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Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.' [‎76r] (152/361)

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The record is made up of 1 file (179 folios). It was created in 29 Apr 1936-15 Oct 1942. It was written in English and Arabic. 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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a
&
♦I have been tv/ice
and the Bahrain des
cription is a good
deal more accurate
than Qatar* s.
No c eminent
with permanent inhabitants, their families,
herds and bo©ts, and who has "created a dome
out of a grain" ? Unless perhaps the Bahrain
Government had "a revelation in the underground
world"•
Perhaps an opportunity might occur in
*
the near future for Your Excellency to visit
the Hawar Islands to enable you personally
to see for yourself and ascertain who is the
truthful amongst us, so that your judgment may
be formed in the light of true facts.
The reason which has prompted us to
ask for the prevention of the Bahrain Govern
ment from the actions which they took in the
Hawar Islands is not greed for the presence
of oil but to prevent the Bahrain Government
from taking a part of Qatar.
8 . In article 6 of their memorandum the
Bahrain Government ask: To whom dod^ the Hawar
Islands belong if not to Bahrain ? It would
have been better had they asked : To whom does
Qatar belong if not to Bahrain ? Whatever can
be said about Hawar can be said about the whole
of Qatar, and we ask the Bahrain Government
whether the Hawar Islands, from a geographical
point of view, comprise of a part of Bahrain
completing it from the south or a part of
Qatar completing it from the north ?
Cur previous remark, about the indepen
dence of Qatar and the recognition of our ruler-
ship over it, carries its meaning which, if
the Bahrain Government does not perceive, is
not latent to those who have knowledge of
situations in these parts.

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Content

The file concerns the disputed claims of the rulers of Bahrain and Qatar to sovereignty over the Hawar Islands. The issue arose afresh in 1936 in response to a request from Petroleum Concessions Limited to settle the issue of ownership, in order that the Company could claim oil concession rights over the island as part of the concession not previously allocated to the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) (the Bahrain Unallotted Area).

The papers contain statements of evidence on both sides, and correspondence discussing the question from 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. ; 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; the Foreign Office; Petroleum Concessions Limited; the Government of Bahrain; and the two rulers concerned. The British Government decided in 1939, after examining the evidence, that the islands belonged to Bahrain (folio 44). The papers show that 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. , Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior, challenged the validity of this judgement in 1941, stating that the case had been decided 'according to western ideas, and no allowance has been made for local custom and sentiment' (folios 6-8). However, a subsequent letter on the subject from the Government of India to the 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. concluded that it was then too late to reverse the decision (folio 4).

The Arabic language content of the papers consists of approximately five folios; these include photographs of judgements (with translation, folios 57-58) submitted by the Government of Bahrain to the British Government, showing that the Bahrain Court had exercised jurisdiction in legal cases concerning residents of Hawar (folios 130-133).

The file also includes photographs of places in Hawar (folios 126-127).

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (179 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 181; 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. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 3-179, and ff 48-88; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.' [‎76r] (152/361), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3895, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100076666398.0x00009b> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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