'Administration Reports 1920-1924' [‎119r] (242/412)

PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. POLITICAL RESIDENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , 1922.
51
CHAPTER IX.
Administration Report of the Bahrain Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the year 1922.
L I>ersonnel.--Q\i&rgQ of the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. was held throughout the
year by Major G. K. Daly, who was also in charge of the duties of the Indian
Assistant, which post remained yacant.
The 'Ruler of Bahrain and Al Khalifeh family. —In the early part of
-Bahrain Shiah population, which had manifested
itselt during 1921 against the tyranny of the ruling family continued. It
had culminated in a petition presented by a representative gathering to the
Hon ble 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. . Shaik Abdulla, the youngest son of the ruler
resented the change in his fortunes brought about by Shaik Hamad, the Heir-
Apparent, having been put in to his rightful position. Abdulla continued his
campaign of active local intrigue. He squandered large sums of money for
that purpose and for propaganda in the Persian and Egyptian Press.
In January 1922 a series of disturbances occurred at night. They were
caused by a small gang who lay up on the outskirts of the town of Manameh
and fired heavily on the police posts. No robberies occurred, and the sole
object appeared to be that of paralysing the police force and terrorising the
inhabitants. ^ Although absolute proof could not be obtained there were
many indications that the affair had been instigated by Shaik Abdulla.
The highly unsatisfactory behaviour of Shaik Abdulla and the continued
oppression of Shiah Bahrainis, caused 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. to visit Bahrain
on March 7th, in the E. I. M. S. Lawrence accompanied by H. M. S. Cyclamen
to deliver a warning to the Ruler. At the same time Shaik Abdulla was told
that if he persisted in his intrigues Government might be compelled to take
severe action. A short time previous as the result of a case of wanton oppres
sion of a Bahraini, a large number of the Shaik inhabitants had made a
personal protest to the Ruler and had demanded assurances of better treatment.
Shaik Easa was by this time alarmed, and signed a sort of f Magna Charta '
undertaking amongst other reforms.
1. To abolish f Sakhra ' or forced labour.
2. To provide an adequate and sanitary prison.
3. To forbid the members of his family other than the heir-apparent to try
cases or inflict punishment.
4. To issue written summonses for appearances in court, in lieu of the
practice of suddenly arresting the required defendents and witnesses.
It is a matter of regret that up to the date of this report, the Ruler has
not seen fit to carry out any of his written undertakings.
^ As a result of the above mentioned warning to Shaik Abdulla he ceased
his intrigues for a time. In April he and his brother Shaik Hamad considered
the desirability of introducing elementary reforms and expressed a wish to learn
to what extent His Majesty's Government might support their introduction, in
the event of the sunni tribes declining to submit. As it was impossible for
Government to foresee the extent to which they might become involved should
they give any definite undertaking, it was deemed inexpedient to give any
specific assurances. While the matter was still under consideration the Shaiks
apparently learnt that some of the sunni tribes who would be opposed to any
reforms which might place them on an equal footing with the shiahs
as regards taxation, had approached the Sultan of Najd, with a view
to securing his support. It was believed that the latter gave them some
assurance of at least moral support. This combined with the absence of any
definite assurance of support from His Majesty's Government caused tl^e
Shaiks to abandon their ideas of reform.