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File 4535/1928 Pt 2 ‘Persian Gulf Negotiations 1928. Status of Tamb. (and Abu Musa)’ [‎289r] (586/1078)

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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3 e, cr. o, g
n your Excellency definitely, <
;ikh has been in unChntested
on behalf of His
possession of the
It is incumbent on me to inform
Majesty’s Government, that this sheikh
island for a great many years and that he is independent except in so far as he is
bound by treaty relations with His Majesty’s Government.
This brings me to the concluding point in your Excellency’s note to the effect
that the Imperial Government “ cannot in any way approve of the attitude that the
British Government has adopted on the pretext of having treaties with the above-
~ ntioned Arab sheikhs and cannot accept the resulting declaration which they make
oi protecting them.”
His Majesty’s Government entirely fail to understand this statement in view of
the fact that the relations between them and the Arab chiefs have existed for
100 years and more, and that definite agreements were made as late as March 1892
with the Chiefs of Ras-le-Khaima and Shargah whereby they agreed inter alia to
enter into no agreement or correspondence with^any Power other than the British
Government.
For the information of your Excellency and of the Imperial Government I
append to this note the text of the Exclusive Agreement concluded in March 1892
with each of the following sheikhs :—
The Chiefs of Abu Dthabi, Dabai, Ajman, Shargah, Ras-ul-Khaima and
Umm-ul-Gawain.
His Majesty’s Government are therefore unable to admit that the Persian
Government should have direct dealings with the chiefs in question, and are further
of opinion that if the Persian Government take action against them His Majesty’s
Government will be unable to restrain the chiefs from taking retaliatory action,
thereby rendering difficult the maintenance of peace in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
I venture again to remind your Excellency of the assurance given to Sir R. Clive
by his Excellency Taimourtache, and to express the opinion that action taken locally
will not only be a violation of this assurance, but will also in no way further the
claim advanced in your Excellency’s note.
I avail, &c.
R. C. PARR.
Enclosure 4 in No. 1 .
Exclusive Agreement of the Chief of Abu Dthabi with the Bntish Government,
dated March 6 , 1892.
I, ZAEED-bin-KHALIFAH, Chief of Abu Dthabi, in the presence of
Lieutenant-Colonel A. C. Talbot, C.I.E., 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. , do
hereby solemnly bind myself and agree, on behalf of myself, my heirs and successors,
to the following conditions, viz.:—
1 st.—That I will on no account enter into any agreement or correspondence
with any Power other than the British Government.
2nd.—That without the assent of the British Government I will not consent
to the residence within my territory of the agent of any other Government.
3rd.—That I will on no account cede, sell, mortgage or otherwise give for
occupation any part of my territory, save to the British Government.
Dated Abu Dthabi, March 6 , 1892, corresponding to 5th Shabaan 1309 Hijri.
A.
C. Talbot,
Resident
(Signature of Zaeed-bin-Khalifa),
Chief of Abu Dthabi.
Lieut.-Col.,
in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
LANSDOWNE, Viceroy
General of India.
and Governor-
Ratified by his Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General of India at Simla
on the 12 th May, 1892.
H. M. DURAND, Secretary to the Govern
ment of India, Foreign Department.
(The agreements signed by the other Trucial SlV^khs, viz.: the Chiefs of Dabai,
Aj ma n, Shargah, Ras-ul-Khaima and Umm-ul-Gawain, the first three dated the
7th, and the last two the 8 th March, 1892, are identical in form.)

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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)’ [‎289r] (586/1078), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1267, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100079290336.0x0000bb> [accessed 27 April 2024]

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