamer
sei vice between Karachi and Bussorah, touching at the Gulf ports on the way, whilst
the uval ventuies that have occasionally been attempted by foreign nations have
un if 01 mb failed and been withdrawn, with the recent exceptions of the heavily-
subsidized vessels of the Hamburg-American line, and of the Russian Steamship
Company, which maintains quarterly sailings from Odessa. Before the institution of
the Gei man service the statistics show that 93 per cent, of the numbers and tonnage
of the steamers engaged was under the British flag.
The protection of the pearl fisheries, which are carried on by the Arab tribes
undei the time-honoured conditions, is also an important feature of British policy.
During the last 40 years the maintenance of the submarine cables of the
Indo-Furopeau Telegraph Company from Fao to Jask, and of the land lines from that
place to Karachi, has also devolved upon the Indian Government, and has tended to
increase an already preponderant influence over both the waters and the shores of
the Gulf.
Latterly a deliberate but necessary consolidation of British influence in certain
quarters where trouble threatened has been forced upon Bis Majesty’s Government
At the north-west extremity of the Gulf fh6 Government of India, under instructions
irom His Majesty s Government, entered into engagements, dated 1899 and 1907, witli
the oheildi of Koweit, by which he bound himself and his successors not to alienate
any portion of lus territory to the Government or subjects of any other Power while
on the other hand, he granted to llis Majesty’s Government certain prior rights in
regard to the leasing of any portion of the foreshore of his territorv. The first of
these Agicements was dictated by the increasing encroachment of Turkish authority *
the latter was due to a determination on the part of His Majesty’s Government "to
secure the only good harbour by which the Baghdad Railway could debouch upon the
r l i retl l ir ^ lor these engagements the Sheikh was assured of “ the good offices
of the British Government ” to himself, his heirs, and successors, and finally in
November 1914, that Koweit should be recognised as an independent principality
under British protection. ^ J
At Bahrein a step has been taken in the direction of protecting British interests
and those of the local bheikh by the appointment of a regular 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
just before the war, the Sheikh ceded his jurisdiction over foreigners to Great Britain :
but a formal protectorate has not been declared.
Such briefly summarised, is the position that has been won by Great Britain not
without the expenditure of many millions of money and the sacrifice of many valuable
lives, in the lersian Gulf. In its vindication this country has more than once been
called upon to enter into military occupation of ports or islands in the Gulf The
Island ol Kharak was occupied by Indian forces from 1838-42, and again in 1856-7.
^-w as lielcl durm g tllc lattcr years, as also were Muhammerah and Ahwaz upon
It is unnecessary to dwell upon the strategic importance of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
which necessitates the maintenance of the position thus acquired. A glance at the
map shows that, whether a threat to India came across Mesopotamia or across Persia
it could only be effectively countered by British naval supremacy on the waters of the