'14/169 Differences between Shaikh Rashid of Um ul Kowein and his brother Naser bin Ahmad, June 1912 to 22 Jany 1917' [‎71r] (150/447)

CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 3378, dated Bushire, ths 9tli (received the 17tli) November 1913.
From— Lieutenant-Colonel Sie Percy Cox, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., 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—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department, Simla.
I have the honour to report the following serious difEerence with Shaikh
Rashid bin Ahmad, Chief of Umm-el-Kawain.
• • • • • •
2. I beg to call to mind in the first instance that this is the Chief who was
rescued by my intervention from durance in the circumstances narrated at pages
63 and 64 of the Gulf Administration Report for 1906-07.
The feeling of all the Trucial Shaikhs was exceedingly bitter against him at
the time, and Shaikh Rashid was firmly persuaded that he had been delivered
from death and swore never to forget the great obligation placed upon him
to the British Government and its representative.
3. I would now invite a reference to the communications marginally cited,
(i ) 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. lettar No. 2221, dated the 15th explaining the valuable co-operation
September 1912, paragraph 3 and enclosure No. i. rendered by Shaikh Nasir, brother of the
j 1 2 j t '/ Reside ^ t ' ]S '°- 413 ' Shaikh of Umm-el-Kawain, in the capture
dated the 27th September (copy attached). . ' ,„ _ . n 1 -
(3) 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. letter No. 2621, dated the of a large consignment _ of 875 rifles, and
17th October 1912, paragraph 2. reporting that 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. Agent and
I were agreed that the best way of rewaroing Nasir was by effecting a recon
ciliation between him and his brother.
Before the Arms Traffic incident occurred, I had informed Shaikh Rashid
that if his suspicions of his brother made him bent upon keeping him permanently
out of Umm-el-Kawain and out of his property there, it was incumbent on
him to make Nasir a reasonable allowance to enable him and his mother and
children to subsist, they at present being entirely without means of support,
and actually in want. Shortly afterwards on the occurrence of the seizure of
*No. 194, dated the 14th September 1912. arms, I addressed Shaikh Rahshid the
No; Nil, dated the 8th November 1912. two further letters appended.*
4. Since then desultory negotiations have proceeded, but without result.
Shaikh Sagar of Shargah on one occasion accompanied 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. Agent
on a mission to Umm-el-Kawain to assist him to talk Shaikh Rashid, round,
and on another occasion Shaikh Butti bin Rashid of Dubai made a similar attempt,
but with equal ill-success ; on the contrary they were treated with considerable
contumely.
I called at Umm-el-Kawain on my return from Maskat on 17th and 18th
October, hoping that if I could get the Shaikh alone for an hour or two, I should
be able to bring him round by friendly means, but unfortunately rough weather
prevented communication with the shore, and after calling on two consecutive
days, I was obliged to give up the attempt, as I had engagements in Bushire
which could not be postponed.
Anxious to give Shaikh Rashid a final chance, however, I asked the Senior
Naval Officer to call there in H. M. S. " Fox " on his way down the Gulf a few
days ago, to deliver a letter from me (Enclosure No. 4) and to endeavour to get
the Shaikh to settle the case. I should mention that it had been decided by me
in communication with 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. Agent that a fair settlement of Nasir s
claims would be Rs. 200 per month or Rs. 10,000 down.
I attach a copy of Captain Caulfield's telegraphic report (Enclosure No. 5),
from which it will be seen that the Shaikh was quite intractable.
5. I am extremely sorry to trouble Government with the case ; but in
view of the Shaikh's demeanour towards the Senior Naval Officer, I do not see
what room there is for further discussion, and beg that the Government of India
will be pleased to authorise the coercion of the Shaikh.
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