'File A/1 Al Bu Sumait'

Content

The correspondence in the file concerns repeated requests from the Āl Bu Sumait tribe of Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh], communicated via Shaikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah, the chief of Bahrain, to emigrate to Bassidore on the island of Qeshm, then under British jurisdiction. The first request was made in 1901, and discussed between 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. Colonel Charles Kemball, and the Political Assistant at Bahrain, John Calcott Gaskin. In 1906 a further request was made, and again discussed between the Resident and Bahrain 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. (now Major Percy Cox and Major Francis Prideaux respectively). A third request was made by Shaikh Muḥammad bin Ahmad Āl Bu Sumait via Shaikh ‘Īsá in 1917, when Major Arthor Trevor was Resident and Captain Percy Loch was 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. .

The Āl Bu Sumait tribe wanted to move away from Bandar-e Lengeh because of the discrimination they faced at the hands of the Persian authorities there. Bassidore was most desirous to them because they wished to become British subjects, and hence be protected from Persian persecution. Representation was made via Shaikh ‘Īsá of Bahrain because the Āl Bu Sumait tribe were historic allies of the Āl Khalīfah. However, successive Political Residents rejected the their requests to move to Bassidore. In his letter to Loch of 8 June 1917, Trevor stated that “the Bu Sumait have been settled in Persia for generations and are to all intents and purposes Persian subjects although of Arab extraction.” (folio 20). A potted history of the migrations and movements of the Āl Bu Sumait tribe was written by Gaskin in 1901 (folios 3-5).

Extent and format

1 file (20 folios)

Arrangement

The contents of the file have been arranged in approximate chronological order, running from the earliest items at the front of the file to the latest at the end.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The file is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using circled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. . An earlier pagination sequence, using uncircled pencil numbers in the top-left corner of versos and the top-right corner of rectos, runs through most of the file, marking only those pages containing text. Foliation anomalies: 10a.

Some of the pages in the file show signs of insect damage, but the extent of the damage is not sufficient to impair the legibility of any text.

Written in

English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script

Type

Archival file

Access & Reference

Original held at

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.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

IOR/R/15/2/1

Former external reference(s)

Confidential Files: Political A/1

History of this record

Date(s)

1 Jan 1901-8 Jun 1917 (CE, Gregorian)

Related material

People & organisations

King of BahrainBahrain Political Agency

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Cite this record in your research

'File A/1 Al Bu Sumait', British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x0002e0> [accessed 16 February 2025]

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