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Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [‎478v] (969/1062)

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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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jor. I, 864.
uor. I, 865.
Bombay
Selections,
K.XIV, 389.
Pol. Res. to
3rovt. of
Bombay,
1.7.1839.
the Government of India empowered the Admiral if the
Sheikh claimed British mterventaon an ^
n- tprritories under British protection, to assure nun £
the temporary protection of Her Majesty’s squadron m the
Gulf,” to inform the Egyptians that this P 1 ?^ 6
o-i vpn and to urge them to abstain from futhe J
S lven r + -u p views of both Governments were
fnown Ming Which Bahrein would be defended against
Lterve’ntTon by them until the pleasure of Her Majesty^
Government had been communicated to the local author! ies.
Fn the same month the Sheikh P™ mi , sed
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. to take no steps to place himsefi uncle
!he authoS or protection of a foreign Power without first
consulting 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. .
Sheikh sdbmits to Egyptians (Joey 1839).
34 In J uly 1839 the Sheikh “ suddenly and un
expectedly” acknowledged the supremacy of the Egyptians
and agreed to pay them a tribute of 2,000 dollars a year, on
he understanding that his local authority would be observed
and that no representative of the Egyptians would be sent
to reside in Bahrein. The Resident protested m writing
to both the Sheikh and the Egyptians, and expostulated
with the Sheikh on the way in which he was sacrificing ins
independence. The Sheikh explained that his action was
the result of the refusal of Her Majesty’s Government to
give him advice or a specific assurance of support, hoi a
trifling financial payment he had now secured immuni y
from Interference. He offered, however, in return for a
written and distinct pledge of protection, to repudiate his
agreement with the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and to avow himself a dependent
of Her Maiesty’s Government; but on being pressed fie
refused to confirm this in writing and said that m any event
it would be necessary for him to justify his change of attitude
to the Egyptians on the ground that it was the result o
compulsion by Her Majesty’s Government.
Precis 393.
Herts let
1874, p. 5.
1839-40. Views of Her Majesty’s Government on future
Policy towards Bahrein.
35 As a consequence of the activities of the Egyptians
discussion appears about this time to have taken place as to
the desirability of declaring a regular protectorate over
Bahrein. On 1st July 1839 the Secret Committee Pre-1784, the Committee responsible for protecting East India Company shipping. Post-1784, its main role was to transmit communications between the Board of Control and the Company's Indian governments on matters requiring secrecy. of the
East India Company informed the Government of India that
if necessary they would “ not disapprove of your entering
into an engagement with the Chief of Bahrein to protect him
against encroachments from Mehemet Ali, but we concur m
the doubt expressed by Captain Hennell [then Political
Resident] as to whether it would be expedient for that
island to be taken under the protection of the British
Government.” On 24th February 1840 the Foreign Office
wrote to the India Board (with reference to an enquiry from
the Bombay Government) that it was important that the
Egyptian troops should not be allowed to take possession of
Bahrein and that if the Company’s troops could occupy it,
even provisionally* such a measure could not fail to be
attended with advantage. On the retirement of the
Egyptians from Hasa in 1840 their relations with the Sheikh
came to an end.
Summary, 1830-40.
36. From 1831-33 Bahrein was subject and tributary to
the Wahabi Amirs. She revolted from them in the latter year,
but in 1836 again entered into an understanding, which

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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' [‎478v] (969/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3810, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100059426987.0x0000aa> [accessed 3 April 2025]

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