Political Department letter no. 32 from Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ephraim Gerrish Stannus, Resident in the Persian Gulf to William Newnham, Chief Secretary to Government, Bombay

Content

Stannus begins the letter by mentioning a report that the troops of Rahma bin Jabir [Raḥmah bin Jābir] were gradually deserting his standard, which gave hopes of a peaceful settlement. However, a dispute had arisen between Sheikh Abdolla [also spelled Abdoola] ben Ahmed [‘Abdullāh bin Aḥmad Āl Khalīfah, Ruler of Bahrain] and Sheikh Tanoon [Ṭaḥnūn bin Shakhbūṭ Āl Nahyān, Ruler of Abu Dhabi], which threatened the peace of the whole coast. The dispute concerned the report of a fresh act of aggression against a boat belonging to Abothabee [Abu Dhabi] by Sooedan ben Zaul [Sūwaydān bin Za‘al] of Abothabee, who had been given refuge at Bidda in the territory of Bahrein. Stannus explains the actions he had previously taken in the matter and gives it as his opinion that a fresh act of aggression might tend to facilitate an accommodation between the two sheikhs, as Sheikh Abdoola would not wish someone under his power to commit a hostile act against a friend. Stannus gives his thoughts on the relative merits of the dispute, and hopes that Government will approve of any attempts to obtain redress for Sheikh Tanoon and support a recommendation that Sheikh Abdoola withdraw his support from Sooedan.

Stannus then mentions a complaint by Sheikh Sultan ben Suggar [Sulṭān bin Saqr, Ruler of Sharjah] that a boat of his had been attacked by the people of Bedda (subjects of Sheikh Abdoola), despite the fact that Sooedan himself had acknowledged that his own followers were responsible. Sheikh Sultan had demanded redress for the injury and had withheld remuneration money. Stannus believes that Sheikh Sultan was attempting to evade his obligations, and states that he was enclosing a copy of Sheikh Sultan's letter and his own reply.

Stannus feels that the attitudes of the three rulers all seemed to indicate an approaching rupture, which the Imam of Muscat [Sa‘īd bin Sultān Āl Sa‘īd] might use as a pretext to make a move against Bahrein, especially as his operations at Bushire gave the Imam a favourable opportunity of achieving all his objectives in the upper part of the Gulf. Stannus would endeavour to dissuade him from undertaking an action that the British Government would view with concern.

The letter is accompanied by the following enclosures:

• Enclosure no. 1: translation of a letter from Sheikh Tahnoon [Ṭaḥnūn bin Shakhbūṭ Āl Nahyān] to Doctor James Pringle Riach, Acting Resident at Bushire, dated 9 March 1826, in which he complains that two subjects of his, Soedan Iben Zal [Sūwaydān bin Za‘al] and Syf bin Zuckhan, with their followers, after seizing pearl diving boats and killing one man, had fled to Bida [Bedda], where they had been allowed to remain by Abdoolla bin Ahmed [‘Abdullāh bin Aḥmad Āl Khalīfah]. They had then seized a further boat belonging to Sheikh Tahnoon, killing eight of her men. The Sheikh asks the Resident to compel them to return to their proper allegiance and states that he would not allow Sheikh Abdoolah to assume authority over his subjects;
• Enclosure no. 2: letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ephraim Gerrish Stannus, Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to Sheikh Tahnoon ben Shakboot [Ṭaḥnūn bin Shakhbūṭ Āl Nahyān], dated 11 April 1826, in which he states that while the Sheikh had some just grounds of complaint against Soeedan bin Zal, he did not think Sheikh Abdoola had behaved in the unfriendly manner described, and had grounds for grievance if two boats belonging to Bidda had been plundered by the vessels sent in pursuit of Sooeedan [Sūwaydān bin Za‘al];
• Enclosure no. 3: letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ephraim Gerrish Stannus, Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to Sheikh Abdoola ben Ahmed, dated 14 April 1826, in which Stannus recites the acts of aggression that were alleged to have been carried out by Sooeedan bin Sal [Sūwaydān bin Za‘al] and his followers and recommends that he make Sooeedan restore the boats and bugla Large trading vessel. taken from the people of Abothabee, and remove Sooeedan from his territories;
• a note refers to page 263 of the volume for the remaining enclosures to this letter [IOR/R/15/1/36, ff 131-133].

Extent and format

7 folios

It is part of

'Outward Let[ters], Book No 42, 1st January 1826 to 31 July 1826'

278 images

Ref: IOR/R/15/1/36

Written in

English in Latin script

Type

Letter

Access & Reference

Original held at

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.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

IOR/R/15/1/36, ff 91v-97

History of this record

Date(s)

12 Jun 1826 (CE, Gregorian)

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Political Department letter no. 32 from Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ephraim Gerrish Stannus, Resident in the Persian Gulf to William Newnham, Chief Secretary to Government, Bombay, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/36, ff 91v-97, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100024055009.0x000096> [accessed 17 July 2026]

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