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File 4011/1923 Pt 1 'PERSIAN GULF NEGOTIATIONS 1928-33. BASIDU.' [‎325v] (655/1306)

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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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departure. Though for 100 years Persia made no attempt to assert her claim
she never withdrew her original protest nor admitted our right ; nor were we
prepared in the last resort to challenge hei claim, the validity ot which we adinr
(though not in public). As regards the physical enforcement of her right, this
has apparently never been attempted, save in the case of the incident of Augmv,
1928, when the Bandar Abbas customs director arrived at Basidu in a gunboat
with the intention of arresting the caretaker of the enclosure. This intention
was frustrated by (a) representations at Tehran, and (b) action on the spotbv
the senior naval officer, who told the customs director that the status of Basidii
was then under discussion in Tehran.
2. Two years earlier—about July 1926— the Persian Government
complained of the refusal ol the British agent at Basidu to pay customs dues,
\ n a amicable settlement was reached without formal discussion of the
general issues involved.
3. It seems, therefore, that both these attempts at enforcement of Persia’s
rights failed, and that the status quo is definitely that, within the “concession,”
neither Persian customs officials nor Persian officers of the law have any authority.
This is borne out by the somewhat apologetic attitude adopted by Teymourtache
in regard to the 1928 incident. In conversation with Sir R. Clive he maintained
that he personally had always loyally maintained the status quo in the Gulf, and
that the incident occurred while he was absent in Europe. In conversation
therefore, he admitted that the incident was a breach of the status quo.
4. As regards territorial waters, the enclave has a sea frontage, and.
therefore, if it belonged to us really, it would carry with it a small stretch of
territorial waters. Meamvhile, as long as we can by bluff maintain our imaginary
right to the enclave, we can claim territorial waters. "J
5. A warship calls at Basidu at least every ten days and disembarks an
armed landing-party (see senior naval officer’s telegram No. 1794/11 of the
11th June, 1930, to 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. , repeated to Admiralty and Tehran).
These appear to be Admiralty orders, and I see no reason to suppose that they
have been countermanded or allowed to lapse, without intimation to us of the
change. ., . . n .
6. I do not think that the replacement of the guard could logically be
regarded as a breach of the status quo. The guard was withdrawn long after
the status quo assurances were exchanged, and so its reinstatement would really
constitute a reversion to the true status quo. Moreover, the Persian Government,
in the person of Teymourtache, refused to take the slightest interest in the
matter, though repeatedly approached by Sir R. Clive on the subject. Moreover,
there is no reason why, if the Persian Government, nevertheless, pretended
consider the reinstatement of the guard as a breach of the status quo, they s o
not have protested at its temporary reinstatement every ten days; regarded in
the light of an assertion of claim to possession, there is nothing to choose be wee
a permanent and a temporary armed guard.
7. It is possible that the behaviour of the customs director has not so
been sufficiently blatant to warrant the replacement of the guard. But the se0>
naval officer evidently intends the reinstatement as a preventive measure,
be seen that the customs director definitely claims jurisdiction over n
Basidu, and that his activities and those of other local officials ^ ave j. ^
increasing of late, doubtless as a result of the withdrawal of the guard,
director were to assert his claim in practice by forcibly levying a fine or due,
would in present conditions be nothing to prevent him from doing so. ^
Legation could, of course, claim for recovery on the status quo basis, a
would certainly get no change, and a most unfortunate precedent would have t
ereated. Much better let the local customs director (who would never a
violence against the armed guard) come up against force majeure, com P a erD .
j no doubt he would—to his higher authorities, and leave to the Centra ^ ,
ment the onus of protesting against what we can quite logically descnbe i
as another unsuccessful attempt to disturb the status quo while 6
negotiations are still on the tapis. , , diat
8. Of course, it must be remembered that it was for reasons ot e ^ not
the Basidu guard was originally withdrawn, and the Admiralty w
welcome its reinstatement without good cause. Nevertheless, the wms ^ ^
of the year are now over, and by next summer there would p roba '
objection to reverting to the previous system of periodical visits.

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.' [‎325v] (655/1306), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1094, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100077104054.0x000038> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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