![‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [‎6v] (12/92)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000884.0x0001c9/IOR_L_PS_20_C243_0013.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [‎6v] (12/92)")
‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [6v] (12/92)
The record is made up of 1 volume (46 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
2
to Colonel Boss that he had no means of forming an opinion on the claim
advanced by the Bahrein Chief to sovereignty over the Nairn tribe, but from
verbal information he inferred that any power exercised by Bahrein of late
years over that tribe had been merely nominal, if it existed at all.
3. In order to obtain more particulars of the alleged intended Turkish
expedition, Major Grant sent a messenger to Katar, who reported that
Hossein Effendi was said to have gone to Zobarah for the purpose of inducing
the Chief of the Naim tribe to come under Turkish rule. Major Grant said this
was mere coffee-room gossip and nothing new ; he advised the Chief of Bahrein
to refer to Colonel Boss regarding the claim of the Naim tribes for protection
against the Turkish Government.
Chief of Bahrein advised to keep aloof from complications in Katar—
1873.
4. Colonel Boss replied on receiving Major Grant's report that, though
Letter No. dated 28th August 1873. the matter of sovereignty over Katar had
Pol. a ., Wccmber 1873, No. 415. apparently never been formally decided,
still the Turkish authorities in Nejd had
established an influence over the Katar Coast as far as the Odeid boundary.
He thought the Bahrein Chief had not the power, if he wished, to protect tribes
residing in Katar, and that he could not expect Government to interfere where
the rights were involved in uncertainty. The Chiefs allied with Bahrein could
choose between remaining where they were and removing to Bahrein with the
latter's permission. He said that Colonel Pelly had always counselled the Chief
of Bahrein to remain strictly neutral under the then existing circumstances, to
keep aloof from all complications on the mainland with the Turks, Wahabis,
&c., and that the Chief should continue so to act. Colonel Boss desired Major
Grant to communicate thus with Bahrein with reference to his appeal for
advice, and to dissuade him from acting contrary to it.
5. In writing to Government, Colonel Boss thought that, as the question
Letter No. 1115-135, dated 4th September 1873. Sovereign and feudal rights OVCr plaCCS
Pol. a,, December 1873, No. 411. and tribes on the mainland of Arabia op
posite to Bahrein, was a complicated one, probably Government would not
deem it practicable or expedient to enter into its merits. He said :—-
" The question of the sovereignty over Katar generally has never yet been decided.
It has perhaps been a debateable Iand ; between Oman on one side and the Wahabee power on
the other. At one time, the Chief of Aboothabee is said to have exercised authority in Katar.
Later the Uttoobees having settled there and at Bahrein, became paramount. These in
turn had to pay religious tithe to the Wahabee Ameer, who established a Governor of his
own at Biddah. Since the Turkish occupation of El Hassa the whole line of CDa ^t as far as
Odeid has fallen under Turkish influence, and the Chiefs in general have been forced or in
duced to accept the Turkish flag. Bidaa has been actually occupied, and a body of Turkish
troops is now quartered there/'
He proceeded to say that in October 1871 Colonel Pelly had obtained per
mission from the Bombay Government to defer reporting on the question of
sovereignty over Katar as there was a probability of the Turks withdrawino-
from Nejd. He thought the antual position of affairs at Katar did not afford
cause of complaint against the Turkish authorities, but that any move of the
Turks further East than they then were, would undoubtedly be an encroach
ment on Oman territory and would affect the Trucial Chiefs.
6. These papers were sent to Colonel Pelly for any remarks he might have
Letter dated 27th October 1873. to offer. He replied that it was an old and
Poi. a., December 1873, No. 420. somewhat perplexing question. As the
political situation on the Arabian side of the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
was unchanged since
he was asked for his opinion two years previously, he adhered to that opinion,
viz., that " we should avoid as far as possible for the present mooting questions
of territorial sovereignty He alluded to the repeated written assurances of
the Porte that it had no intention of interfering with the independence of our
Trucial Chiefs, a general declaration which would be more valuable than any
special definition. The time for effectively dealing with questions of boundary
and supremacy would be when Turksh aggression had taken permanent form
About this item
- Content
The volume, stamped ‘Confidential’ on the front cover, is part 1 (historical and political materials) of a précis of Qatar (spelt Katar throughout) affairs for the years 1873 to 1904. It was prepared by Judge Jerome Antony Saldanha of the Bombay Provincial Civil Service, and published in 1904 by the Government of India Foreign Department, Simla, India.
