Skip to item: of 1,306
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

File 4011/1923 Pt 1 'PERSIAN GULF NEGOTIATIONS 1928-33. BASIDU.' [‎43v] (91/1306)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (649 folios). It was created in 22 Oct 1923-29 Nov 1933. It was written in English, French 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.

Apply page layout

2
6. There are two main points at issue : The first is whether the Imam of
Muscat, when he made the original grant in 1820, did so as Sovereign of the
island of Qishm, on which Basidu is situated (thus being entitled to transfer
the sovereignty over any part of the island to a foreign Power), or merely as
tenant of Qishm, and so of Basidu, from the Persian Government. The second
point is, on the assumption that the rights derived from the original grant
amounted to something less than full sovereignty, what rights, if any, His
Majesty’s Government can legitimately claim at Basidu (a) in virtue of the
original grant, and (b) by prescription or otherwise in view of the history of their
continued occupation as described below.
7. The question whether there is any reliable basis for a claim by Muscat
to have held the island of Qishm, and so Basidu, in full sovereignty at the time
when the grant was made is examined in 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. memorandum, of which
a copy is attached (Paper A). The conclusion reached by 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. in
that memorandum, on a review of the history of the island (in so far as this
is on record) since 1720, and of the relevant facts, is that there is no substantial
foundation for a claim to sovereignty by Muscat, and that it would be difficult,
if not impossible, on the available evidence, to maintain such a claim. The
Foreign Office agree with this view.
8. The Admiralty, whilst agreeing with the statement of facts as set forth
in Papers A and B, ne\eitheless cannot associate themselves with the conclusions
drawn by 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. in the former document. They feel that, on the facts
stated in the memorandum at Paper B, there is evidence that, in the view of
one of the parties to the settlement of 1794, namely, Muscat, the effect of the
conquest of the islands of Qishm and Hormuz was to transfer the sovereigntv of
these islands to Muscat in addition to the transfer of the lease of the remaining
dependencies of Bandar Abbas. In their view, the only important evidence on
e Persian side is the 1 ersian refusal to lease the island in 1801 (Paper B
paragraph 7) the Persian protest in 1805 against the recovery of Bandar Abbas
a d its dependencies for the Imam of Muscat by a Muscati-British force (Paper B
31 aTdS^ corres P ondenoe ° f 1820 (Pa P er B - Paragraphs 22 24, 25,
31 and 32). In these circumstances, the conclusion that they would draw is that
the evidence is insufficient to settle the matter. "
9 '. In con .nexion with the second point mentioned in paragraph 6 above the
following considerations may be relevantpaiagi apn o aoove, tne
against Sfltat^nilfTS^^rd' *0 a ! * he , Persia “ Government protested in 1820
they claimed, in opposition to thf cS TtL^Imam^of M ° f ^ ishm p which
territory, and the fact that the detachment was withdrawn Lfstoto th* 1
of maintaining friendlv relations with ya*. wurnarawn m 1822 in the interest
prejudice to the question of the title to the island^tbiT!^, s P ecificall y without
at the end of 1822. No protest was imdc -u it,’ detach ( nent was reinstated
the British occupation of the am li * 6 k' SmCe h J Persia ’ and
unquestioned until, in 1928 the T Vito nr, p„ ' t0 a ' e ieerl unchallenged and
basis of British rights in it thouth even ^ 6 ™^ 1 "? vived th e question of the
those rights. § ’ th ° Ugh e ' en then the y did not formally challenge
of Bandar Abbas^and its d^pendenc^Tnch A gran Vl ted a fresh ’ease by Persia
formally recognised Qishm Island as Persian tenftoiw ° f Qishm i u Whi u h
Persian Government contained the following article?— eaS6 granted b - v the
,,, Gn the following conditions, we entrust tv,„ n
Abbas, the Islands of Qishm and Hcrrm,, 1 the Government of Bandar
Khan, the Imam of Muscat and Oman ■ • • • to His Highness Syad Saeed
t£ Article 13.
Minab, and theH dependMc^ar^V^thTr^T^T 6 ? 1 tW0 islands . Shernal,
should not allow any officers of’foreign ° f the Imam of Muscat > he
also promise to protect these places g ffi G ?on^ nme n tS t0 g0 there - He should
port havmg an anchorage some ships bncrfiIn ailC | Se ?' P roy iding for every
, " rth,r pro ”‘ , ‘ “ •"

About this item

Content

This volume relates to the British occupation of Basidu, situated on Kishm [Qeshm] Island in the Gulf, close to the south coast of Persia [Iran], and occupied by the British since the early 1820s. It is stated in the correspondence that the site had been used mainly as a coal depot for British naval vessels until 1913, and that since then it has been retained on 'political grounds', as a potential bargaining asset in negotiations with Persia.

The correspondence primarily concerns the British claim (or lack thereof) to Basidu, in the event of the Persian Government questioning Britain's ongoing occupation. It covers the history of Basidu's status and the various existing agreements that relate to it, as part of an attempt by the British to gather documentary evidence to support their claim. Also discussed are a number of reported incidents at Basidu, involving British representatives and the local Persian authorities, mainly regarding customs, taxes, and the presence of the British naval guard. In addition, the correspondence touches on Anglo-Persian relations in general, with occasional references being made to ongoing treaty negotiations between the two countries.

The volume's principal correspondents are as follows: 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 British Minister in Tehran; the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; officials of 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. , the Foreign Office, the Admiralty, and the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department. Other notable but less frequent correspondents include the following: the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India; the Viceroy of India; the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station; the Law Officers of the Crown.

Included with the correspondence are several related documents, including the following: two sketch maps (f 622); copies (in English and Arabic) of a treaty dated 1856 between Muscat and Persia, in which the Imam of Muscat acknowledges Kishm Island as being part of the Persian Empire (f 179 and ff 221-223); draft and final copies of an 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. memorandum dated 18 October 1933, outlining Britain's understanding of the history of the status of Basidu from 1720 to 1928, including extracts from nineteenth century reports and related correspondence (ff 46-54 and ff 123-159); a submission of reference, prepared by 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. and the Foreign Office, for the Law Officers of the Crown, requesting the latter's legal opinion on the strength of the British claim to Basidu (ff 43-45 and ff 67-83); a copy of a secret report on Basidu, prepared by the Commander-in-Chief at the East Indies Station, containing extracts from the East Indies Station's records and notes from the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (ff 16-38).

The Arabic language material consists of the aforementioned treaty text. The material written in French consists of small extracts from correspondence and treaty articles. It should be noted that there is no material covering the years 1924 and 1925.

The volume includes two dividers, which give a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (ff 4-5).

Extent and format
1 volume (649 folios)
Arrangement

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

The subject 4011 ( Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Negotiations) consists of two volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/1094-1095. The volumes are divided into two parts, with each part comprising one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 651; 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.

Written in
English, French and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

File 4011/1923 Pt 1 'PERSIAN GULF NEGOTIATIONS 1928-33. BASIDU.' [‎43v] (91/1306), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1094, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100077104051.0x00005c> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100077104051.0x00005c">File 4011/1923 Pt 1 'PERSIAN GULF NEGOTIATIONS 1928-33. BASIDU.' [&lrm;43v] (91/1306)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100077104051.0x00005c">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0003de/IOR_L_PS_10_1094_0091.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0003de/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image