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Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.' [114r] (228/361)
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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
Copy ot letter No.C/324-1#a/29 datea 20th May 1938
from 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, to Shaikh ’Abdullah bin
Qasim al Thani, Ruler of Qatar.
******
After Compliments.
I have received your letter of the 10th Rabi
Al Awwal 1357 corresponding to the 10th May 1938 in which
you protest against the interference and action taken by
the Bahrain Government at Hawar, and in which you claim
that the Hawar Group of Islands form a part of Qatar ana
are a dependency of Qatar. I have informed the Honojirable
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.
of the contents
of that letter and under his instructions I now write this
letter to you.
2. I remember that you mentioned the question of
Hawar to me when I last met you in Dohah ana at that time
I said to you that I understood that the Bahrain Government
claimed the Islands and were in fact in occupation of
them. It is mdeea a fact that by their formal occupation
of the Islands for some time past the Bahrain Government
possess a prima facie claim to them, but I am authorised
by the Honourable 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.
to say that even
so His Majesty’s Government will be prepared to give the
fullest consideration to any formal claim put forward by
you to the Hawar Islands, provided that yourclaim is
supported by a full and complete statement of the evidence
on which you rely in asserting that you, as Shaikh of Qatar,
possess sovereignty over them. My friena, I am sure you
will realise how important it is that your formal claim,
supported by all the evidence which you can produce, should
be sent to me at the earliest possible moment, and I trust
you will use your best endeavours to ensure that there
shall be no delay in this.
3. Meanwhile it is my duty to remind you, 0 T Shaikh,
that the Bahrain Government are in actual fact in
occupation/-
About this item
- 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 View the complete information for this record
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Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.' [114r] (228/361), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3895, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100076666399.0x00001f> [accessed 24 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3895
- Title
- Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:18v, 19v:22v, 24r:24v, 28r:29v, 30v:38v, 42r:49v, 60r:67v, 85v, 86v, 87v, 88v:102v, 105r:111v, 114r:115v, 125r:125v, 128r:129r, 134r:137v, 140r:166v, 169r:170v, 176r:177v, 180r:180v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence