'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA. PART I - The Persian Gulf.' [‎27r] (58/92)

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Times and Company was tampered with ; compensation and punishment of
the offenders were secured, but the criminals were personal favourites of the
Sheikh, and the case was disposed of by him in an unsatisfactory manner and
only under considerable pressure from the British authorities.
Friction between the Sheikh and the Government of India arose largely
from persist mt refusals by the former to reform the customs branch of ^ his
administration. The Bahrein customs had for many years been farmed to
contractors at unfavourable rates, and the insufficiency of the Sheikh’s income
had obliged him to resort to irregular imposts to make good the deficiency.
The Government of India were accordingly anxious that the customs should
he taken under direct management by the Sheikh; but Isa clung obstinately
to the ancient system, partly because it enabled him to draw on the customs
revenue in advance and partly, it w r ould seem, because he resented British
advice in what he regarded as a matter of internal administration. In 1899,
in breach of a promise which he had given that he would not grant a new lease
of the customs without reference to the British Political Kesident in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , he farmed them out (or a fresh period of three years and rejected
the offer of a loan and the assistance of the Government of India in terminating
the new contract, which he had given to British Indian subjects. In 1901 it
was suggested by Sir N. O’Conor, the British Ambassador at Constantinople,
that, as a material proof of British authority in Bahrein, a British Indian
subject should be placed in charge of the Bahrein customs, and an effort
was made to give effect to the proposal. At the end of the year, however, the
Sheikh again declined a proffered loan as well as the services of an official
whom the Government of India were w illing to place at his disposal for im
proving the customs arrangements ; and it lurther became know r n that he had
extended the period of the farm to 1906. On the occasion of his visit to
Bahrein Lord Curzon, at a private interview 7 which took place on the 27th Nov
ember 1903, firmly impressed on the Sheikh the advantages and necessity of
a customs reform, not in his own interests alone, but also iu those of the
British Government by wffiom he was protected, and of the son w r hose title to
succeed him had been recognised by the British authorities. The Sheikh
showed himself very obstinate and asked that the matter might be postponed
during his lifetime, but this w 7 as not conceded. Eventually Sheikh Isa said
that he would consider the subject with his sons and brother, and His hxcel-
leney admitted that this was a very proper course ; but at the same time he
w 7 arned the Sheikh that the question could not be dropped and that definite
proposals for a change must be submitted shortly. About the time of Lord
Ourzon’s visit it transpired that the finances of Bahrein w r ere in an even w T orse
position than had been suspected, for the yield of the customs w 7 as only one-
third of what it might have been under a proper system, while Sheikh Isa had
moreover leased them from 1903 to 1905 for 5| lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. , and of this sum
had anticipated more than 2 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees by drafts on the contractors.
Soon after the Viceroy’s return to India, the Sheikh having at length
definitely informed the British Resident that he would not agree to any
change, Lord Curzon reported to His Majesty’s Government that the reform
of the customs administration in Bahrein had become a test case of the
nature and degree of the influence which the British Government might
reasonably claim to exercise over the ruler of the islands. He therefore
urged the adoption of various pacific means for acquiring a proper influ
ence over the Sheikh, the principal being the substitution ol a European
political officer of superior status accompanied by a small guard of native
infantry for the political subordinate who, at Lord Curzon’s suggestion, had
been posted to Bahrein in 19U0 replacing a former native agent Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. . Ihe proposals
as to 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 guard were eventually approved by H's Majesty s
Government and, as we have already seen, both came into ellect in the course
of 1904.
Other complications now supervened. The had relations of the Sheikh with
his nephew Ali, a youth of turbulent character whose father had been associated
with Isa in the Government and who therefore conceived himself to be entitle(
to a share of political power, constituted in the end a more serious cause o