Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [486v] (985/1062)
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.
26
To Teh.,
No. 22,
30.3.1870.
(see paragraphs 94-95 below), but in any event could not
admit? “that such overtures, made without its knowle g
and consent, can in any way affect its treaty relations w t
Bahrein. Reply to Persia, March 1870.
93. Her Majesty’s Minister was therefore instructed by the
Foreign Office that it appeared possible that_ Her Majesty s
Government, instead of furnishing explanations to 1 ersia,
might have cause to complain “ of the proceedings oi ^he
Persian authorities in endeavouring to communicate with a
piratical chief who had been guilty of a breach of the Mari
time Truce, and who had attacked the Chief placed in power
at Bahrein by the British Government,’ and was informed
that no notice would be taken of the complaints against the
Resident until the Persian Government gave a full explana-
nf ttip. int.prceoted letters.
Supplementary Eeports by Her Majesty’s Minister, Tehran,
^ April 1870.
94. On 6 th April 1870 the Minister at Tehran reported
as follows to the Government of India : —
“ In my Despatch No. 81 ... I reported that the
Firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
of appointment was originally in the name of
Ali bin Khalifa, but that, on hearing of his death, it
was altered in favour of his brother, Aid. bin Khalifa.
This information had reached me from a relation of
one of the principal Persian officials in Shiraz, and
not . . . from the Persian Alinister for Foreign Affairs.
AYhen further intelligence reached Shiraz from the
Gulf and it was supposed that Aid. bin. Abdullah
would retain possession of Bahrein, the
Firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
was
probably again altered in his favour, as it was to him
that it was eventually forwarded. In conversation with
the Persian Alinister this afternoon His Excellency
admitted that this was probably the case. He said that
Alirza Mehdi Khan on leaving Tehran had received
general instructions for his guidance respecting the
Bahrein question, but that the details were settled at
Shiraz and the
Firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
was issued in the name of the
Persian Governor of Fars and not in that of the Shah.
The name inserted in this document had certainly, he
said, been altered once to his knowledge, and it was
not unlikely that it had been changed a second time
before being forwarded to its destination.
“ With regard to the overtures said to have been
made by Ali bin Khalifa to the Persian Government,
as reported in my Despatch No. 81, I have the honour
to state that that information also reached me from a
private source and not from the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs. His Excellency has, however, asserted very
positively to me to-day that Ali bin Khalifa had
repeatedly written to the Persian Government professing
allegiance to the Shah and that a number of letters
containing assurances of this kind are now in his (the
Alinister’s) possession.
“ It appears to me that on the receipt of a correspon
dence which passed last April between Her Alajesty’s
Government and the Shah’s representative in London,
the Persian Ministers, believing that the Bahrein Chief
was himself well disposed to further their designs,
resolved to take measures with a view to establishing,
if possible, the Shah’s authority in that quarter and
make good his claim to exercise sovereign rights over
Bahrein. Alirza Mehdi Khan was accordingly dispatched
to Shiraz and Bushire and a certain latitude was given
to him as to the mode in which he should proceed to
carry out the wishes of his Government. The Persian
authorities in Shiraz finally determined that a
Firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
should be addressed to Aid. bin Abdullah, conferring
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
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Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain' [486v] (985/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3810, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100059426987.0x0000ba> [accessed 1 April 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3810
- Title
- Coll 30/90 'Persian claim to the island of Bahrain'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:29v, 38r:50v, 53r:117v, 118v, 121v:122v, 126r:149v, 152r:166v, 169v:177v, back-i, front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 180r:197v, 199r:209v, 210v, 211v:221v, 223r:227v, 230r:231v, 233v:234v, 235v, 235r, 236r:238v, 240r:240v, 242r:245v, 247r:248v, 250r:251v, 255r:257v, 262r:272v, 274r:276v, 280r:280v, 282v:294v, 295v:345v, 348r:350v, back-i, front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 353r:374v, 378r:394v, 396r:424v, 427r:427v, 428v, 431v:433v, 440r:443v, 445r:446v, 448r:450v, 452r:454v, 457r:494r, 496r:501v, 509v:513v, 515r:518v, 520r:524v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence