'Persian Gulf Gazetteer, Part I Historical and Political Materials, Précis of Bahrein [Bahrain] Affairs, 1854-1904' [‎122] (149/204)

122
CHAPTER LI.
Question of redress for outrages committed by Bahreinese on
British subjects or British-protected subjects, 1897-1900.
438. This question arose firstly in a case in 1897 •'—Seyyid Khalaf, a ban-
Imprsition of a fine on certain officials, of the kmpt trader of Bahrein, whilst being con-
Sheikh of Bahrein, who forcibly removed are- In cJc .i
fugee from the British agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. house there, 1897. veyed in charge of bhendha, one of the
Sheikh of Bahrein's officials, to the house
external a., january .8,8, n0a.80.s3, ^ of one Mujbel-el-Thakair, to be examined
there in connection with his liabilities, escaped and sought refuge in the house
of Mahomed Khalil, who was then acting as British Agent. Sheridah followed
and eventually seized and carried back Seyyid Khalaf with the assistance of
another man, against the protest of the Acting British Agent on the ground that
he had taken refuge in the British Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and should not be given up.
439. Colonel Meade in addressing the Sheikh of Bahrein on the subject
said that he did not consider there was anything in Seyyid Khalaf's case to
entitle him to receive British protection, and that when his officials found that
the man had come into the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. enclosure, they should have asked the
Agent 's permission to remove him. He accordingly suggested that the Sheikh
should levy a fine of Rs. 500 from each of the men, and should cause them to
send a written apology expressing their regret. The Sheikh complied with both
the requests. He was requested to remit the fine to Bushire to be disposed of
as the Government of India may direct. Colonel Meade suggested that the
• amount be credited to Government in the cash account of the B'ushire treasury.
440. The Government of India approved of Colonel Meade's action in the
matter and ordered that the fine realized should be credited in the Bushire
treasury (letter No. 1921-E.A., dated the 27th December 1897).
441. The second case arose thus :—Sheridah and his son went about 9 P.M on
Outrage on certain Banians by Sheikh'n ^ 1 ^ 1 S e P tem ber I 899 to the f< Amara,"
servant sheridah and his son, 1899. or large enclosure where goods are stored
External A., January 1900, Nos. 126-144. ^ P aS ® in g thr0U g h the CUStOmS. The
entrance had a room over it occupied by a
Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. , named Rama, who was in charge of the " Amara." Below were several
godowns, in one of which some of the arms confiscated by the Sheikh from
Messrs. Francis, Times & Co., were stored. It was alleged that the object of
the visit of Sheridah to the " Amara " was to steal these arms.
443. Rama hearing a noise came down, and stated that on finding Sheridah,
his son, and some soldiers apparently engaged in taking away a case of arms, he
raised an alarm which brought several other Banians to the spot. Sheridah,
annoyed at the interruption, compelled Rama to return to his room, and, having
done this, turned on the other Banians, who attempted to escape. He caught
up one, named Farsi, and inflicted a severe wound with a dagger in the neigh
bourhood of his right shoulder-blade. His son at the same time slightly wound
ed another Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. boy, named Dhar Singh.
443. Evidence against the accused was given by the Banians who witnessed
the assault, and as it was bright moonlight at the time there was nothing to prevent
their identifying the parties. The Chief, however, for some time declared that
the complaint rested entirely on the evidence of Hindus, whom he did not trust
and he said that as the charge was denied by the servants, he did not consider
it was proved against them. In any case he thought a fine was quite sufficient,
and he did his utmost to induce Colonel Meade to agree to this.
444. Colonel Meade, however, thought that nothing short of the expulsion
of Sheridah and his son from Bahrein would really meet the case. Sheridah
had much influence with the Sheikh for some years ; and if he had been allowed to
remain at the Bahrein, he would probably have been guilty of further lawless acts
while his presence would certainly have been a constant source of (tread to
the Banians and other British subjects to whom he was always shown himself
hostile.