Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [415v] (843/1062)
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.
F.O. to I.O.
1.2.1869.
From Gen.
M olisin
Khan,
11.2.1869.
To Gen,
Mob sin
Khan,
5.3.1869.
Gen. Mohsin
Khan to
Duke of
Argyll,
13.1.1869.
22
ae Governor over .to to »e°i
g* ftS&JiWS tfSsS “ "P ” to British
SheAh to fi 11 ",, 18 eedin g 8 had taken place at a time
“■hen ’‘ Sheikh Md. bin Khalifah, the Governor of Bahrein,
was openly avowing his ^"““Xed bS to be
SpS^Sn^roof of which the Persian flag was
flying over his fort. .
82 Her Maiesty’s Minister at Tehran was instructed
to communicate a" suitable explanatory statement to the
PersTan Government. The Foreign Office suggested, how
ever that it might be advisable, m the event ol sum a
proceedings again becoming necessary,
diould be had with that Government. Winle tins question
wririll under consideration a formal protest a|^“ st th ^
Resident’s action was received (11th February 18bJ) fio
the Persian Charge d’Affaires in London, who complained,
titer alia that the Resident had sunk three ships belonging
to the Governor of Bahrein and fired on his palace on which
the Persian flag flew, and requested that the British Govern
ment would give orders for the repair of the damage caused.
Re was informed in reply that “the Sheikh of Bahrein was
an independent chief with whom the British Government
had treaty engagements and whom they must hold strictly
to the performance of those engagements.
This contention the Persian representative disputed,
and in support of his view he forwarded letters addressed
“ from 1858 to 1869 by the Sheikh of Bahrein to His Imperial
Majesty the Shah and the Prince The
translations of these letters are dated 9th Apnl and 1-th
April 1869 respectively. From internal evidence it seems
probable that they were, however, written m I860 on the
occasion of the visit to Bahrein of the Persian envoy, Mirza
Mehdi Khan (paragraph 67 above). They acknowledge the
receipt of a
Firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
from the Mirza (apparently recognising
Sheikh Md. as Sheikh and accompanying a
Firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
and a
Sword of Honour for Sheikh Ali). They state emphatically
that-Bahrein forms part of Persia, and has always done so
They refer to an agreement reached for the future payment
of tribute; remark that “the slight neglect which was
lately shown on our part towards Your Imperial Majesty s
Government was because they had not for a while superin
tended and protected us, but as now the Government of W
Imperial Majesty has intended by sending over Mirza Mehdy
to enquire into and manage the affairs lieie, I, with in}
brother and all the inhabitants, feel quite ready to declare
at once that we are most willing to render any services
required from us towards Your Majesty’s Government, being
already aware that Bahrein (
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
) is part of Persia,”
and add “ . . . I will hasten to hoist the flag on my residence
bearing the Lion and the Sun which are the signs of the
Persian Standard.”
British Note o! 29th April 1869.
84. The question of the reply to be given to this further
protest was carefully considered between 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.
and the Foreign Office. The Duke of Argyll, then Secretary
LO. to F.O., ^ g tate f or India, remarked that although he was of opinion
21.4.1869, t p at t p e Rne of policy which had hitherto been pursued
0 f re oar ding the Sheikh of Bahrein as an independent
sovereign, and of refusing to recognise the right of
sovereignty advanced by Persia, as had been done in 1845,
1848 and 1860, could not now be abandoned without very
serious risk of endangering the peace of the Gulf, yet that
“ he was not blind to the expediency of aymdmg all causes
of unnecessary irritation at the Court of Tehian and that
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' [415v] (843/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3810, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100059426987.0x00002c> [accessed 30 March 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