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‘Persian Gulf Gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Precis of Turkish expansion on the Arab littoral of the Persian Gulf and Hasa [Al-Hasa] and Katif [Al-Qaṭīf] affairs.’ [‎139] (151/160)

The record is made up of 1 volume (80 folios). It was created in 1904. It was written in English. 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. .

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139
TT i ^ up e discre P ai ioy between the information received from
^ s Government and that received from the Political A^ent at
±>ugndad, Her Majesty s Ambassador at Constantinople was immediatelv com
municated with by telegraph, both direct and through Colonel Herbert. Tbe
result of this reference was that Sir H. Elliot telegraphed on the 32th May:
" TI ib Ottoman Porte explicitly denies all intention of extending supremacy over Bahrein,
Maskat, or the independent tnbes of Southern Arabia, and contemplates no attack against
them. The sole object of Ue expedition is declared to be the restoration in Nei'd of the
tranquillity which is disturbed by the hostility of the brothers, Abdullah and Saud."
519. The Grand Vizier communicated these assurances through M. Pisani
to Sir H. Elliot;—
Your Excellency, said All Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , may give the most positive assurances to Her Maieafy'a
Cjovernment that the Porte entertains no intention whatever of obtaining supremacu over
Bahrein, Maskat, or the independent tnbes of Southern Arabia, and does not contemplate anv
attack upon them, or harbour any dengn to subdue them. He anerU that the true and sole
object of the present enterprise is to pnify the two brothers, to prevent the prrtraetion of
disorder, and to restore tranquillity" J
520. Midhut Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. then at Baghdad also communicated to Colonel
Herbert the assurances of the Porte. These assurances enabled the Government
of India to give on the 17th May the much required instructions to Colonel
PeUy, to communicate the substance of Sir H. Elliot's message to the
Chief of Bahrein and those of the Trucial Chiefs who had made enquiries
regarding the object of Turkish expedition.
521. With regard to the general questions put by Colonel Pelly it was
said:—
" He should be informed that it is impossible for His Excellency in Council to crive
mstructmns regrard.ng contingencies of the occurrence of which there is no immediate prospect
The Turkish expe^tton however innowayaffects the Treaty rights and obligations, either of
the British Government or of the Chiefs who have subscribed to the maritime peace Colonel
Pelly may so inform the Chiefs who have consulted him, and should use all legitimate means
to maintain the stipulations of the treaties."
522. Colonel Pelly having enquired whether tribes, who are parties to the
maritime truce, should be allowed to undertake operations by sea in the interest
of either party, he was told on the 30th May to go to Bahrein and there assure
the Chief of the assurances given by the Porte; to inform him that so long as
he observed conditions of Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty, our obligations would
be fulfilled; to inform all the Chiefs, trucial and others, that the Turkish Gov
ernment contemplated no attack on them and had no intention to obtain
supremacy over any independent State.
523. With reference to Colonel Pelly's enquiry regarding Trucial Chiefs
the Secretary of State was asked :— " '
« If Pelly asks whether he is to stop by force any military operations by sea on part of
Chiefs, either for or against Turks, am I to authorize hira to d) so ? i advise this course, and
that you should infer n Turkish (xovernment accordingly. This will not include Koweit Chiefs'
who iiave already sailed."
524. The Secretary of State replied
" Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Trucial Chiefs may be interdicted from maritime operations, but no
others."
525. Thereupon the Bombay Government were directed to inform Colonel
Pelly accordingly, and to instruct him to use all the influence he possessed
with the other Chiefs to maintain the maritime truce.
526. The instructions given to Colonel Pelly having been communicated to
the Porte, Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. expressed his thanks for the communication ; in un
equivocal terms repeated his assurances that the Porte contemplated no naval
operations, and said that it had no intention of applying for assistance to any of
the Chiefs included in the maritime truce. At the same time the Porte having
no cognizance of the truce could not be expected to be held bound by it, and
would not hesitate to accept the services of any of the Chiefs who might tender
theni,

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Content

Part 1 of a Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. gazetteer of historical and political materials, a précis of Turkish expansion on the Arab littoral of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and Hasa [Al-Hasa] and Katif [Al-Qaṭīf] affairs. The précis was prepared by Jerome Antony Saldanha, whose preface (under which his surname is erroneously spelt Saldana) is dated 25 November 1904, and published by the Government of India Foreign Deptartment, Simla, India.

