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'Shaikh Ali bin Ahmad' [‎4r] (7/630)

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The record is made up of 1 file (313 folios). It was created in 20 May 1905-15 Jan 1917. 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. .

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No. 278, dated Bushire, the 17th (received) 27th) June 1905.
From—M ajcr P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., Offg. 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. ,
To—S. M. Fraser, Esq., C.l.E, Secretary to the Government of India in the
Foreign Department.
I have the honour to forward, for the information of the Government of India,
No. 173, dated adth Ma, .905. a .T 1 ^ "j 3 communication, with enclosure,
addressed to me by 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.
at Bahrein on the subject of the Institution of Slavery as it exists within Sheikh
Esa's jurisdiction.
2. In the course of his communication Captain-PrideauK alludes.to several
items of correspondence on the records of this Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , with regard to which I
beg to supply in the enclosures to this letter, the necessary references or informa
tion as follows :—
ma) Alleged rendition of 270 slaves to their masters after the Zobara
incident in 1895, {vide paragraph 7, 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. 's letter).
A precis of the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. file on this subject is attached. Enclo
sure 2.
The information given by the Dowasir Sheikh is not accurate as
will be seen.
(3) Mr. Gaskin's letter to the Resident, No. 55 of 18th April 1903 {vide
paragraph 8 of 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. 's present letter).
A copy of this was.forwarded to the Government of India with my
predecessor's letter No. 70, dated 30th April 1903 ; and certain
further papers in the same connection were subsequently received
from the foreign Department under their endorsement No. 112-
E. A., dated !2th January 1904.
I beg reference to these papers.
(c) Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. No. 535, dated 4th June 1900.
Copies of correspondence are attached. (Enclosure 3).
Captain Prideaux has gone fully in to the subject, and it is incumbent
upon me to place his views on this important topic before Government without
delay.
In doing so however 1 have the honour to state that although there is no
reason to doubt that there is much force in 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. 's observations
and although his proposals are excellent in principle, I fear they amount to a
counsel of perfection which is practically impossible of fulfilment under existing
conditions, and further I cannot but consider that under any circumstances the
present juncture is not a suitable one for making new departures of a drastic
nature in the direction under advertence.
The Government of India have clearly signified that they wish to make the
best of Sheikh Esa. In that case except in regard to measures which it may be
decided to impose upon him as an immediate consequence of his recent contu
macy, with which questions of slave trade have had no connection, we need to-
adopt a policy of /est in a lente in applying new reforms. Sheikh Esa is an old
man, too old probably to change his spots to any great extent, and in the
matter of the slave trade I doubt if much better results could be expected even
from a new treaty, in his lifetime.
4. Even.* if the case were otherwise and if Government contemplated
setting up a new Chief or declaring a Protectorate, a sweeping measure of
reform in connection with the slave trade, though it might be a natural and
proper corollary to the change in due course of time, would certainly not be
;he best method of heralding it in either in our own interests or in the ultimate
interests of the people, whom we desire to benefit.
[C334FD.]
wm -
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Content

The file relates to Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed Al Khalifah (also referred to as Ali bin Ahmad), nephew of the Ruler of Bahrain, Sheikh Esa bin Ali Al Khalifa [Sheikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah]. The file includes correspondence from the Government of India, 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. , 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. , Bahrain, the Ruler of Bahrain (in Arabic with English translations), and Sheikh Ali himself (also in Arabic with English translations). The file includes:

  • papers relating to the exile of Sheikh Ali from Bahrain [frequently referred to in the file in the spelling Bahrein], the question of whether the Government of India or the Ruler of Bahrain should pay the costs of his maintenance allowance during his exile in India, and the amount of that payment, May - October 1905;
  • papers relating to the question of the future adminstration of Manama and Bahrain, September - October 1905;
  • papers recording the payment of Sheikh Ali's maintenance allowance on a monthly basis by the Ruler of Bahrain, 1906-1909;
  • papers concerning the possibility of the return of Sheikh Ali to Bahrain, July 1906 - December 1907;
  • papers concerning the proposed occupation of Sheikh Ali's former house in Bahrain by the Ruler's son, Sheikh Hamad [Sheikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah], September 1906;
  • papers concerning the terms of a proposed agreement for the return of Sheikh Ali to Bahrain before the expiry of his term of banishment, including details of properties and allowances in cash assigned by Sheikh Esa for the maintenance of Sheikh Ali, December 1907 - May 1908;
  • papers concerning the return of Sheikh Ali to Bahrain, July 1908 - February 1909;
  • subsequent reports and correspondence about Sheikh Ali, including note of his death, September 1912 - January 1917.

The date of the first original piece of correspondence in the file is 22 August 1905. The file also contains copies of correspondence printed by the Government of India dating from 20 May 1905.

Extent and format
1 file (313 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1 on the front cover and terminates at 315 on the back cover. These numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio. A second sequence, comprising a combination of pagination and foliation, numbered 1-343, can be found between ff. 2-314. These numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in either the top left or top right hand corners of the verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. or recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio respectively.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'Shaikh Ali bin Ahmad' [‎4r] (7/630), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/19, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023610570.0x000008> [accessed 14 February 2025]

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