"ملف ‏19/109 II (C 17)‎ البحرين: علاقات الحاكم مع القوى الخارجية الأخرى" [و‎‎١‎١‎١] (٥٣٤/٢٢٧)

18
No. dated Baghdad, the 31st; January 1920.
Prom—B revet L ieutisnant- C olonkl A. T. W ilson , C.S I., C.M.O-., C.I.E., D.S.O.,
Ac-ting Civil Commissioner in Mesop -tamia,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Depart
ment.
With reference to your telegram No 83-E. A.,' dated the 19th January,
I have the honour to en
close, for the information
of the Government of
India, copies of the corre
spondence noted in the
margin.
gidcnt, Uastnre, or ^ra January iva'j.
2. I concur with the views expressed by Lieutenant-Colonel Trevor, who,
as a former Political Agent at Bahrein, has practical experience of conditions
at that place.
If this letter and enclosures (which are submitted in original to save time)
are printed, I would ask to be favoured with 5 copies.
Note on Sistory of Zuhara and Claims of Shaikh of JBahrein to Zubctva.
From the old Residency files I have extracted and precised the follow
ing :
In 1766 A1 Khalifa Section of the tribe of Utah emigrants from Nejd
migrated from Koweit and settled in Zubara. By 1782 the A1 Khalifa has
succeeded in establishing their supremacy over the whole of the Qatar peninsula
and in this year attacked the Persian Governor of Bahrein and captured the
island.
From this year to 1842 there was continued fighting and confusion.
In 1812 Shaikh Abdullah of Bahrein quarrelled with his grand nephew,
one Mohammad bin Khalifa, and drove him out of Bahrein.
Mohammed bin Khalifa went to Qatar and rebuilt the town of Zubara
which had been deserted since 1811.
In 1847 Shaikh Abdullah, at the invitation of Shaikh 'Isa bin Tarif of the
A1 bin Ali, made an abortive attempt to reduce Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa
and died the following year.
Apparently one Shaikh Mohamed bin Thani succeeded Shaikh 'Isa bin Tarif
as head of the A1 bin Ali tribe during the next decade, and rose to power in the
Qatar peninsula.
In 1867 and 1868 a series of raids and counter-raids between Bahrein and El
Qatar ensued in which the Resident interfered and deposed the- Shaikh of Bah
rein Shaikh Mohamed and fined others heavily and Shaikh Ali, his brother, who
had commanded the forces of the Shaikh of Bahrein, was installed. Shaikh
Mohamed bin Thani in 18ti9 signed an agreement with the Resident promising
to pay Shaikh of Bahrein 9,000 Krans "Zakat " a year, to refer all disputes
to the Resident and to maintain with Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa the same relations
which had existed between himself and the former Shaikh of Bahrain.
This money was paid for the next two or three years and then discontinued
when the Turks established themselves in El Bida. Colonel Pelly decided on the
occasion of this settlement that while the Bahrein Chief was acknowledged
to possess certain rights of pasturage, etc., on the Qatar coast, he should not be
empowered to put to sea to coerce any Qatar port.
In 1869 Shaikh Ali was killed and after a short interregnum Shaikh 'Isa
his eldest son, was made Chief of Bahrein by the British Government.
From this date on, the Turks attempted to extend their influence in this
part of the Arab Coast.
*Serial No. 3.
Note on Claim of Shaikh of Bahrein to Zubara.
Political Agent, Bahrein's memorandum 176 of 6th December 1919.
Deputy Political Resident, Buthire's memorHndum 246 -s., of 28l.h
Dt'cember 1919.
Political Agent, Eahrein'B memorandam 9-0. of 17(h January 1920'
with three enclosures.
Telegram Code from Polifica! As ;ent, Bahrein, to Deputy Political Re*