File 1508/1905 Pt 1 'Bahrain: situation; disurbances (1904-1905); Sheikh Ali's surrender; Question of Administration Reforms (Customs etc)' [‎5r] (14/531)

CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1693 , dated Bushire, the 4 th (received 15 th) June 1914 .
From Major S. G. Knox, 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
Gulf,
Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political
Department, Simla.
I have the honour to state that, just before mv recent visit to Bahrain,
Major Trevor reported that, at his farewell visit to Shaikh Isa on the 15th May,
he was greatly surprised to learn from the Shaikh that the latter was dissatisfied
with the receipts from the Customs House and was thinking of putting an Arab
in charge.
2. 1 have now the honour to enclose copies of the correspondence that
passed between 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. and Shaikh Isa on the subject, which will,
I trust, explain itself.
3. When I reached Bahrain, Major Trevor informed me that the danger
had passed and that Shaikh Isa had summoned the present Director of Customs
and had informed him that he had full confidence in him and his management
and had no present intention of making any change. On Shaikh Isa’s visit to
me, I expressed my gratification at learning that a change which had, to my
knowledge, excited the greatest consternation among the leading merchants at
Bahrain was no longer contemplated.
4. There has been voluminous correspondence in the past on the subject
of the Bahrain Customs and the question of their management by trained
Customs officials lent to the Shaikh on the recommendation of the Government
of India, has been frequently mooted but Shaikh Isa’s opposition has always
proved unsurmountable, I have carefully examined this correspondence and
find that prior to 1904 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. attempted to establish the principle that
the Shaikh of Bahrain was bound by promises, given on more than one occasion,
not to renew the contracts for farming out his Customs to Hindu bunniahs
without previously consulting the Resident. Shaikh Isa almost as consistently
denied the existence of any such promises and affirmed his complete liberty of
action in the matter.
The trend of later correspondence up to 1908 runs more in the direction of
non-interference with Shaikh Isa in the matter of his Customs management. The
bunniahs have ceased to farm the Customs and now occupy the position of
Shaikh Isa's own servants, render accounts to him and pay him on an average
some 3J lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per annum on this account. Since 1908, owing to the
supposed good management of the Customs and the improved system, vis.,
service rather than farming, the matter appears to have remained quiescent and
attention has been devoted to the wretched landing and distribution arrange
ments rather than to the actual Customs Service. I may remark parenthetically
that the recent flutter in the dovecot was apparently due to Shaikh Isa’s
cupidity having been excited by an offer made by two Arabs, Abdullah Qassaibi
and Ahmad Sulaiman, tt> pay Shaikh Isa sk lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per annum. The
present Director of Customs has convinced Major Trevor that it is, in present
circumstances, impossible to realise such a sum from the Bahrain Customs.
It may be added that the two Arab tenderers are, I am informed by Major
Trevor, in a very shaky position financially and that there is reason to believe
that this offer was merely a wild attempt to restore their finances at the expense
of the public, and probably the event would have shown, at that of Shaikh
Isa.
5. Premising that the Government of India have no wish to undertake the
responsibility of lending Customs officials to Shaikh Isa, provided that there is
any chance of establishing satisfactory Customs management in any other way,
I have the honour to suggest for their consideration a method that, at the
present juncture, seems to offer some prospect in my opinion of successful but.