"دليل الخليج. الجزء الأول. المواد التاريخية والسياسية. ملخص عن شؤون قطر، ١٨٧٣-١٩٠٤." [و‎‎٣‎١] (٩٢/٦١)

Ambassador Sir N. O'Conorto His Majesty's Government.
India ^ffi^and^th^CtovenSent of j °^^P on< ^ eiloe ^n passed between the
(1) Telegram, dated the 22nd December 1902.
From—His Majesty's Secretary of State for India, London,
To—His Excellency the Viceroy, Calcutta.
Katar. O Conor reports announcement in semi-official newspaper "Ikdam" of27tli
November of ^ te ^ on of Turkish Government to establish small administrative units at
Zobarah, at D.kchipped ? Dikchir), at Adide, which is presumably Odeid, and at Jezireh-
ul-Amair which he ^entifies with Ahuali island. O'Conor fears protest will he consideiblv
resented, hanng regard to Tuikish feeling about Koweit and Aden delimitation; and adds that
though it may oe .advisable to protest for political reasons, he does not expect any result unless
"7 views. ^ my sLret despa'tTh
(2) Telegram, dated the 10th January 1903.
From—His Excelloncy the Viceroy, Viceroy's Camp, Rura,
To—His Majesty's Secretary of State for India, London.
„-ll " Yo "«efa m of Mnd December, Kalar. I am making enquiries of Resident and
will advise shortly. Rmnonred action of Turks seems to me, however, entirely inconsistent with
demTnd firm oppTtLn " Uo ™ ra,uent with to Katar, and will probably
(3) Telegram, "No. 83-E., dated the 19th January 1003.
From—Hie Excellency the Viceroy, Calcutta,
To—His Majesty's Secretary of State for India, London.
"My telegram, 10 th January, Katar. Kemball cannot identify Dikchipped,-but consi-
ders that our relat,onsw.th Bahrein and Abnthabi render it necessary to prevent Turkish occupa-
OffW nf 21 ail , 0d ® ,d - 1 — As to Zobarah, please see Sanderson's letter to India
Office of 21st November J896 enclcsmg draft note to Turkish Ambassador. Odeid is regarded
as appanage of Abutbabi, and text of our Agreement of J892 with Tmcial Chiefs was I under
stand, communicated to Porte—see Godley's letter to Foreign Office of 28th v. arch 1893. Amair
is an is north of Katit, and its occupation does not concern us. I sincerely trust that His
Majesty s Government will prevent occupation of Zobarah and Odeid which would deal serious
ow 0 our whole position m the Gulf and gravely compromise status of Bahrein. With
refeience to your Secret despatch 87, dated 5th September 1902. Kemball reports that Jasim-
bm-Tham is recognized Chief of Katar, and Turks style him Kaimmakam, though he re
pudiates title. His brother Ahmed-bin-lhani is, however, the de facto Chief and regarded as
heir to his brother who is over 80 years of age. Ahmed approached Meade about British
protection in November lh99 and asked at the same time for permission to occupy Odeid. I
think that to prevent Turkish designs it will be wise to enter into agreement with him. But
it His Majesty s Government are not prepared to take this step at once, which will perhaps
to^ cTiefsbip' " J might be told that we prefer to wait till he succeeds later on
^ f0i :r ar : d ^ ^ co py o f the above telegraphic correspondence to the
foreign Office, the following observations were made by Sir Horace Walnole in
his letter dated 4th Eebruary 1903 :—
Lord Lansdowne will observe that the Government of India consider it necessary to prevent
No. 84 of Secret E., May 1903, Nog. 64-87. a Turkish occupation of Zobarah and Odeid, riikre.
.. , ^ , ., . 1116 Go vernment of India are unable to identify bv
that name, but it may be possibly identical with Wakra, a coast town situated on the shore of
the Katar peninsula between Odeid and Bidaa. With Amair or Abu Ali island thev do not
consider their interests to be concerned.
Zobarah and Wakra are both situated in the peninsula of Katar where His Maiestv's
Uoyerument liave^frequently declared that they do not recognize the sovereignty of the Sultan.
In the case of Zobarah, occupation of this point by a settlement under the Turkish flao- in 1895
was considered so prejudicial to the safety of Bahrein that, after an ineffectual protest address
ed to the iurkish viovernment, forcible steps were taken to prevent it—see Lord Currie's
despatcn No. 520 of the 12th August 1895 and the correspondence with the Turkish
Ambassador ending with Lord Salisbury's f December 1896,"
t j• 0de [ <i i 0n tl3e 0ther ^ an( ^ arid lias . b8ei } for ^e last 30 years held by the Government of
n la to belong to the Chief of Abuthabi, with whom they have maintained direct treaty
relations for many years. Neither the existence of a separate and independent Chiefship at
Odeid, nor its subordination to Katar, has been ever recognized. In these circumstances, Lord
*See paragraph 193 ante.
tSee draft note sent to the India Office, Pro. No. 153 in Secret E., February 1897, Nos. 151-158.