ملف رقم ٣٤٥ لسنة ١٩٠٨ الجزء الثاني "المحمرة: الوضع. نزاع الشيخ مع والي البصرة. تقليد الشيخ وساماً. تجديد التطمينات للشيخ". [ظ‎‎٢‎٢] (٥٦٦/٤٩)

2
Complaints on this subject have naturally reached the Shaikh’s ears and
some months ago he appointed a man named Khallaf, one of his trusted servants,
to assist Chasib at AhwaZ and more particularly to see that important^ tribesmen
arriving at that place were properly treated and entertained in Chasib’s name.
With this agent of the Shaikh Chasib has quarrelled and a few days ago he
came down to Mohammerah to see his father in the matter and to complain
about him ; there is little doubt also that Chasib was responsible for the telegram
to your address complaining of the tyrranical conduct of one of the Shaikh’s
servants, the servant referred to being of course the same Khallaf.
The Shaikh, who is undoubtedly fond of Chasib, has spoken to him very
clearly and has told him that if he finds the weight of Government, and the duties
which are a necessary accompaniment thereof, to be too heavy for his shoulders,
it would be better for him to realise the fact and to resign the prospect of succes
sion, that suitable provision would be made for him and that he would have all
he wanted but that one of the other sons would be named heir in his place.
After thinking it over Chasib said that he would wait two months till the
chiefs of the Muhaisin and Chaab came in to see the Shaikh and that he would
then ask them if they would give him their support: if they answered in the
affirmative he would undertake the responsibilities of the position, but if they did
not seem anxious to support him he would resign.
This answer, which is certainly not Chasib’s own, appeared to the Shaikh so
sensible that he immediately consented to it and so the matter rests for the
present.
It now remains for us to survey the matter from our own point of view.
Our own interests in the country demand a stable Government. The longer
the Shaikh lives the easier will be the task for his successor, for he has welded
together the loosely connected elements of his rule and year by year the unifica
tion will become more complete. A weak Governor, unpopular with his people
would however soon cause the disintegration of the factors so carefully brought
together by Shaikh Khazal and with the dissatisfaction which would prevail a
fertile ground would be prepared for the sowing of the germs of sedition and dis
loyalty which would end m the weakening of the power of the Shaikhdom and
its subsequent disappearance as a power of any value either to its holder or to
The history of the past few years has shown how easily this would t
accomplished in Arabistan under a less acute rule than that of the present regim
True loyalty is not very common in Persia and the very poor substitute therefi
possessed by the majority will rarely withstand bribery : the inimical tribes o
the bhaikhs border would have caused dissension had there been less confident
in-the Shaikh s powers, a confidence which has always been greatly increase
by the knowledge of the relations between the Shaikh and ourselves.
Our political, even more than our commercial, interests demand a strnn
government of the Shaikh with the confidence of the people.
I do not believe that this could be obtained with Shaikh Chasib.
bp nn? dlfficult to form a i ust opinion about one who is so voum
miaL ? T ch l abov t twen ty°ne, and one has no wish to be severe on one wh
capable woman who meets her subjects unveiledt hnt th J ^ S rnot ler ' (
the respect given to Chasib who bSL ^ b v fact does not ‘"creas
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