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File 4011/1923 Pt 1 'PERSIAN GULF NEGOTIATIONS 1928-33. BASIDU.' [‎295r] (594/1306)

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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. .

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3
i*
justifiable for His Majesty's Government to take the line that this development
proves that l eymourtache is not genuinely anxious to reach an acceptable settle
ment, and that, in these circumstances, unless he is willing to waive his suggestion
jegarding Henjarn, it appeal's useless to continue negotiations for the proposed
iieaty ot friendship. I here are, however, strong objections to the adoption of
1 n ^ ) : seil T ( i e adequate legal justification for the presence of the
u ish naval depot in Henjam renders it impossible to continue to use the depot
against the wishes of the Persian Government. If, then, the Persian Govern-
llie !! t P re . ss f°r withdrawal, there is no possible ground for a refusal to comply
with then 1 wishes, and all that can be done is to endeavour to obtain sufficient
notice to make alternative arrangements elsewhere. To break oh treaty negotia
tion^ owing to the Persian attitude regarding Henjam would not improve the
position tor, m the event of a rupture of negotiations, it would still be necessarv
u u ^ la J est y s Government to comply with the Persian Government’s desire
that the depot should be removed elsewhere.
i ^ will be seen that Mr. Hoare suggests that the question of Henjam
should be dealt with by notes, to be exchanged simultaneously with the signature
of the treaty, under which His Majesty’s Government would agree to withdraw
from Henjam, and the Persian Government, on their side, would grant sufficient
time for alternative arrangements to be made elsewhere. Mr. Hoare has
explained semi-officially that he might try to arrange for this final note from the
1 ci sian Govei nment to contain an assurance that the units of the Gulf Squadron
would still be welcomed at Henjam for recreational purposes in the course of
their cruises, and he would also endeavour to secure an interpretation of the term
recreational purposes, in a semi-official letter from Teymourtache, as meaning
that the canteen, club and football ground could be retained.
11. While there can be little doubt that, if the Persian Government insist
on a withdrawal, it will he necessary to accept a settlement on the lines proposed
by Mr. Hoare, if this can be arranged, it might be possible at the outset to
approach Leymourtache on somewhat different lines in the hope of reaching a
more satisfactory solution. Mr. Hoare might say that negotiations have been
proceeding for years on the assumption that Teymourtache was prepared to agree
to a lease of Henjam; His Majesty’s Government now wish to hold his Highness
to his previous agreement to come to a mutually satisfactory arrangement on
this question. If, however, his Highness does not wish to enter into a formal
lease, such as that hitherto under discussion, His Majesty’s Government will be
satisfied if he will agree that His Majesty’s ships shall for a certain period of
years enjoy the facilities for recreation and refuelling at Henjam which they
have enjoyed in the past; and it would be well if Mr. Hoare were in a position
to add that the forthcoming arrival of the new Persian navy seemed to render it
possible for His Majesty’s Government to repay the Persian Government for
facilities granted to His Majesty’s ships at Henjam by providing facilities,
though of a somewhat different kind, for the new Persian navy. For example,
Mr. Hoare might point out that the Persian Government will inevitably find that
their new warships, if they are to be maintained in a seaworthy condition, will
require the normal docking facilities at certain stated periods, and that, until
the Persian Government have provided such docking facilities for themselves, it
might be convenient for them to be allowed to use such facilities as are available
in Indian dockyards. Although the Secretary of State is not confident that this
line of approach would offer a satisfactory solution, he considers it desirable at
least to explore the possibility of offering the Persian Government advantages
for their navy, such as docking facilities, and I am to enclose a copy of a letter
which has been addressed to the Admiralty on this point.
12. Finally, as regards the General Treaty negotiations as a whole, it seems
necessary to decide which are the essential points upon which Mr. Hoare should
stand firm. If, as explained above, it is not proposed to accept as a basis of
negotiation the offer of the South Persian air route as the sole advantage to be
gained by His Majesty’s Government from the treaty, and if it is impossible to
obtain as a result of the treaty the facilities required at Henjam, it seems
necessary to concentrate on the other British desiderata enumerated in
paragraph 3 above. More especially, it seems desirable that the Persian claims
to Bahrein, Tamb and Abu Musa should be finally disposed of as a result of the
general settlement. The Persian claim to Bahrein, in particular, however
ill-founded it may be, is inconvenient on account of the considerable expenditure

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
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File 4011/1923 Pt 1 'PERSIAN GULF NEGOTIATIONS 1928-33. BASIDU.' [‎295r] (594/1306), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1094, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100077104053.0x0000c3> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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