Skip to item: of 1,062
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [‎402v] (817/1062)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file in 3 parts (519 folios). It was created in 25 May 1934-23 Sep 1948. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the 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. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

2 PERSIA
the League. Copies
-G^i 9 10 f tt • \° he h ;xr^
raXtlSr 1 cS“ °thf Pef n /ovinment^ let^ f the
(Government have' drawn the ^tion" of* the^reta^ner^l to their notes
to Se Persian Govennnent of January 1928 and February 1929 (see Paper B,
JanuaTl^ tTlnte— the fntveSostll
In^^oS
and in April the bureau circulated the reply of the Indian postal authorities
(ira per H)^ ^ and strateg i ca i grounds it is regarded as of the first
importance to retain the status quo in Bahrein and to continue to reject the
cl Vims out forward by Persia. His Majesty’s Government, however, are anxious,
to enable them to consider how best to deal with any further assertion of the
Persian claim, for the advice of the Law Officers as to whether I ersia possesses
an\ the p ers i an claim has been asserted with great insistence over
a very long period of years, the grounds adduced in support ol it have varied from
time to time and have never been stated by the Persian Government m any very
areat detail The fullest expression of the Persian attitude is that contained
in the notes of the 26th November. 1927. and the 2nd August, 1928. The various
arguments which, from time to time, Persia has advanced m support of her claim
a pa n s follows : —
(1) The history of the islands prior to 1783. Persia contends that an appeal
to history shows that prior to this date the islands were trom a remote
period subject, and tributary, to her.
(2) The absence of Persian consent to the detachment of Bahrein, admittedly
at one stage prior to 1783 a Persian possession, from Persia; and the
fact that Persia has never recognised the islands as independent and
has consistently urged a claim to them,
(3) Certain provisions of the treaty (unratified and disavowed by both parties)
concluded between Captain Bruce. 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, and the Minister of the Prince Governor A Prince of the Royal line who also acted as Governor of a large Iranian province during the Qājār period (1794-1925). of Shiraz, in 1892.
(4) A gold coin alleged to have been struck at Bahrein in 1817.
(5) Payment by Bahrein at various stages of peeshkesh,” offerings, or
tribute to Persia.
(6) Plying of the Persian flag by the Sheikh of Bahrein.
(7) Letters from past rulers of Bahrein admitting Persian suzerainty.
(8) A note addressed by His Majesty’s Government in April 1869 to the
Persian Minister in London.
(9) Closeness of relations at the present day between Persia and Bahrein.
9. The arguments referred to in the preceding paragraph are briefly
examined in paragraphs 147-152 of the historical memorandum (Paper A)
attached, which suggests the conclusion that they afford no solid basis for a
Persian claim to sovereignty or suzerainty over the Island of Bahrein.
10. Apart from the arguments based on historical events, the only important
legal consideration wffiich has been advanced by the Persian Government m support
of their claim is that contained in paragraph 2 of the note addressed by the
Acting Persian Minister for Foreign xlffairs to His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires
at Tehran on the 2nd August, 1928 (p. 4, Paper B). Nou will observe that a detailed
reply to this argument was made in paragraphs 5-8 of the note addressed by
Sir Austen Chamberlain to the Persian Minister in London on the 18th February,
1929 (pp. 8 and 9, Paper B). Reference may also be made in this connexion to
the article entitled “ Sovereignty, Seisin and the League : by Sir John Fischer
Williams {British Yearbook.of International Law, 1926, p. 24).

About this item

Content

The file concerns the claim of the Government of Iran (generally referred to as the Government of Persia) to territorial sovereignty over Bahrein [Bahrain].

The papers include: the Iranian claim in the light of the Bahrain oil concession; representations by the Government of Iran to the League of Nations, and the involvement of League in the dispute; summary of diplomatic correspondence, 1927-29 (folios 506-511); 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. 'Historical Memorandum on Bahrein', dated 14 July 1934 - a historical summary of the political status of Bahrain, and Persian claims to sovereignty; the submission of the question by the 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. to the Law Officers of the Crown, 1934 (folios 466-472), and the report of the Law Officers of the Crown (folios 400-403), stating their opinion that Persia had no rights of sovereignty or suzerainty over Bahrain; the view of the Foreign Office (subsequently adopted) that references in public pronouncements to the independence of Bahrain needed to be qualified by the statement that the ruler was 'in special treaty relations with His Majesty's Government' (folios 378-380); the status of Tamb and Abu Musa (folio 361); the imposition of Iranian import duty on aviation oil supplied to Bahrain (folios 315-316); the views of 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. on the dangers of submitting the question to international arbitration (folios 308-314); similarities to the dispute between the United States of America (USA) and the Netherlands over Palmas Island [Miangas or Palmas, Indonesia] (e.g. folios 306-307); the views of the Government of Saudi Arabia (folios 268-270); the issue of passports and visas; transcripts of articles in support of the Iranian position in the Iranian and Arabic language press; the effect of the Bahrain nationality and property laws; Italian propaganda in support of the Iranian claim (folio 243); comparison with the Falkland Islands (folio 210); the refusal of the Iranian postal authorities to accept mails from Bahrain (folio 186); the involvement of the United Nations Organisation; Foreign Office 'Memorandum on Bahrein', dated 13 January 1947, substantially based on the 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. 'Historical Memorandum on Bahrein' of 1934 (folios 97-126); Soviet propaganda over Bahrain (folio 57); the presence in Tehran of a person claiming to represent the Bahrain National Party (folios 50-54); and correspondence dated 1948 concerning the size and position of the Persian community in Bahrain, including a letter on the subject from Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (folios 25-37).

The file contains significant correspondence from the Foreign Office, HM Minister, Tehran (later the British Ambassador to Tehran), and 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. .

The French language content of the file consists of approximately thirty folios of diplomatic correspondence and newspaper extracts.

The file also contains copies of earlier correspondence, dated 1927-31.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file in 3 parts (519 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: this file consists of three physical parts. The foliation sequence commences at the front cover of part one with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover of part three with 525; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-524; these numbers are printed, but are not circled.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [‎402v] (817/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3810, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100059426987.0x000012> [accessed 5 April 2025]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100059426987.0x000012">Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [&lrm;402v] (817/1062)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100059426987.0x000012">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000648.0x00017a/IOR_L_PS_12_3810_0817.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000648.0x00017a/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image