Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [76r] (156/1062)
The record is made up of 1 file in 3 parts (519 folios). It was created in 25 May 1934-23 Sep 1948. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
THE STATUS 0? BAHREIN.
The Archipelago of Bahrein forms an independent Arab
Sheikhdom under British protection. Its population is
Arab largely Uttabit* Huwaia, . It is unconnected geographically
with Persia, and its historical connection, on which the
Persians base their claim, is slight and distant.
K -
The evidence available on the history of Bahrein
early times goes to show that the Persians only exercised control
over the independent chiefs of Bahrein
part of the Christian era and between &
year the islands were conquered by the jaBtwmur who
until the 11th century.
for a period in the early
.1).613-723,in which
In the
and were in
the islands
more than a
Middle Ages
power until
ruled them
the Arab rulers of I«%a3Sag- invaued Bahrein
defeated by the Portuguese in 1306 when
came under the latter^ intermittent control for
century. In 1753 Bahrein became, at least in
name, dependent on Persia but the islands have never been under
effective Persian control since 1783 when the last Persian
Governor was expelled by the Uttabi Arabs.
During the 19th century the Sheikhs of Bahrein entered
into a number of agreements with toe British G-overnrnent,
By the first of these, in 1820, the Sheikhs were admitted to
the benefits of the General Treaty of Peace between His
Majesty’s Government and the Arab rulers of the^
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
in return for their agreement to abstain from piracy and tne
slave trade, the suppression of which /in th e Persian Gu^/was
His Majesty’s Government’s main preoccupation] in the inxn cen ury.
In 1861 the dheikh entered a ’’perpetual vreaty of peace
and friendship” with Great Britain in which he was explicit y
recognised asA'independent ruler of Bahrein" and was guaranteed
against aggression by the H Thiefs and tribes oi th- ^ ,
Closer relations with the dheikh were established asaresuit-
of the two exclusive Agreements of 1880 and 1892 /^ ; . ^
delegated the conduct of his foreign relations to ,a.
Government. All these agreements contain implicit oo.
recognition of the independence oj. .D^hrein.
Prom 1820 to 19341 the Persian claim to Bahrein was
frequently asserted and as | ae^untenable‘tbe Persian
Government *ho have always ^ nsl d admi nistration by the
proposition that effective possession ^ whloh the rulers
orssent ruling ifamily. for Lij^ «> f in ^ nD . ,nhich no i-crsian
have been independent of Persia, and during which no^.x.^n^
authority has been ex ^y?“f t ^rPeSsian Government have not
by the mere consideration uhai tne ioi f the fac t of
set ttaair signature to " “es y-s GovSnm^t^how Ae view,
their independence. Jis Majesty sG , ical rounds on >
after consideration of the legal pppsia had no rights,
which the Persians base their claim. Hhat ^^Aahrein!
either of sovereignty or suzeraawy ij> -
About this item
- Content
The file concerns the claim of the Government of Iran (generally referred to as the Government of Persia) to territorial sovereignty over Bahrein [Bahrain].
The papers include: the Iranian claim in the light of the Bahrain oil concession; representations by the Government of Iran to the League of Nations, and the involvement of League in the dispute; summary of diplomatic correspondence, 1927-29 (folios 506-511); India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. 'Historical Memorandum on Bahrein', dated 14 July 1934 - a historical summary of the political status of Bahrain, and Persian claims to sovereignty; the submission of the question by the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. to the Law Officers of the Crown, 1934 (folios 466-472), and the report of the Law Officers of the Crown (folios 400-403), stating their opinion that Persia had no rights of sovereignty or suzerainty over Bahrain; the view of the Foreign Office (subsequently adopted) that references in public pronouncements to the independence of Bahrain needed to be qualified by the statement that the ruler was 'in special treaty relations with His Majesty's Government' (folios 378-380); the status of Tamb and Abu Musa (folio 361); the imposition of Iranian import duty on aviation oil supplied to Bahrain (folios 315-316); the views of 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. on the dangers of submitting the question to international arbitration (folios 308-314); similarities to the dispute between the United States of America (USA) and the Netherlands over Palmas Island [Miangas or Palmas, Indonesia] (e.g. folios 306-307); the views of the Government of Saudi Arabia (folios 268-270); the issue of passports and visas; transcripts of articles in support of the Iranian position in the Iranian and Arabic language press; the effect of the Bahrain nationality and property laws; Italian propaganda in support of the Iranian claim (folio 243); comparison with the Falkland Islands (folio 210); the refusal of the Iranian postal authorities to accept mails from Bahrain (folio 186); the involvement of the United Nations Organisation; Foreign Office 'Memorandum on Bahrein', dated 13 January 1947, substantially based on the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. 'Historical Memorandum on Bahrein' of 1934 (folios 97-126); Soviet propaganda over Bahrain (folio 57); the presence in Tehran of a person claiming to represent the Bahrain National Party (folios 50-54); and correspondence dated 1948 concerning the size and position of the Persian community in Bahrain, including a letter on the subject from Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (folios 25-37).
The file contains significant correspondence from the Foreign Office, HM Minister, Tehran (later the British Ambassador to Tehran), and 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. .
The French language content of the file consists of approximately thirty folios of diplomatic correspondence and newspaper extracts.
The file also contains copies of earlier correspondence, dated 1927-31.
The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 file in 3 parts (519 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: this file consists of three physical parts. The foliation sequence commences at the front cover of part one with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover of part three with 525; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-524; these numbers are printed, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [76r] (156/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3810, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100059426983.0x0000a9> [accessed 5 April 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3810
- Title
- Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:29v, 38r:50v, 53r:117v, 118v, 121v:122v, 126r:149v, 152r:166v, 169v:177v, back-i, front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 180r:197v, 199r:209v, 210v, 211v:221v, 223r:227v, 230r:231v, 233v:234v, 235v, 235r, 236r:238v, 240r:240v, 242r:245v, 247r:248v, 250r:251v, 255r:257v, 262r:272v, 274r:276v, 280r:280v, 282v:294v, 295v:345v, 348r:350v, back-i, front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 353r:374v, 378r:394v, 396r:424v, 427r:427v, 428v, 431v:433v, 440r:443v, 445r:446v, 448r:450v, 452r:454v, 457r:494r, 496r:501v, 509v:513v, 515r:518v, 520r:524v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence