مجموعة ٣٠/٩٠ "المطالبة الفارسية بجزيرة البحرين" [ظ‎‎٤‎١‎٣] (١٠٦٢/٨٣٩)

18
Resdt. to
Bombay,
No. 118,
11.4.1860 ;
No. 2a,
7.5.1860;
No. 219,
26.7.1860.
Resdt. to
Tehran,
No. 210,
16.7.1860.
Resdt. to
Constant.
6.6.1860.
Teh. to Bn
No. 16 of
4.5.1860.
Dec. 1860
over his piratical activities directed against the Wahabis,
the Sheikh made a simultaneous appeal lor a^sta^e^to the
Persian Governor of Pars and the linkish < L
The Turkish answer was delayed. A Persian agent (Mir
Mehdi Khun), bearing a Persian Firman
• Ar^ril 1860 The Persian flag was hoisted, icrsian
sovCTeignty proclaimed, and the Sheikh’s agreement to pay
tribute secured. These ceremonies were,
over when a Turkish emissary arrived. Lhe Feisian flag
continued to fly during the Sheikhs negotiations with ti
Turks but on'the latter withdrawing, and subsequently
communicating assurances of a character satisfactory to the
Sheikh from the Turkish Government, the Turkish flag was
hoisted on the forts in place of the Persian ^8 “ ^ ,•
and the Sheikh agreed to pay tribute to Tmrk^. the
Persian emissary, however, refused to leave batnem or
surrender his imaginary authority m the Sheikhdom The
Resident reported in July 1860 that "the Ottoman flag has
now become the national one/’ The Sheikh appeals
have endeavoured to play off each party against t it o , ei.
Views of the Minister at Tehran and the Government
of Bombay.
68 The Minister at Tehran regarded the matter as one
of relatively small importance. He pointed out to the
Persian Government “ that under no circumstances can the
British Government be expected to concur in the proposed
transfer of the sovereignty of Bahrein to the I Gtot n,
since we have contracted engagements with the Arab Sheikhs
of the island as independent Chiefs, and since the mainten
ance of their independence is indispensable to t ie successful
working of those plans of maritime police m the t ersian
Gulf which we have been at so much pains and expense to
establish ” ; and obtained an assurance from Persia that no
military occupation of Bahrein should be attempted unti
, the title to the island had been settled through the diplomatic
channel. He advised the Resident that, while hostilities
against Bahrein were to be repelled by force, a voluntary
tender of allegiance by the Sheikh to any other 1 ower might,
so long as it was unaccompanied by any military occupation,
be ignored as of no particular importance. In the light of
the Minister’s views the Government of Bombay instructed
the Resident that he should not interfere with the occupation
of Bahrein, whether by Persia or Turkey, save by protest
and by an intimation that the matter had been referred to
Her Majesty’s Government \ but at tlie same time tliat tne
agents of both Powers (Turkey and Persia; should be warned
that aggression by or m the name of Bahrein on neighbour-
ing tribes would not be allowed and would, if necessary, be
prevented by force. In representing the matter to the
Secretary of State for India they urged that in the interests
of the peace of the Gulf it would be better that Bahrein
should he regarded as independent and as subject neitner to
Turkey nor to Persia, that its independence should be
recognised, and the engagements into wfliich in the interests of
humanity we had entered with its rulers for the preservation
of the peace and good order of the Gulf should be maintained.
Her Majesty’s Government decide that Bahrein shall be
REGARDED AS INDEPENDENT (1861).
I. 0. to F.O., 69. In February 1861 Her Majesty’s Government, after
II. 2.61. discussion between the India Office and the loieign Office,
k.O. to I.O., approved the recommendation of the Government of
12 ' 2 p 6 q\ c Bombav. The Resident and the Minister at Tehran were so
of I. No.°2, informed. During part of the time at any rate that the
18.2.61. question was under consideration in London the 1 Turkish
and Persian agents or their representatives appear (though
it is not clear how consistently) to have remained in
Bahrein, and the flags of both Powers to have been flown