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File 4535/1928 Pt 2 ‘Persian Gulf Negotiations 1928. Status of Tamb. (and Abu Musa)’ [‎13v] (35/1078)

The record is made up of 1 volume (535 folios). It was created in 31 Jul 1928-29 Mar 1932. It was written in English and French. 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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2
(6)
(7)
o.
Cession to Persia of wireless station at Henja.n and wireless apparatus
at Bushire and Lingah. .
Removal of British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. from Bushire.
The concessions offered to the Persian Government as enmnerated in
the nrecedine paragraph, are in point of fact of less importance than at nrst
^io-ht appears The Persian Government, for example, have no intention o.
repaving P the war and post-war debt, which they consider was spent m British
rather than Persian interests at a time when British troops were in occupa ion
of the country, and which ought, so the Persian Minister of Court maintains
to be regarded as British war expenditure. The British claim to Basidu is
legally so weak that it could not he maintained if seriously challenged by 1 ersia.
Vain it is not possible for His Majesty’s Government and the Government of
India to do other than hand over to Persia the Persian section of the Duzdab
Railway built during the war on Persian territory without 1 ersia s consent.
It is clear that the Persian Minister of Court would prefer a more speetaculai
success than that which he would obtain through a settlement by which I ersia
obtained merely the concessions set forth above. It is for this reason that he lias
unised the question of the withdrawal of the British naval depot from Henjam.
6. Henjam, however, is not the only point on which Teymourtache is raising
difficulties. He refuses to abandon the Persian claim to Bahrein. There is no
indication that he is prepared to abandon the similar claims to Tamb and Abu
Musa, or that he will be prepared to agree to a satisfactory claims article. The
one and only advantage which he now holds out as an inducement to His Majesty s
Government to conclude a treaty is the possibility of an extension of the
permission for Imperial Airways to operate the South Persian air route.
7. As regards the air route, His Majesty’s Government have carefully
endeavoured hitherto to avoid giving Teymourtache the impression that they
are entirely dependent upon Persia for the continuance of the British civil air
route to India. In Sir John Simon’s opinion it is important to continue to take
this line. If Teymourtache is given reason to believe that the Persian air route
is a question of vital importance to His Majesty’s Government, there can be no
doubt that he will refuse to give them satisfaction as regards Bahrein, Tamb, or
Abu Musa, or, indeed, as regards any of the other points in the general treaty.
Moreover, even if His Majesty’s Government were to agree to accept the air route
as the only tangible advantage to be derived by them from the treaty, they can
have no guarantee that the Persian Government would thereafter carry out the
spirit, as well as the letter, of their obligation; there can be no effective guarantee
to prevent them from cancelling Imperial Airways’ concession at any time on the
pretext that the company have failed to abide by the conditions of their contract.
Finally, the Secretary of State feels strongly that the acceptance of the Persian
proposal would form an undesirable precedent; that it would become known,
not only in Persia, but also in other countries, that political concessions could be
extracted from His Majesty’s Government as the price of a permit to operate
air services over foreign territory; and that exactly similar difficulties would
arise with the Persian Government when Imperial Airways’ new contract
eventually expired.
8. Sir John Simon therefore feels that, as regards the air route, Mr. Hoare
should receive instructions to take the line that this question is not one of those
which was to have been dealt with in the general treaty; that if the Persian
Government are finally determined to close to international traffic the only
practicable route across Persia, His Majesty’s Government have no intention of
offering them any political concessions to induce them to change their decision,
but will, if necessary, make alternative arrangements for avoiding Persian
territory altogether until the Persian Government are willing to adopt a less
unreasonable and obstructive attitude towards this question. Mr. Hoare would,
however, make it clear that, so long as any international aviation is allowed to
operate this, or any other, route across Persia, His Majesty’s Government
naturally expect that Imperial Airways will be allowed to do so on the same terms
9 As regards Henjam, the Secretary of State has long been of the opinion
that the Persian Government would shortly seek to bring about the withdrawal
ot the British depot. At the same time, the sudden change of front on the part
°- A, n- * 1St6r ^ 0Ult .’ a ft er negotiations for a lease have been in progress
with him for some years, is most unsatisfactory, and it might at first sight appear

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Content

The volume contains papers relating to the ownership and sovereignty of the islands of Tamb and Abu Musa (and Little Tamb and Sirri) in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and negotiations for a general treaty between the United Kingdom and Persia [Iran]. The papers mainly consist of correspondence and 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. Political and Secret Department minute papers.

