Skip to item: of 450
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

File 5238/1919 'Persia:- Mohammerah. Gift of guns and river steamers to the Sheikh of Mohammerah' [‎177v] (359/450)

The record is made up of 1 volume (218 folios). It was created in 22 Dec 1918-6 May 1927. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

4
r ■Rccr^ with whom they are in close touch, and with the distant
deration of Bin Sand, could (if given certain assurances) either prepare the way
for ohr peaceful occupation of Basra,, or, untd we were in a position to take effective
co-o
tor our peaceiui oo.u and
action, arrange ^^ 6 ^? of ^ ohammerah we should give the assurance already
, * i • connection with recent grant of decoration , undertaking to maintain
■ SmTir. mW possession of his d.t, g.rdess on th, Tnrtish side «,
(“rise" »nd perhaps a promise to do our best ..s«u, Persia to mamtam him in
his present state of local autonomy.
-r i 4 - kia A deputy or lieutenant of the governor in Ottoman Iraq, with additional responsibilities as a high-ranking provincial judge. fhp officiatino- Eesident submitted to the Government of
India onXlXseptember; 1914, the following draft of a special letter to the Sheikh
of Mohammerah, together with drafts of other notices (discussed in section (1) above),
to te despatched in the event of war between Great Britain and Turkey breaking
out (64214/14 : No. 1)
“ I am authorised by my Government, to request your Excellency to co-operate
with our honoured friends, their Excellencies the Amir of Nej an t e Sheikh of
Koweit, in the capture of Basra from the Turks ••••.,, n
“In return fbr this valuable co-operation, I am authorised by my Government
to assure your Excellency that in the event of our success-and succeed we shall,
insba Allah—Basra will never again be allowed to be subject to Turkish authority.
“ I am further to assure your Excellency personally, and do so by this writing,
that, whatever change may take place in the form of the Government of Persia,
and whether it be Royalist or Nationalist, His Majesty s Government will be
prepared to afford you the support necessary for obtaining a satisfactory solution
in the event of any encroachment by the Persian Government on your jurisdiction
and recognised rights, or on your property in Persia. These assurances given
for yourself and for your successors from among your male descendants, and snail
hold good so long as you and they do not fail to observe your and their ob igations
towards the Central Government (provided always that the nomination of your
successors from among your descendants shall be subject to confidential consultation
with and the approval of His Majesty’s Government), and so long as you and
they shall continue to be guided by the advice of His Majesty’s Government, and
to maintain an attitude satisfactory to that Government.
“Vis-d-vis the Persian Government, we shall do our best to maintain your
Excellency in your present state of local autonomy. ..
“ Further, your date gardens on the Turkish side of the Shatt-el-Arab sha
remain in full possession of you and your heirs, and for ever immune from
taxation.”
Cfto a ®” 1 ' 6
youthen
the Persian Gov
in jour present state
they
a fore
Jj jurisdiction
’’assurances are <
jedescenda 11 ) 8 ’ a '
•our and their
that the nonnnat
gibe subject toe
government, and
AmofHisMa,
the date gardens
jilab shall remain in ful
of the year 1
in the war on
remising Sheikl
sketched out by Sir
and the 14th No
in fact, occurred,
, up t(
A to the Sheikh of Mohan
i
This draft was approved by the Government of India on the 26th September, 19
(64214/14, No. 12 ), with the substitution of the words “ date gardens which you now
possess” for “ your date gardens ” in the last paragraph, and the omission of the words
“forever.”
In this emended form the letter was eventually delivered to the Sheikh on the
3rd November, 1914.
Later, after the occupationof Basra, Sheikh Khazal asked that the wording of the
letter should be revised again.

' t°tk Sheikh of Ko
of vital interest
lwa y, as a German c
war, His ]
u pcu the seci
■ish Conven
^recognised as f
. n 8 ifumedi
'^Government i
foment; an,
^reoffiritis
Hsolono
“ These assurances, in the form originally sanctioned by Government, con
tained a reference to the co-operation expected from the Sheikh in the ev ^ n ^, °. ku 0 /
its being needed in connection with the capture of Basra. The Sheikh urged t a L jigust, 19 ^ q,
as occasion did not arise for the fulfilment of this obligation, it seemed somew a ,, mthe Persian (
inconvenient and superfluous for it to be mentioned in a communication w ic % (sip
would become an important permanent record; he therefore begged for a revise .
letter from which the passages relating to Basra should be omitted.”*
Accordingly Sir P. Cox, after obtaining the approval of the Viceroy, sen
following document to Sheikh Khazal, dating it 22 rd November, 1914, being the a
on which Basra was occupied by the British forces :—
1439/
lent
sfc 1 »it«i
“ With reference to the assurances conveyed to your Excellency in my lette
dated the 15th October, 1910 (= 11 th Shawwal, 1328), and having regard to
further valued services and co-operation which your Excellency has ren ere
• Letter, dated Basra, 1st April, 1915, from Sir P. Cox to Government of India, in 62555/15-
^*t 2 f thi8
%
^hic
lielih
‘‘C'Vwi

About this item

Content

This volume contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, telegrams and minutes. It mainly covers conversations between British officials regarding the process of sending gifts to the Sheikh of Mohammerah [Shaikh Khaz‘al bin Jābir al-Ka‘bī of Mohammerah, now known as Khorramshahr, also written in this volume as Mohammera and Mahomerah].

Related matters of discussion include the following: the Sheikh of Mohammerah and his role in Mesopotamia [Iraq] in recent years, as well as his relationship with British officers; a gift of recognition to the Sheikh of Mohammerah for supporting the British during the war [First World War]; an evaluation of the gift, which consists of a vessel and guns; the procedure of presenting the gift to the Sheikh; the valuation and cost of the supplies (of rifles and ammunition); payment; departure and arrival; disagreement among British officials (between the Government of India and the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ) on the quantity of supplies; a related argument regarding Persia [Iran] becoming a signatory to the Arms Traffic Convention; information regarding the Sheikh of Mohammerah’s investment in a British war loan; conversations about the suspicions of a plot by the Persian Government with the Bakhitiari [Bakhtiyārī] tribe.

In addition, the volume includes: ‘Memorandum on British Commitments (during the war) to the Gulf Chief’ (ff 175-181); a disposal and liquidation commission: a statement of guns, fittings and ammunition issued by the General Officer Commanding, Mesopotamia, to the Sheikh of Mohammerah (ff 92-93); a list of stores requirements (f 62).

The correspondence in the volume is mostly internal correspondence between British officials of different departments, along with some correspondence with French Government officials. The principal correspondents are: Civil Commissioner in Mesopotamia; Political Officer, Baghdad; War Office; Ministry of Munitions of War; Disposal and Liquidation Commission; Inland Water Transport, Basrah [Basra]; and Army Council.

The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (218 folios)
Arrangement

The volume’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 223; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

File 5238/1919 'Persia:- Mohammerah. Gift of guns and river steamers to the Sheikh of Mohammerah' [‎177v] (359/450), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/858, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100170048821.0x0000a0> [accessed 10 February 2025]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100170048821.0x0000a0">File 5238/1919 'Persia:- Mohammerah. Gift of guns and river steamers to the Sheikh of Mohammerah' [&lrm;177v] (359/450)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100170048821.0x0000a0">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0002f0/IOR_L_PS_10_858_0359.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0002f0/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image