'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎177r] (358/386)

95 s
3. As regards the question of our future relations with Bahrein, you submit
certain proposals by Captain Prideaux, which may be summarised as follows:—
(a) That it would be better that, until the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. has
acquired adequate influence ever the Sheikh, no steps whatever
should betaken to press on Sheikh Esa the proposalsrecemmended
originally in your letter No. 123 (Confidential) of llth March last
and referred to in this Department letter No. 1873-E.B. of
17th May.
(b) That the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. should be authorised to intervene with
direct instructions
namely,—
to the Chief in the
following matters,
(t) the oppression exercised by the A1 Khalifa family, the Magis
terial and Revenue officials, and the Kazis;
(i/) the extravagant entertainment of Bedouins ;
(Hi) reform of land revenue administration;
(iu) legal disputes between the Sheikh and his subjects.
Captain Prideaux appears to hope that, by consistently adopting this
poliov, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. will gradually be furnished with a status m the
island independent of the Sheikh ; that the Sheikh will thus be cowed into
an attitude of gener d amenability to reasonable suggestions ; and that tho
termination of the present system of exactions will result in so much loss o
revenue to the Sheikh that he will, in his ow r n interest, desire the reform of his
Customs.
4. You concur in the advisability of adopting Captain Prideaux s fiist sug
gestion ; but before submitting any definite opinion on his other proposals, you
invite a pronouncement of the Government of India on the proposition that
there is no middle course between the two policies of treating Bahrein (1) as a
full British Protectorate ; (2) as an independent principality.
It is clear to the Government of India that such a middle course does
exist ; but before replying to your enquiry, I am to point out, with reference
to voi r interpretation of a full British Protectorate as involving the right
to intervene in the internal administration of Bahrein to the extent contem
plated by Captain Prideaux, that there is no authority for the supposition
that Great Britain would necessarily possess such a light, even weie she
formally to notify a British Protectorate over Bahrein to foreign Powers.
This misconception is due to the assumption which has been made that the
alternative to regarding the Sheikh of Bahrein as an independent Sovereign
is to treat him like a petty Indian Raja King . The analogy here introduced
although not without its uses as indicating the methods which in the light
of Indian experience, may successfully be employed in dealing with the
Chief, must be regarded as misleading in several important respects For,
even assuming that the measure cf interference advocated by the Political
Aoent would be legitimate in an Indian Native State (a proposition whic
ne^ some reservations in the instance of such Chiefs as enjoy a ^11 measure
of internal autonomy), it must be borne m mind ^ in the o^e ot ^at v
States in India, the British Power is the Sovereign and not merely the d 10
teetin^ Power and that in the same degree as they have lost the majority of
the attributes^of 1 sovereigntv as well as of independence, reciprocal rights
and'obligations have been Jreatod between them
which as yet have no exact counterpart m the relations of Gieat Britain to
Bahrein.
The exact interpretation of a Protectorate is a general question of interna-
,l “ 1 1"
Great Britain is the Protecting Power of Bahrein, and that Bahrein is, tneieton,