'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf for the year 1932' [‎574r] (51/72)

43
obtaining the sanction of a Court This u \
interested persons are usually able to divirli f pr ® vlslon was objected to as
the case comes before a Uadhi and this nr.li P a . deceased ’s moveables before
to prevent such action. The Hon’ble the 1 i^ 11 W f s s P ecili oally designed
and the malcontents remained quiet LtentS Re ?,‘ a “ t was in the vicinity
Bahrain and the matter then 1 came to a fa a° T 2| l Qerwise unti l he had left
Muharraq and Hidd and had undoubtedlv vj - l le a ^ ltat ion started in
anything was heard of it othg to in^den" “; X18tence some timu before
Abdullah bm Isa A1 Khalifah was undonhtprii 1 P °ii 1Ce arran o e ments. Shaikh
on, but took no useful action a^d later showJ aWare ot ' what was
agitators. The proclamation was misrenriwl S ° me S - Vm I )ath y with the
rumour being that no dead might he b 0 «C^ (C^eK
9th tMh/mh February 3 "uho^rtuiiaU.Sv a Shaikli b H ZaarS l were ^ the
Id visit to Muharraq and an earlv settlomput h i ^ a ‘? due to pa ‘ T his
asked 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. to redssue a limTr i ° be I ? ade - • T be, Adviser
show Bahrain subjects that the idea was not n prOC a ^ iat ! on °J ta
were liable to similar regulations. This was done Xit that farei ^ llers
unfortunate step. Excitement then prevailed amongst the foreT4 commm.hv
Muharraq 8 The PoiS Ac 'ff, 1 b ° dieS , of P »rsian swarmeT o““^
" T i i ; olltlcal Agent held a prolonged meeting with their leaders
and, after he had succeeded m separating the Persians from the Arabs was
essentiaF feature.*™ % Sllghtly uwdif >' ia g the proclamation though not h. Zy
Shaikh Hamad had in the meantime exhibited characteristic weakness for
although he met the first deputation that went to meet him at Sakhir wUh
fiimness, he tinev away the advantage he had gained bv asking them at the
end What do you want me to do f ’ He sent a confidential messenger in at
mgiit to ask if the Bahrain Government proclamation should not be secretlv
removed in the night to which 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. objected. On the night of
(he 10th February, however, unknown persons removed it and the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
proclamation and the Shaikh accepted the fait accompli.
As a result of this agitation the friends of the Government harmed theni-
scl\es and the Government itself suffered a severe set-back. Fortunately they
recovered all their lost prestige in the firm handling of the divers’ riot. 'There
is little doubt that the Sunni Qadhis were in full sympathy with the agitation.
21. Divers Riot. On the 25th May a divers’ agitation for increased salaf
came to a head when some ringleaders were arrested. The salaf had been fixed
at Rs. 30 for divers and Rs. 25 for haulers, an uncomfortably low figure, but
all that the industry could afford after three bad years. Certain men’ had
busied themselves in stirring up their fellow divers to refuse these terms
(although representatives of the divers had been present when the usual meeting
to fix the rates had been held) and met with a ready response from the more
turbulent section of foreign divers, a motley crowd of blacks, Somalis, Had-
hramautis and wild men from the interior of the Arab Coast generally. Shaikh
Abdullah warned the Adviser that there were signs of trouble at Muharraq and
on the 25th certain ring-leaders were arrested. Next day the trouble com
menced with dramatic suddenness. Shaikh Abdullah and the Amir had come
over to Manamah to discuss the matter with the Adviser, and were on their
way back to Muharraq, when the Adviser received news that a very large body
of men had landed on the Manamah-Muharraq causeway and were coming to
his office. Apparently they made for the Police Station, for before the Adviser
had reached it they had wrecked it and rescued a ring-leader imprisoned the
day before. 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. proceeded to join the Adviser as early as
possible and met him at the Police Station, which was found to have a door
and two windows hurst in, the glass being in fragments. On the way to the
Police Station, 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. drove through a section of the mob and had
occasion to notice their ugly temper.
The Adviser had sent up to the Fort for the available Indian Police, and
he and the Political As-ent proceeded there to expedite matters. Some thirty
men were hastilv armed and a passing lorrv commandeered and the little force
returned to the Police Station to find a rabble of some 1,500 clivers armed with
chibs, sticks and crowbars, evidentlv in a state of considerable, excitement,
whilo a crowd of about a thousand looked on from the houses and other coigns
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