‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎524r] (97/112)

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soveroignly of Persia over the Sheikh and people
of Mohammeruh, which His Majesty’s Govern*
meet had always recognised, we yet felt that the
adoption of certain measures towards the Arabs,
such as the transfer to Europeans of functions
hitherto enjoyed by the Sheikh, might, by causing
dissatisfaction and local disturbances, very
seriously affect our interests. It was for this reason
that we considered that the friendly relations exist
ing between the Persian and British Governments
and the assurances which the former had repeat
edly given us, justified us in asking for the fullest
information as to the exact nature of the changes
proposed. His Highness assured me of his readi
ness to meet our views in this respect, and when,
a day or so later, I asked him through Abbas
Kuli Khan for the text of the arrangements with
the Sheikh of Mohammerah which I understood
had been or were about to be concluded, he replied
that no written arrangements had been made with
the Sheikh, but that he was to have the titular
rank of Head of the Customs and to receive an
increase of salary amounting to 12,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a
year for the maintenance of his Arab kinsmen.
Some of his relations had moreover been already
taken into the public service. The Persian Gov
ernment, His Highness added, had every confi
dence in that of His Majesty the King of Great
Britain and hoped that this feeling was reci
procated.
I communicated the account of what had
passed between His Highness and myself to Lord
Lansdowne, who has now instructed me to make
the following declaration to Your Excellency for
the information of the Persian Government and
with a view of making our position in this matter
perfectly clear :
“ (1) The British Government has never
doubted the absolute character of the Shah’s sov
ereignty over the territory, ruler and people of
Mohammerah. Any suspicion which the Persian
Government may have been led to entertain that
we sought to establish any analogy between the
position of the Shefkh of Mohammerah and that
of the Sheikhs of Bahrein or Koweit or to dis
tinguish between it and that of other Persian
Governors, such for instance, to cite Your Excel-
ency’s own illustration in conversation with Mr.
des Graz, as the Chief of Kuehan, can only have
been suggested by persons desirous of sowing dis
trust between the two friendly States. We recog
nise in the fullest manner that His Excellency
the Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Arfa is a P» rsian subject and a ser
vant of His Imperial Majesty the Shah.
“ (2) At the same time the important in
terests which Great Britain possesses in the south
of Perda preclude us from viewing with in-
difb rence any changes in the System of Government
in the province of Arabistan, which by causing
tiouble among the Arab tribes may endanger our
trade and the security of foreign subjects, cr
afford occasion for interference by other powers
and thus oblige us, on our side, to take active
steps for the protection of British rights. It is
notorious that when it was first announced that
the customs of Arabistan were to be placed under
Belgian control, there -was a certain ferment among
the Arabs, and that some of them went so far as
to forcibly oppose the landing of the Karguzar
of Bus hire at Mohammerah. The misconcep
tions which had occasioned this ferment were
happily dispelled, but had the Persian Govern
ment not pursued so wise and tactful a policy
it might easily have assumed a dangerous character