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Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [‎407v] (827/1062)

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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. .

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Teh. Desp.,
10.5.1820.
No. 1485 to
Tehran.
to him the proposal referred to in paragraph 15 for Irtish
mediation with a view to securing tribute to Persia fio
Bahrein. The Shah had replied that he wished that advices
should be received from Shiraz before the mediation of the
British Government to render Bahrein a tributary to 1 eisia
can be accepted.” Sir H. Willock remarked that the
great repugnance of the Shah to the formation of any British
settlement in the neighbourhood of Bersia was strongly
manifested by His Majesty's not immediately accepting the
British mediation to obtain a tribute from the island o
Bahrein, an object which he so urgently desired and which
His Majesty was aware must at a future period be difficult
of attainment from the already advanced stage of negotia
tions between the Sheikhs of Bahrein and the Imam ot
Muscat.’ ?
-.,1 .7 r\ » + Si rv n Si ( I /S /'I I i
18 On the 3rd October .1820 the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions.
instructed Sir H. Willock to take the earliest opportunity of
informing the Persian Government “ that as our vievvs cue
exclusively limited to the extirpation of piracy, it would be
contrary to our policy, in the present state of the Gull, to
afford the mediation we formerly offered between His
Majesty [the Shah] and the Uttabis of Bahrein.
Summary, 1783-1820.
19. In 1799 the Sheikhdom, independent since 1783,
professed allegiance to Persia and paid a year s tribute, but
it was immediately afterwards conquered by the Imam of
Muscat, and thereafter fell under the influence and ultimately
the control of the Wahabi Amir. Liberated by Muscat in
1811, it appealed to the Wahabis in 1816 against the Imam
and defeated him.
In 1816 or 1817 a Persian envoy was received at
Bahrein and presents exchanged. While no details are
available as to what precisely took place on this occasion,
the incident had no effective sequel. Persian authority was
not asserted in the island between the date of the visit and
1820, and in the latter year the island became temporarily
subject and tributary to Muscat.
In 1820 Bahrein" entered into its first formal treaty with
the British Government, and that Government, on condition
that the Sheikhs abstained from piracy, undertook to “ take
notice ” “ if any shall attack them.”
IV.—1820-30.
Capfc. Bruce
to Govt, of
Bombay,
3.9.1822.
Unauthorised Agreement between Captain Bruce and 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, 1822.
20. In 1822 Captain Bruce, then 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. , acting on his own initiative and without
any authority from or prior reference to Government, having
proceeded of his own accord to Shiraz there signed an
agreement with 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, on the part of Persia. This agreement alleged, inter
alia, in regard to Bahrein, that the islands had always been
subordinate to the Governor of Ears, against whose authority
the Uttabi Sheikhs had lately become rebellious; that the
flag assigned to the Uttabis of Bahrein under the General
Treaty of Peace with Britain in 1820 should accordingly, if
already granted, be withdrawn, that no assistance should in
future he rendered by Britain to the Uttabis of Bahrein, and
that on the contrary the British Government should, if
requested, assist the Persians against Bahrein with “ one
or two ” vessels of war. In other words, the title of Persia
to the possession of Bahrein was explicitly admitted. The
arguments which carried weight with Captain Bruce in
concluding this unauthorised agreement appear to have been

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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
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Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [‎407v] (827/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3810, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100059426987.0x00001c> [accessed 1 April 2025]

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