Most of the volume concerns the seizure of a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. [sailing vessel] from Debai [Dubai] (according to the reports of British officials) near the island of Tamb (also spelled Tunb and Tanb in the volume) by Persian customs officials. The British Government considered the island of Tamb to be owned by the Shaikh of Ras al Khaimah, and the papers discuss the expectation of the Trucial Shaikhs that Britain should take action against Persia, in accordance with Britain’s Treaty obligations to the Trucial Shaikhs. Thus, the papers also concern: the British Government’s claim for compensation from the Persian Government for the Trucial Shaikhs and the passengers of the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. ; the response of the Persian Government that Tamb was Persian territory and that therefore this incident took place in Persian territorial waters, and that the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. was carrying smuggled goods; and the proposal that the British Government should immediately pay 5,000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. from Indian revenues as compensation to those affected by the Tamb incident, in anticipation of any settlement of the claim against Persia.

The Tamb incident raised the general question of the claim of the Trucial Shaikhs to the islands of Tamb and Abu Musa (the latter of which was considered by the British Government to be owned by the Shaikh of Sharjah) as well as Little Tamb and Sirri. Thus the volume also includes: papers relating to an article drafted by the British Government for inclusion in a forthcoming general treaty with Persia, under which Persia would withdraw its claim to Tamb, Little Tamb, and Abu Musa, in return for the Trucial Jowasimi [ Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. ] Shaikhs relinquishing their claim to Sirri; and negotiations between the British Government and the Persian Government about this and other issues, as part of the general treaty negotiations with Persia.

The main correspondents are as follows: 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 Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the Admiralty; the Government of India Foreign and Political Department; the Foreign Office; the Commander in Chief, East Indies; 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 Colonial Office; HM Chargé d’Affaires, Tehran, and HM Minister, Tehran.

The volume also includes a copy 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. memorandum ‘Status of the Islands of Tamb, Little Tamb, Abu Musa, and Sirri.’, by John Gilbert Laithwaite, dated 24 August 1928.

In addition, the volume includes the following items in French: correspondence between Sir Robert Clive, HM Minister at Tehran, and Abdolhossein Teymourtache [Teymūrtāsh], the Persian Minister of Court, dated January to March 1930; correspondence between Clive and Mirza Mohamed Ali Khan Feroughi, the Persian Minister of Foreign Affairs, dated 9 August and 21 October 1930, and an Aide-mémoire by the British Legation at Tehran, dated 21 October 1930.

The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (535 folios)
Arrangement

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

The subject 4535 ( Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and Persia: telegraphs) consists of nine files (seven volumes and two physical files), IOR/L/PS/10/1266-1274. The files are divided into seventeen parts, with parts 1 and 3 comprising one volume, part 2 comprising the second volume, part 5 comprising the third file, part 7 comprising the third and fourth volumes, parts 8 and 11 comprising the fifth volume, parts 13 to 15 comprising the sixth volume, part 16 comprising the seventh file, and parts 10 and 17 comprising the eighth volume.

A location list on folio 5 of IOR/L/PS/10/1271 and IOR/L/PS/10/1272 states that part 4 is Coll 30/75 (IOR/L/PS/12/3792), part 6 is Coll 29/68 (IOR/L/PS/12/3644), part 9 is Coll 30/17 (IOR/L/PS/12/3727), and part 12 is P 4480/1923 Pt 2 (IOR/L/PS/10/1099).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 532; 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.

A previous foliation sequence between ff 193-532, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 4535/1928 Pt 2 ‘Persian Gulf Negotiations 1928. Status of Tamb. (and Abu Musa)’ [‎13v] (35/1078), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1267, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100079290334.0x000024> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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