File 3939/1926 Pt 6 'Revision of Aitchison's Treaties. Persian Gulf Section.' [‎618r] (671/818)

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PERSIAN GULF— Bahrein.
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.binding himself to abstain from war, piracy and the importation of
slaves by sea, on condition of protection against similar aggressions, and
to permit all British subjects to trade with Bahrein on payment of an
ad valorem dutj of 5 per cent, on their goods.
In 1803, in consequence of complaints made against the lawless people
on the south-east coast of the peninsula, Shaikh Muhammad bin Khalifa
sent his cousin Muhammad bin Ahmad to Qatar to act as his A'mir or
.deputy. This official arrested and deported to Bahrein the local Chief of
ftVakra, and rngde himself so unpopular during the next two or three
years that he was at last compelled to return to Bahrein. Shaikh Muham
mad bin Khalifa thereupon, in October 1867, sent a force from Bahrein
.under the command of his brother Ali to punish the people of Qatar;;
and at the same time invited the Chief of Abu Dhabi to co-operate with
bis troops, as Bidaa and [Wakra had long been harbours of refuge for,
eeceders from Oman. Shaikh Zaid bin Khalifa promptly accepted the
invitation and joined Shaikh Ali with 2,000 men: and the combined
forces, after destroying a large number of Qatar boats, attacked and !
Backed the towns of IWakra and Bidaa and the villages of Doha and
Duweha (which are now merged in Bidaa) with circumstances of peculiar
barbarity, and plundered property of the estimated value of eleven lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
;of krans. ,
As both the Bahrein and Abu Dhabi Chiefs were bound by their
engagements with the British Government to abstain irom aggression of
every kind by sea; to appeal to the British Resident as arbitrator; and
to afford full redress for all maritime offences which could justly be charg
ed against them or their subjects, steps were taken to exact reparation for
these outrages. Before this could be effected the tribes of Qatar retaliated
by an attack on Bahrein which proved unsuccessful; but in the naval
action which took place a number of vessels were destroyed and gieat loss
of life occurred.
The Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , accompanied by H. M. S. Vigilant
and the gun-boats Clyde and Hugh Rose, proceeded to Bahrein. Muham
mad bin Khalifa fled to^the Qatar coast, and an Agreement (No. XI) was
signed by his brother AH bin Khalifa and the principal persons in Bah
rein, by which they declared Muhammad bin Knalifa to have forfeited
by his piratical outrages all claim to the Chief snip of Bahrein, and Ali
bin Khalifa bound himself to pay a fine of one lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of dollars. (Under,
these conditions he was permitted to continue in power; but the Abu
Mahur fort near Muharraq was destroyed, and the war craft belonging
to Muhammad bin Khalifa were burnt. After about one-fifth of the
fine had been realised and distributed rateably among the sufferers, the;
remainder was remitted.