File 2902/1916 ‘Treaties and Engagements between the British Government and the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast of the Persian Gulf’ [‎41r] (92/448)

COPY OE A LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY SHAIKH KHAZAL
KHAN, SARDAR Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. -I-ARFA, SHAIKH OE MOHAMMERAH, FROM
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. IN THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , DATED
MOHAMMERAH, 16th MAY 1909.
After the usual compliments .—On the 1st December 1908 I had the honour
by the direction of His Majesty’s Government, to repeat to Your Excellency the
assurances given you on behalf of Government by His Excellency Sir Arthur
Hardinge, British Minister at Tehran, in his letter of 7th December 1902 to
your address, and to inform you that the British Government were now prepared
to extend those assurances to your successors.
I was further directed to explain to you that the British Government had
engaged to respect the integrity and independence of Persia and that that under
taking in itself involved the maintenance of the status quo in Persia, and thus
included the continuance of the same state of autonomy which Your Excel
lency at present enjoys.
I was then to point out that it followed from the above that any external
aggression upon Your Excellency would constitute an act of infringement of
that Persian integrity which has received recognition in the Anglo-Russian
Convention.
While expressing your thanks for these amplified assurances, you represen
ted that they seemed to you only to safeguard you so long as Persia continued
to exist as a Sovereign State, and you pressed for a further assurance which
would cover the contingency of Persia ceasing to exist as a Sovereign State and
the intervention or occupadon by Foreign Powers.
You also expressed doubt as to whether the present assurance only provid
ed immunity against unwarrantable encroachment on your rights by the
absolute government of His Majesty the Shah, or whether it also covered pre
vention of similar action on the part of a parliamentary government.
In reply to these representations, Your Excellency was informed that
Great Britain and Russia being pledged to respect the integrity of Persia, the
British Government were not properly speaking able to admit even the possibi
lity of Persia ceasing to be a Sovereign State or coming under the occupation of
a Foreign Power, but that in the unlikely event of such a contingency the
assurances already given to Your Excellency would become even more binding
fhan before.
I was further permitted to inform you that whatever change might take
place in the form of government in Persia the British Government were pre
pared to give you the same support against any encroachment on your rights as
was promised to you in 1902 and I was authorised to add that they were now
prepared to extend the application of those assurances to your “ heirs and
successors
Mr. McDouall and I have informed you that in our opinion the assurances
as now extended and expressed, appear to satisfy all your requirements ; but
you have further requested that the words “ heirs and successors ” may be
changed and the words “ own successive male descendants ” may be written
instead ; and you have gone on to express the hope that His Majesty’s Govern
ment will be pleased to dispel the last shadow of doubt from your mind regard
ing their own intentions in the future, by adding after the words “ male de
scendants ” as above, the words “up to a period of 100 years” (or if it be
possible 150 years).
I cannot give Your Excellency any reply on this point without reference
to Government, but I will lose no time in communicating to them your re
presentations.
I am Your Excellency’s sincere friend,
P. Z. COX, Major,
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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .