Papers on British policy and the Arab movement [‎171v] (348/380)

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on the occasion of the outbreak of war between Great Britain and Turkey. In the
course of the year 1915, however, the question of concluding a treaty with Sheikh
Abdullah was discussed between the Government of India and Sir P. Cox (Political
Besident in the Gulf and Chief Political Officer at Basra), and in September 1915 a
draft treaty was ready for presentation to the Sheikh. The terms of this draft may be
summarised here :—
Art. 1. Reference to the treaty concluded with Sheikh Abdullah’s predecessor in
1868. Sheikh Abdullah to undertake to co-operate with His Majesty’s Government in
the suppression of the slave-trade, piracy and the arms traffic in the same manner as
the Trucial Chiefs, and to “ abide by the spirit and obligations of the treaties and
engagements ” existing between them and His Majesty’s Government.
Art. 2. His Majesty’s Government to accord to Sheikh Abdullah the same
advantages as to the Trucial Chiefs. Copies of all the Trucial Treaties to be signed by
Sheikh Abdullah and the British representative.
Art. 3. Sheikh Abdullah to publish a proclamation forbidding the arms traffic in
his ports and territories. His Majesty’s Government, on their part, to furnish him with
a fixed quantity of arms per annum for public use, and with a subsidy of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. 1,000
per mensem.
Art. 4. Sheikh Abdullah to receive and protect British traders and, if His Majesty’s
Government so desire, a British agent.
Art. 5. Duties levied on British goods not to exceed those levied on Sheikh
Abdullah's own subjects or 5 per cent, ad valorem, and no other dues to be imposed on
British goods or British subjects.
Art. 6. Sheikh Abdullah not to have relations with any other Power without the
consent of His Majesty’s Government, and not to lease or alienate territory to any other
Power or its subjects.
Art. 7. Sheikh Abdullah not to grant concessions without the consent of His
Majesty’s Government.
Art. 8. Sheikh Abdullah to accept and protect a British post-office and telegraph
installation in his territory.
Art. 9. His Majesty’s Government to undertake to protect Sheikh Abdullah, his
subjects and his territory from aggression by sea.
Art. 10. “ His Majesty’s Government also to undertake to grant Sheikh Abdullah
good offices, should he or his subjects be assailed by land within the territories of Katar.
But that it shall be thoroughly understood that this obligation rests upon the British
Government only in the event of such aggression, whether by land or sea, being
unprovoked by any act or (of?) aggression on the part of Sheikh Abdullah or his
subjects against others.”
A draft proclamation in Sheikh Abdullah’s name, prohibiting the arms traffic, was
prepared at the same time.
On the 16th September, 1915 (116749/107294/16), copies of these drafts were
communicated by Sir P. Cox 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. at Koweit, with instructions to
proceed to Katar and negotiate a treaty with Sheikh Abdullah on this basis. Sir P. Cox
noted that articles 3, 4, 6 and 7 were essential, but that concessions might be made
regarding articles 5 and 8.
On the 21st and 22nd, October, 1915, 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. at Koweit, accompanied
by 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. at Bahrein, discussed exhaustively with Sheikh Abdullah the
two drafts, and also the treaties with the Trucial Chiefs, to the terms of which Sheikh
Abdullah was to subscribe under article 1. Finally the Sheikh consented to everything
except articles 4 (reception of British traders and agent), 5 (guarantees for British
trade) and 8 (British post-office and telegraph installation) of the draft treaty, and
article 6 of the general treaty of 1820 with the Gulf Chiefs, under which each party
accorded the other the right to accredit a representative.* In regard to these articles
Sheikh Abdullah sent the following verbal message to His Majesty’s Government:—
“ Please tell them that I will gladly undertake everything else that you have
put to me, and that I am very sorry indeed not to be able to accept British or any
other foreign subjects as permanent residents in my country at present. I would
welcome them gladly myself, but my people are not yet sufficiently civilised, nor is
my rule sufficiently consolidated, and I am afraid of serious trouble, which could only
end in my own destruction, if I allowed foreigners in now. You may add, however,
that this is only a temporary difficulty which I hope a few years will remove, and
I promise, if Government will allow clauses IY, Y, and YIII to stand over for the
*At the headquarters of the several Chiefs on the one side, and at the British 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. at Bushire
on the other.