'File No. E/3. QATAR - Shaikhs Jasim & Ahmad al Thani & death of Shaikh Jasim in 1913' [‎44r] (99/394)

[Confidential.]
No. 332, dated Bushire, the 16th July 1905.
./ K'^Th
H,"\A 5°
From M ajor P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., Officiating 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
' r0 - S ' 'k^e'^Dep^t;,! 1 ^' SeCretary t0 the GoVernme " t of '"dia in the
1 have the honour to forward, for the information of the Government of
No. acs, received 28th June 1905. p j- 3 *' ^ co Py a report received from the
an interesting chronological precis of Ka^r'nlst^fy "''Capt'amPr^ k 7
nutted his views now in the hope that they may ieem sSle and be in time"
for consideration by the Defence Committee durinpf their examimfinn f tu
question of the policy to be pursued by us in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. aT contemp ated
in the Secretary of State's telegram of 28th February iqoc reUrHin^ f^ P
gested revival of the Agreement of 1868 with Sheikh Ahmed'bin-Thanf Thk
telegram was subsequently amplified by Foreign Office Desmtrh i u i j
Office, dated i8lh February 1905. despatch to the India
2. Subject to the reservation expressed in paragraph of the Polif^I
Agent s letter I propose to accept his historical memorandum as generallv ror
rect, as 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. files from which it has been compiled are temporarily on
loan with him at Bahrein, fhe Government of India Political Proceedings No
303 of 1875 quoted by Captain Pndeaux are also believed to be in thelilesat
present lying with him, but 1 am _ having another search made here Shouk
further action on his report be decided upon perhaps Mr. J. G. Lorimer could
find time to check the historical summary by information which he has amassed
from independent sources for Gazetteer purposes,
3. Captain Prideaux's studies have brought him to the conclusion that our
recor places us in a position to modify the attitude hitherto adopted in regard
to this part of the Arab Coast, and that in making the change there are three
decTdTdupom t0 Ch00Se fr0m, 0ne 0f Which ' he thinks ' should be definitely
They are as follows
(1) That the suzerainty of the Ruler of Bahrein should be reasserted
over the vvhole of the Katr peninsula, except the Al Bidaa Chief-
Ue'limits 0 " Sh0Uld be reduced t0 the narrowest possi-
(2) That for reasons stated we should declare the complete independence
of the Maritime Arab tribes and maintain a post and Native Acent
on the Katr Coast so long as the Turks remain at Al Bidaa.
^ lha , t "'® shou,d agree to the Turks over
he vvhole ofthe Katr peninsula on certain conditions, namely (a)
that vve should be given a lease by the Porte of the whole mantime
strip to a distance of 5 miles back from the Coast, or (i) that the
RWfhffi entrU p t 'i 116 adm,n,stratlon of the tract in question to
Bntish officers. Either arrangement to remain in force for a
period of 50 years.
Of these three alternatives, Captain Prideaux favours the last.
[ egar , ds the first alternative, if we grant that the historical premises on
which It is based are correct, there seems nothing fantastic in the suSon
asserfioif nf ^ abstrac ^ P oint of view » but practically speaking the" mere
less 'l"° fh ^ rel r s oyereignty over the Katr peninsula would surely be point-
Patent a n rf Were accom P anied b y measures necessary to make it
S.f u ? ' . e L , These measures Sheikh Esa is not in a position to take
declaration o^af'nll R t' 3 ? b ac king from us, and in view of the fact that the
wkhfn ^ - S - , Pr0t ? CtOrat e over Bahrein is not considered to be
ourselves such a burden^r^heResent jum^ture. advan ' a ® e ' a ^k.ng upon
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