The main subjects of the précis, which is comprised chiefly of extracts from Government correspondence, run as follows:
- Turkish movements in Qatar, 1873; Chief of Bahrain (spelt Bahrein throughout) advised to keep aloof from complications in Qatar, 1873;
- British intervention refused to Chief of Debai [Dubai] in case robberies committed against vessels of his subjects on Qatar coast, 1873;
- Threatened attack on Bahrain and Qatar (Zobarah [Zubara]) by the Bedouin tribes of Beni Hajir, 1874;
- Complaints of Turkey about Chief of Bahrain’s encroachments in Qatar, 1874;
- The Beni Hajir attack Zubara and commit piracies, 1875;
- Aggressive policy of the Turks and establishment of a new Turkish province on the Arabian littoral of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ;
- Plunder of a Bahrain boat by the Beni Hajir and an excessive contribution levied by the Chief of Bidaa [Al-Bidda] on British Indian traders residing there;
- Claims preferred by the Government of Basrah [Basra] on behalf of the inhabitants of Qatar against certain residents of Bahrain, 1876;
- Alleged ill-treatment of British Indian subjects, 1879;
- Piracies at Zubara – destruction of Zubara by Shaikh Jasim [Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī], 1878;
- Ill-treatment of Indian traders, 1879;
- Question of suppression of piracies on the Arab coast. Claims of the Turks to Odeid [’Odaid] (1871-81); previous history of ’Odaid, 1837-76;
- History of ’Odaid continued, question of Turkish jurisdiction on the Qatar coast, and suppression of piracies, 1878-81;
- Removal of section of the Al-bu-Kowareh tribe from Al-Bidda to Foweyrat [Fujairat], 1879;
- Threatened attack on Bahrain by Nasir-bin-Mobarik [Nasir bin Mubarak] and Shaikh Jāsim of Al-Bidda, 1881;
- Shaikh Jāsim’s desire to occupy ’Odaid, 1881;
- Policy as to the relations to be maintained with Shaikh Jāsim and the Turkish Government in Qatar, 1881;
- Ill-treatment of British subjects by Shaikh Jāsim and exaction of a fine from him, 1880-82;
- Protest of the Porte against British proceedings at Al-Bidda. British disclaimer of Turkish jurisdiction in Qatar, 1883;
- Shaikh Jāsim’s projected expedition against a branch of the Beji Hajirs in 1884;
- Fight between the Ejman [Ajman] and allied tribes on one side and Morah and Monasir tribes on the other, 1884;
- Disputes between Shaikh Jāsim and the Chief of Abuthabi [Abu Dhabi], Jāsim’s intentions to occupy ’Odaid and the ill-treatment of Bedouins at Al-Bidda, 1885-86;
- Outrages against Indian subjects under Jāsim’s instigation, and Shaikh Jāsim made to pay a fine, 1887;
- Protests of the Porte against British Government proceedings, 1888;
- Question of withdrawal of the Turkish garrison from Al-Bidda;
- Turkish expansion along the Arab coast and the policy of the British Government, 1888;
- Hostilities between Shaikh Jāsim and Shaikh Zaid [Zayed bin Khalifa] of Abu Dhabi, reported movements of the Chief of Jabal Shamer Ibn Rashid towards Oman in order to aid Shaikh Jāsim, 1888-89;
- Jāsim carrying munitions of war by sea, 1889;
- Turkish project of rebuilding Zubara, 1888;
- Turkish measures for establishing their jurisdiction on a firmer basis on the Arab coast. Increase of Turkish forces in Qatar, 1888;
- Intrigues of Jāsim against Abu Dhabi, 1889-90;
- Turkish projects for rebuilding Zubara and ’Odaid, 1890-91;
- Hostilities between Shaikh Jāsim and the Turks, 1891-93;
- British policy towards Jāsim during the hostilities. Chief of Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, 1893;
- Question of Turkish jurisdiction in Qatar, 1893;
- Removal by Turkish authorities of the British flag from a boat at Al-Bidda, 1897;
- Occupation of Zubara by the Al-bin-Ali tribe with the support of the Turks and Shaikh Jāsim. Threatened attack of Bahrain, and the energetic measures taken to expel the settlement, 1895;
- Arab rising against the Turks in Qatar;
- Disturbances off the Qatar coast between the Amamera and Al-bin-Ali tribes, 1900;
- Piracies committed by the Beni Hajir off the Qatar coast, 1900;
- Reconsideration of our general policy on the Arab side of the Gulf;
- (1) Proposed British protectorate over the Chief of Qatar; (2) Aggressive action of the Porte in attempted to establish mudirates at ’Odaid, Wakra and Zubara, 1902-04.
The appendices are as follows:
- A. Memorandum on the causes of the hostility between Shaikh Zayed of Abu Dhabi and Shaikh Jāsim;
- B. Extract from Captain Daly’s draft letter to the address of 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , submitted for approval on 14 January 1901, relating to Qatar;
- C. Memorandum by Mr EC Block, dated 11 March 1903, about the Turkish claim over Qatar.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (46 folios)
- Arrangement
The contents of the précis are arranged in rough chronological order, and organised under a number of subheadings, with each paragraph numbered from 1 to 229. Three appendicies follow the main précis. There is a contents page at the front of the volume (f 5) which lists the subheadings with their corresponding paragraph numbers. The appendices are referenced using the volume’s pagination system.
- 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 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 View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [6v] (12/92), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C243, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023526379.0x00000e> [accessed 19 September 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023526379.0x00000e
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023526379.0x00000e">‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [‎6v] (12/92)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023526379.0x00000e"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000884.0x0001c9/IOR_L_PS_20_C243_0013.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000884.0x0001c9/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/20/C243
- Title
- ‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:17r, 18r:45v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence