"دليل الخليج. الجزء الأول. المواد التاريخية والسياسية. ملخص عن شؤون قطر، ١٨٧٣-١٩٠٤." [ظ‎‎١‎٦] (٩٢/٣٢)

22
they put themselves under Turkish protection would not in any way, of itself, justify the Turks
in asserting their jurisdiction over the place. 1£ such a plea were admitted^ it would.be set up
by every petty chief along the coast, who might have good reasons for desiring to evade
control or chastisement."
74. This despatch of the Government of India dealt with several other
points as regards the Arabian Littoral of the Persian Gulf. The main question
being the line of demarcation of the Turkish sphere of territorial jurisdiction
on that coast and the nature of the responsibility for order which should
be held to devolve on the two Governments. On these points the Government
of India recommended that from Basrah to Ojair the authority of the Forte
should he recognized as established on land, but at sea the British Government
should continue to exercise some concurrent protectorate pursuing pirates if
necessary into Turkish waters and dealing with them wherever found, whether
at sea or on shore, within certain limits through the Resident in the Gulf ; that
south or east of Ojair, Turkish authority should not be recognized except at
Bidaa on the Katar Peninsula; and that the Porte should be required {a) to
stipulate not to interfere, either on the coast or in the islands uith the Trucial
chiefs between Odeid and Ras ul-Khima, (6) to recognize the territories of the
Sheikh of Bahrein as under the protection of Great Britain; and ((?) in case of
piracies from within its jurisdiction, to enforce restitution of plundered property
and payment of compensation.
75. There passed upon this despatch correspondence between the India
1880. an ^ foreign offices which was forwarded
Pol. a. May 1880, No. is, sir Mullet 's letter, dated to the Government of India with Secretarv
27th September 1880. of No> ^ dated ^
ember 18S0. The view to which the Secretary of State for India (Lord
Cranbrook) was inclined was :—
<f The limit of Ottoman jurisdiction along the coast, if it is to be defined at all, could
scarcely be fixed at any point north of Ojair, which is opposite the southern extremity of the
island of Bahrein; but it is precisely between that spot and Katif that since the settlement of
the 13eni Yas at Odeid was broken up in 1878, the operations of the piratical tribes have been
carried on with almost complete impunity. Upon this point Lord Cranbrook would invite
Lord Salisbury's attention to Colonel Ross' letter of the 8th May, enclosed in Government
of India despatch No. 91 of the 28th July last, which was communicated to the Foreign Office
on the 6th instant.
His Lordship apprehends that the effect of formally recognizing any particular part of th e
Arab coast and the waters adjacent as Turkish, and as, in consequence, closed against British
cruisers, so far as action against piractical craft is concerned, would he the formation of an
asylum which would he taken advantage of by marauders in general, whom the local Ottoman
authorities would he unable to control without a considerable and permanent increase
to the Turkish naval force in the Gulf, which the Porte has declared itself precluded front
making by considerations of expense, and which would be open to many objections on political
grounds.
« The conclusion, therefore, to which Lord Cranbrook is led is that negotiation or discussion
with the Porte on the territorial question should be avoided', but that, in order that the oblio-a-
tions contracted by the Government of India towards the Sheikh of Bahrein and the parties
to the maritime truce may be efficiently fulfilled, the Resident in the Persian Gulf should be
authorized to adopt all necessary measures for the preservation of the peace of the seas, without
regard either to Turkish pretentions to sovereignty over the whole Arab coast, or to the recogni
tion of Ottoman supremacy by individual Chiefs, such as the Sheikh of Bidaa, or to the presence
of Turkish officials at isolated points: 1 presence
76. In continuation of his despatch No. 40, dated 6th November 1879 re-
Pol. a, may isso, No. 87. ferred to above, the Secretary of State in
his despatch No. 4 (Secret) of 29th Janu
ary 1880 forwarded further correspondence on the subject between the India and
Foreign Offices. In a confidential communication regarding these papers, His
Majesty's Ambassador (Sir H. Layard) was instructed by the Foreign Office,
London, that wherever Turkish authority was at that time actually and
firmly established upon the coast, His Majesty's Government would be ready
to recognize it and would be glad to see it accompanied by a regular and
civilized administration. He was also directed to press upon the Porte the
advisability of allowing British ships—while pursuing their operations against
piratical vessels outside the territorial waters of the Arabian mainland north