Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎364v] (733/1028)

50
Nejd .—The outstanding event of the year was the visit of His Maiestv IT
Ibn Sa’ud to Bahrain. He left Has Tanurah on the 20th February and landed 111 ?
Bahrain on the 2oth after the conclusion of the Lupin conference. " He received &
amazing ovation on his arrival, the Shaikhs having gone out to meet him as soon &n
the steamer was sighted. As luck would have it 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. received^
message from 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. announcing that he was not coming and special! &
went to Shaikh Isa, who was awaiting him at the Palace to tell him so. y s gjj
Sa'ud landed almost immediately afterwards a most unfortunate impression was
created. Altogether, from the point of view of the British connection the visit was
a disaster, and nothing could have demonstrated more exactly the tenuitv nf ™ &
hold on Bahrain. y 1 0Ur
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. visited Qatar on the 22nd January and returned on the
24th. The Amir, Muhammad bin Suwailim was friendly and useful results were
obtained. It -was clear that the accounts received in Bahrain of the oppression of
Bahama had been exaggerated, and even the subsequent reports of other atrocities
were found to be in most cases untrue. The situation continued to be delicate
however, and Bahrain, and strangely enough, the Shaikhs who take little interest
in Shiahs were much excited over our apparent inability to protect Bahrain in
terests. As a result of the Political Agent’s negotiations with the Amir and pro
bably as a result of discovering that His Majesty’s Government were only interest
ed in genuine Bahama and had no intention of ascertaining any protection over those
who had no claim to Bahrain nationality, the Nejd Government finally ap
peared to accept the situation. In May, a genuine Bahraini named Ahmad bm
Abbas who had been imprisoned by them was released, an act which called forth
the gratitude of his relatives to the British Government, whom they considered
responsible.
Continued efforts were made to find water by boring at Ras Tanurah but
fortunately sand was encountered which defeated all efforts. If water were to be
found there, it would be a comparatively simple matter to establish a port and a
large proportion of the Bahrain trade would be diverted.
The Qusaibis were in an even stronger position at the close of the year and
so long as they continue to do the lion’s share of the mainland trade, the favour
o t eir royal master will have little effect on their great and growing power in
rSanram. On two occasions, they took advantage of the Political Agent’s absence
to commit arbitrary acts which showed unmistakably the position they would
assume if they were allowed to become Bin Sand’s official representatives in Bahrain,
or u i lie hold of the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. weakened.
I 1 ? 4 ® a ob iectionable postscript to a letter be sent to Shaikh
t; h ‘„ SkS. „‘rt h e COni ?! aln f e< ! , of the injustice done his subjects and threatened
tk-Cment ^ °, f h f l nends ’ no doubt referring to His Majesty’s
tHsUT n/K ^!? mad nnd the Ruling Family were somewhat nettled by
comntdnh fr R ?lL ? , H , a , mad rep led e< i uall y brusquely that he had heard of no
complaints from Lin ba ud s subjects and invited him to say what they were.
AmJdSdrd er d sufficiently to take over the Governorship of Hasa and in
theft wKch no* ' 8 '1"^ ,1°, ~ f ' 1 ^b ai uh Hamad to send him for decision a case of
Tmtt v nich occurrred m Bahrain harbour.
tighten m 1 Ct fi 0 h e k' M l Uhanlm , ad a f T awi1 ’ 3 commission arrived and proceeded to
gI P financiaI contro110 iffie intense annoyance of the Qusaibis and Ajajis.
AbdulJlk^ 1 " as a bl® to avert the impending quarrel between Shaikh
persuaded to ^ a iii and shaikh Hamad over Salaita. Shaikh Hamad was
mffiht revulafp 6 }!^ 1 ^ m 6 ^ a( ? some to Bahrain nationality so that he
offimY^rifp LS i e r &t tlle Same time the Political A g ent ^ured an un-
G^rmnem ^ ^ man T would b .e Wed. Baffiam, with its good
the surrourvlirm -1 laC One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees y eaSm ^ num 1 )er capitalists, acts as a lodestone to labour in
and mffirafp an< ^ tb ^ re 18 no ^oubt that others will leave their homes
ana migrate to Bahrain whether their rulers like it or not.
who ffid'bpp^PQ Ul1 1 ^l n exerted bbnse lf to rescue a young Persian Baluch
Win and renalt and brou g bt to Q^ar for sale. ° He was sent to
-Danrain and repatriated to his home near Bandar Abbas.