ملف ١٩٢٣/٤٠١١ الجزء ٢ "الخليج الفارسي: مفاوضات ١٩٢٨ هنجام" [ظ‎‎٩‎٠‎٤] (١٩٣٤/١٨١٥)

authority m Maskat if His Majesty the Shah were to entrust his confidence in the present
Ruler by releasing Bandar Abbas on reasonable terms, considering also how very desirable
it is that the British Government should be enabled to strengthen its influence at Msfihat
by the successful exercise of its good offices in the matter, His Excellency in Council Xires
me to expiess the hope that you will continue your endeavours, as opportunity may offer
to bring about so desirable a result, or, at all events, to prevent the question beum finally’
closed by a decision adverse to Saiyid Turki’ s hopes. "
“ His Excellency in Council is induced to urge this more strongly by the consideration •
that, on receipt of your telegram of 10th September, a communication was made through
the Bombay Government enquiring whether Saiyid Turki would be prepared to send
an Agent to Tehran to negotiate and conclude the lease, and to that communication a
favourable answer has been received. Your Excellency will easily understand what
embarrassments wall arise if, after communications have been made which gave rise to a
reasonable explanation of a favourable issue to the negotiation, His Excellency in Council"
is under the necessity of informing Saiyid Turki that the Persian Government decline to
renew the lease."
October 1871 Colonel Pelly submitted in detail the views of
His Highness the Sultan on the question of a release of the Bandar Abbas. He
said :—
“ The g is t of His Highness* arguments seems to be that he would he very desirous
of ie-cessing the Bandar Abbas districts, provided he could do so on the terms accorded
to the er-Sultan Saiyid Salim ; provided, further, that the negotiation for the lease could
be carried through without extravagant outlay at the Court of Persia ; and provided
lastly, that, if practicable, the negotiation should be entirely in the hands of Colonel Pelly,
or officer of similar rank, the Maskat Envoy being merely present for form’s sake.”
51. Mr. Alison charged Mr. Hickson with a message to Sadr Azam, the
Shah’s Prime Minister, with the view of renewing the subject of the lease of
Bandar Abbas, and reported (15th December 1871) that the Sadr Azam’s
language was unfavourable, but (as requested by the Government of India), he
would not omit aii 3 r good opportunity of bringing this matter before the Shah’s
Government.
52. To Mr. Dickson Sadr Azam said that he did not believe that the Shah
meant strictly what his reply did literally convey. He entered into the early
history of the question, recounting how previously an Agent of one of the
Imams imprisoned a Persian Governor of Bandar Abbas for whose release Her
Majesty’s Government refused to intercede, and which was only obtained by a
renewal of the lease. He said it would be humiliating to the Persian Govern
ment, who can perfectly maintain their country, to have to rent a possession to a
family, who, after having professed their allegiance to Persia, cast upon it the
grossest indignity. Persia, he added, would always value England’s friendly
advice and do her best to meet the wishes of Her Majesty’s Government and
would protect British traders : any Agent of the Imam would not be officially
recognized, though lie would be treated with proper respect.
M r - Alison reported on 18th December 1871 the appointment of Ahmed
Snah of Minab, to the Government of Bandar Abbas, in the room of Haji Ahmed
Khan who had been dismissed.
53. The native agent at Lingah reported the intention to sell the landed
propert y of Haji Ahmed Khali (his houses having been sold already), who was
way viowLf-nmi opinion nrithu (.nbjnot.^ ,
Saiyid Turki’s desires (I) to place a Maskat Agent at Bandar Abbas and (II)
to lease that port and its dependencies from Persia.
54. On the 30th January 1878 Colonel Miles reported :—
The M azir Saiyid Said, during a recent conversation with me, mentioned that
His Highness Saiyid Turki was anxious to have an agent residing at Bandar Abbas, and
solicited my views and opinion on the subject. “
Saiyid Saic^that the position of His Highness’s subjects at Bandar Abbas, of whom
t icre was a considerable number, engaged in trade and other occupations, was not alto
gether satisfactory, as the treatment received by them at the hands of the Persian author
ities and the protection afforded them in their dealings with others were not such as His
Highness considered they ought to be, and it was thought th^estahlishing an agent at
that port would be beneficial to the interest of all Oman subjects in Southern Persia.
I said that, if the Sultan desired it, I should be happy to communicate his wishes
in the matter to you for the favour of your advice, and the Minister replied that His Highness
would be much obliged by my doing so.’-