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'File 9/1 Institution of Reforms & Sunni opposition intrigues' [153r] (322/504)
The record is made up of 1 volume (241 folios). It was created in 10 Apr 1922-19 Oct 1930. It was written in English and Arabic. 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.
Page.?
excellent work, and has the mist confidence of the pa-bllo.
They refer all oases laTolTing personal law to the appropriate
Qadhls for their opinion and return i hence records are kept )
but dispose of most criminal cases themselves. A few criminal
cases which can be settled by oathtaiing are also referred to
the 4adhis in the same way. It must be reraembered however that
Shaikh Salman would not pasa any order adversely affecting a ^
person of position if it were not for the support of Mr Belgrare,
and would certainly not give a capital sentence in any case with
out it. A whole hearted return to the Shara'a is impossible#
(a) because most of the crimes of violence would be M Sunnis
and fagiinst Shiahs, hence on the case being referred to the Sun-
ni qadhi they would escape scot free or with light punishment,
(b) because the $adMs keep no records, and ( c ) because here
as in Persia the ^adhis have lost almost all their prestige in
the last few years.
Civil cases particularly those Involving the taking of acsaaa
counts are usually referred to the Majlis el Irfi, an honorary
body of merchants who work quite satisfactorily if their persona,
feelings are not aroused. Diving c%t.es are referred to the Sal;
fah or diving court, to which I allude later.
It will be seen that there is a very large measure of indi
genous contrtol, and I feel sure that the Government of India
could not favour a return to the chaos of the old regime where
no State court existed, and nothing to take its place except
the Shara'a £ a reversion to which would be as well advised as
to place Ely once more under its Bishop ) and the inuumera-ble
courts maintained by petty Shaikhllngs purely as a vehicle fol?
their oppression.
14. A properly constituted Diving Cowrt baa been a very
euccesful feature of the reforms, and it works with fair impar
tiality except where foreigners are involved. In a very big
C ase recently I had to depute tiie to watch the pro
ceeding® so flagrant was the bias shown. Ae a result the court
ultimately decreed in favour of the Persian merchant for some
About this item
- Content
The first part of the volume (folios 2 to 146) covers the period 1922 to 1927, and concerns proposals for reforms in the Sheikhdom of Bahrain, and their subsequent implementation and impact on the kingdom. This part of the volume contains letters exchanged between 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. in Bahrain (Major Clive Daly until September 1926, thereafter Major Cyril Barrett) 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. (Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Trevor or the Acting Resident Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Knox until April 1924, thereafter Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Prideaux), 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. and the Foreign Secretary of the Government of India. British officials discussed proposals for economic and political reforms in Bahrain, with particular attention paid to tax changes intended to redress the imbalance between what Bahrain's Sunnis and Shias were obliged to pay. Also discussed were the financial reorganisation of the customs house and regulation of the pearl diving industry, reform of the Bahrain judicial system, land registration and revenues, and the institution of a Levy Corps force. British officials also discussed the relationships between themselves and between members of the al Khalifa ruling family, in particular Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa and his son Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The abdication or removal of Isa, and the installation of Hamad, are discussed at length.
The last part of the volume (folio 147 onwards) spans the period 1929-1930, and is chiefly comprised of correspondence between the Bahrain Agent (Colonel Geoffrey Prior), 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. (Barrett to November 1929, thereafter Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Biscoe) and officials from the Government of India. This part of the volume concerns fears on the part of the Government of India that Britain is too heavily involved in Bahrain, and asks questions of whether the number of British officials in Bahrain can be reduced. Included are two lengthy reports by Prior and Barrett in June and August 1929 respectively (folios 147-162, 165-185) outlining Britain's historic intervention in Bahrain, and stressing the importance of its continued presence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (241 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume's contents have been arranged in approximate chronological order, starting with the earliest items at the front and finishing with the latest items at the end.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation sequence begins on the front cover and finishes on the back cover, using circled pencil numbers 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. A second foliation sequence is also present between ff 2-118; these numbers are written in blue crayon, circled and can be found in the same position as the main sequence. The following foliation anomalies occur: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E and 1F; 137A and 137B.
The following folios are fold-outs: 17-18, 51-52, 64-65, 86, 106-107, 221 and 227.
The volume is tightly bound to the extent that the text on some items disappears into the gutter, making it difficult to read.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File 9/1 Institution of Reforms & Sunni opposition intrigues' [153r] (322/504), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/127, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023321443.0x00007b> [accessed 2 December 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/127
- Title
- 'File 9/1 Institution of Reforms & Sunni opposition intrigues'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1br:1fv, 2r:85v, 86v:136v, 137ar:137bv, 138r:140v, 141v:226v, 228r:232v, 234r:243v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence