File 200/1928 Pt 5 'Persia: Anglo-Persian Relations, Treaty Negotiations' [‎359v] (723/1132)

8
unusual spectacle was seen of their paying visits to Matims (“ rozekhanes
with Sunni Persians. The ill-treatment of Bahama at Mohammerah before aQ
to has undoubtedly had a bad effect and any entente has received a severe setba|
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and if it continues unabated till next year it will probably give rise to interf
with Moharram processions and “ rozekhanes. 5 ' erei11
7. There is an undercurrent of Arab feeling against all Persians
directed against their privileged position, and support by the agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. a
which the Persians are somewhat apt to throw in their faces. The fact ft t
foreigners can acquire property in Persia and that many Persians own ext/ i
valuable property, both in real estate, such as gardens, water rights and build'
in Bahrein is unfavourably commented upon. There is no doubt that the ^
Persian merchants are making considerable headway, and now that cusf
restrictions have almost killed the trade of Lingeh and the smaller Gulf ports
tend to concentrate their business in Bahrein. ei
8. The two Persian communities have little love for each other and
animosity is principally based on religious antipathy. This year there' were smi
of more sympathy between the parties, and Sunni boys are now to be seen "
side by side with Shiah boys in the main Persian school. The younger
show a more liberal attitude towards each other, due partly to laxer religious ideas
and partly to the recent growth of national sentiment. There are individua
friendships between men of the opposite parties, but little business dealings,
social intercourse is principally confined to solemn occasions such as Ids
marriages.
9. So far as I am aware their grievances are few. They would naturally
prefer to be under the administration of their own Government, but they
Bahrein of their own accord and mostly prosper and remain here.
10. The passport regulations are resented by all Persians, who find it interferes
seriously with their trade and liberty of movement, but the Bahrein State h
option but to retaliate in this matter. The trade in sailing boats from the
ports on the Persian side has undoubtedly been prejudiced by this, for it is
for such people to obtain visas without going some distance.
11. I understand some resentment was felt that the boys of the Persian sc
were stopped from parading the streets in military formations with bugles
national flags, and complaints were made to Bushire and Tehran, and finally
Governor of the Gulf Ports made a representation to the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in the
1 his complaint is quite unreasonable, for the idea underlying it was quite
the Arabs, who naturally resented this spirit of aggressive nationalism, realising
that the Persian Government would not for a minute allow an Arab school, didom
exist at, say, Mohammerah, to make similar demonstrations.
12. When the present Shiah kadi was appointed some complaints were mad
that he did not know enough Persian to listen to the complaints or cases of Persians
but he comes from a Mohammerah family, and since he managed to understandmj
Persian without difficulty, I have no doubt that he can understand Persians
speaking it.
13. There can be no complaint that the agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. is unfitted to deal witli the
many cases of Persians that come before it. I personally speak Persian muclibetter
than I do Arabic, and have a ten years’ experience of dealing with them. Two of the
clerks whose special duty it is to handle cases that go to the kadis speak
as their mother tongue, and the principal munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. was for many years a
Such Indians as are employed on the vernacular side almost without exception
studied the language at school. iVpart from the standard of justice and uniform a
applied, they have the inestimable benefit of having had careful records kept o 3
their cases ever since the present regime was introduced nearly twenty years
An undoubted grievance was brought to me by a big Persian merchant,
11 mere]
bv the pi
flious thought
nature to the i
15, In fact,
*ni from rest:
innumeu
ptriots in Mo
.mo reciproc;
itecence of tl
opinion
Btodone.
Ik personal <
ately sounded,
troublesome ar
ithev consid(
complained that the Diving Court (he was a Sunni Persian) were not giving^,^
fair hearing in a case, and were attempting to force him to agree to an
~— T ‘ ■ ’ - ’ - - - - - forcompla 111
compromise. I investigated the matter, and found that he had cause
ana deputed mv assistant, Khan Bahadur Sayyid Siddiq Hassan, to watch e j
He drd so. with the result the award of the court was very substantially inci
m his favour, and an equitable settlement finallv arrived at. This has been
case of bias that I have met in the courts. The Persian community nave
members on the Commercial Court and are verv well represented, and are also
repiesented by elected members on the municipalities. The elections were
contested when they were last held two vears ago.
keeuty
r are also,
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in their ov
ive their ov