The preface is an historical outline of the struggle for political dominance in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , including Portuguese, British, Wahabi [ Wahhābī A follower of the Islamic reform movement known as Wahhabism; also used to refer to the people and territories ruled by the Al-Saud family. ] and Turkish expansion. The chapters (titles shown in italics) deal with the subject in an roughly chronological fashion:

1. Early history of Hasa and Katif , including: references to the area in Arabic writing; the first known Arab colonists; and early references to the area in British (East India Company) records;

2. Conquest of Hasa by the Wahabis and Turkish expeditions into Nejd [Najd] and Hasa, and their results 1800-1865 , including: conquest of the area by the Wahabis; Turkish expeditions to the area, 1811-19 and 1836-40; Amir Feysal’s [Fayṣal ibn Turki Āl Sa‘ūd] nominal dependence on Turkey, 1855; troubles in Katif, 1859-62; Turkish protest against British proceedings at Damaum [Dammām], 1862; the British war against Amir Feysal, 1865-66; obsolete title of award of Arabia by an Abbasid caliph to the Ottoman Porte; Ottoman ambitions in Arabia (Holy Ottoman Empire);

3. Turkish expedition to Nejd and Hasa, 1871-72 , including: origins of the expedition; intelligence from 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 Lewis Pelly; British policy in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and effects of the Turkish expedition on that policy; Turkish assurances to Britain, communicated to Bahrain (spelt Bahrein throughout) by Pelly; Turkish promise of non-interference with the rulers of the Trucial coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ; narrative of the events leading up to and including the landing of the expeditionary force in Nejd; Turkish designs on Katar [Qatar], and their hoisting of the Turkish flag at Budaa [Al-Bidda]; Turkish naval activity in the Gulf, and Britain’s naval response; murder of a suspected Turkish messenger at Bahrain; reasons for the non-interference of the British Government in operations on land; further narrative of the expedition and affairs in Nejd; evidence of Turkish designs on Bahrain; Turkish assurances; relations between Turkey and Abuthabi [Abu Dhabi]; close of the Turkish expedition;

4. Internal affairs of Hasa and Katif, 1872-1904 , including: administration and internal organisation; and a list of governors at Hasa, including events of significance occurring during their rule;

5. Survey of the Katif coast, 1873-74 , including: British intentions and permission gained from the Ottoman Porte; complaints of British survey officers landing on the Nejd coast; written permission to land to undertake surveying.

6. Increase of Turkish military and naval forces in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and Turkish policy , including: a memorandum by Captain T Doughty on the state of affairs in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ;

7. (1) Trade Relations of Hindu and other traders of Bahrain with Katif, and their disabilities , and (2) Proposal appointment of a consular officer at Katif ;

8. Piracies , including: piracies in Katif and Bahrain waters, 1878; ; revolt in Hasa and piracies in Katif and Bahrain waters, 1878-81; Turkish responsibilities and jurisdiction for the purpose of suppressing piracies in Katif waters, 1878-81; piracies in Katif and Bahrain waters in 1883; piracies in Katif and Bahrain waters in 1886; piracies in 1887-88; piracies in 1891-92; piracies in 1899-1900; piracies in 1902 and the proposal of the Chief of Bahrain to maintain an armed dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. for the pursuit of pirates, 1902-03;

9. Murder of Sheikh Selman-bin-Diaij-el-Khalifa [Shaikh Salman bin Diaj Āl Khalīfah] , a cousin of the Chief of Bahrain and his party about 40 miles south of Katif. Question of satisfaction and compensation for it ;

10. Turkish designs on Oman and the rest of the East Arabian Littoral, 1888-1899 ;

11. Summary of British declarations against Turkish encroachments in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and of the Porte’s assurances, 1871-1904 .

The cover of volume, on which the title is printed, also has a number of different pencil and pen annotations, marking former external references or numbering systems (‘P.2557/29’, ‘No.5’, ‘C238’).

Extent and format
1 volume (80 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arranged into eleven chapters, preceded by a preface. Each chapter is organised by subheadings, and its paragraphs numbered. The paragraph numbers are continuous throughout the whole volume, beginning on 1 at the start of the first chapter, and ending on 553/553A at the end of the eleventh chapter. A contents page at the front of the volume (ff.4-5) lists the chapters by their headings and subheadings, with each referring to paragraph, rather than page, numbers.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Pagination: The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence, with page numbers located top and centre of each page.

Written in
English in Latin script
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‘Persian Gulf Gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Precis of Turkish expansion on the Arab littoral of the Persian Gulf and Hasa [Al-Hasa] and Katif [Al-Qaṭīf] affairs.’ [‎139] (151/160), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C238, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514031.0x000099> [accessed 13 March 2025]

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