'File E5. Murder of Sheikh Selman bin Diaij and 25 others on the 3rd December 1900 at Deraya by the Behaih' [‎111v] (222/252)

7
I am doubtful however as to the correctness of this view.
We have never, I think, recognised Turkish jurisdiction over this Dthaharan
Foreign Office to 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. of 8th February tract, at all events Up i O February 1904
1904. Received with Foreign Department No. (vide the reference manjinallv noted) :
^s-e a., dated 28th march 1904. although on the other hand I notice that
in the Military Report on Arabia published by the General Staff of the War
Office in December 1904, the tract in question is included in territory under
Turkish jurisdiction, whereas the Katar Peninsula is excluded ; but this ex
position is doubtless not authoritative.
Furthermore, in a later communication which I have just received from
Bahrein No. 304, dated the 2nd September 1905. him and am forwarding separately, 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. refers to the authority of
the Turks in Dthaharan as only nominal and reiterates his recommendation that
we should ourselves take action against the tribes.
I think this latter view regarding the Dthaharan tract is the correct one,
and if it is accepted as such, then the objection to Sheikh Esa taking his own
measures for vengeance for fear of the violation of Turkish territory, loses most
of its force.
6. At the same time, both from the point of view of our own prestige and
having regard to the latent possibility that Sheikh Esa's embarkation upon
measures of reprisal may result in an indefinite prolongation of the vendetta, I
incline to the opinion that it would be much better for us to insist on payment
of compensation by the Porte, and failing compliance, to take the matter into
our own hands and deal with the tribes ourselves ; a course which will be in
itself a challenge to Turkish pretensions on the Dthaharan Coast, and an ex
posure of the Porte's inability to exercise jurisdiction effectively, even if it
possessed the title.
The obstructive apathy and impotence of the Turkish authorities seem to
afford ample justification for any action that would bring the matter to a settle
ment, but whether the pursuit of either of the courses above mentioned is prac
ticable at the present time, depends upon the policy of His Majesty's Government,
and is therefore a problem beyond my province to discuss. In any case, I fear
that the blockade of the Dthaharan and Katar Coasts suggested 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. cannot be regarded as practically possible without a large
increase of our Naval resources in the Gulf.
One thing, however, cannot, I submit, be gainsaid and that is, that if we
have any regard for our interests and prestige among the inhabitants of the
Arab Coast, we cannot afford to be trifled with by the Ottoman Government
any longer, and are bound to take effective steps to insure that Sheikh Esa's
grievance is redressed in some form without further delay.
No. 279, dated Bahrein, the 2i3t August 1905.
From— Captain F. B. Prideaux, 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. , Bahrein,
To—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. , Bushire.
I have the honour to refer to correspondence ending with your office
endorsement No. 208, dated the 14th February 1905, on the subject of the blood-
feud between the people of Bahrein and the Behaih section of the A1 Morra
tribe, and to submit for consideration the following observations.
2. In the first place I would point out that the account given in Mr
Gaskin's letter No. 178, dated the 24th August 1902, to Colonel Kemball's
address, is apparently not quite accurate in some respects, as I have interrogated
Sheikh Esa regarding the circumstances of the Behaih Sheikh's visit to
Bahrein, and his reply seems to show that as far as the feud between the
Behaih and the Amamara was concerned the advantage remained with the
latter even after Sheikh Rashid bin Muqareh had returned to the mainland.