INTRODUCTION R. in the Notes That Follow, They Are Distinguished from Reports in English by the Inclusion of the Islamic Date. 2
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Notes INTRODUCTION r. In the notes that follow, they are distinguished from reports in English by the inclusion of the Islamic date. 2. Elizabeth Monroe, Britain's Moment in the Middle East, 1914-1956 (London, 1965) ch. 3 ('The Years of Good Management, 1922-1945 ') pp. 7'--94· 3· Ibid., p. 8r. 4· LJP&Sjr8, B478, 'Oil Concessions in the Arab Sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf', r 3 Mar I 944· 5. Al-Anwar (Beirut daily newspaper), 22 Aug '973· Luckily, no one was seriously injured. CHAPTER 1 r. L/P&Sjro, P6r9/07(7), P4389Jro, Naval Commander-in-Chief to Admir alty, 30 Dec 1910 (telegram). 2. For an account of the European rivalry in the Gulf region during this period, see B. C. Busch, Britain and the Persian Gulf, lllf)4-I914 (Berkeley and Los Angeles, Calif., 1967). 3· J. G. Lorimer, Gazetteer rif the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia, 2 vols (Calcutta, 1908-I915) vol. n, p. '437· 4· LjP&Sj2o, C242, 'Military Report and Route Book: The Arabian States of the Persian Gulf, prepared by the General Staff, India, '939· 5· Although British treaty relations with the shaykhdoms on the Coast did not technically claim any overall right by the British Government to make laws for peace and order, the Political Resident did exercise a certain jurisdiction. This jurisdiction had no legal basis and had grown up by long usage, relying very much on the paramount influence of the British Government. The same case applied to British jurisdiction over foreigners; legally, the rulers of the Coast had jurisdiction over all individuals in their respective states, but did not seem to be aware 199 200 The Origins if the United Arab Emirates of this fact. Since the only foreign community that seriously concerned the British authorities was that of the Indians, it was with some relief that the Political Resident in I936 noted that 'I believe that the Shaikhs are under the wholesome impression that they cannot touch British subjects' (R/I 5/2/ I 865, Political Resident to Political Agent Bahrain, 5 July I936). When negotiations for oil concessions were underway two years later, the British authorities brought up the question of extra-territorial jurisdiction before foreign employees of oil companies began to arrive in sizable numbers. The officiating Political Resident urged that the concessions proceed without any legal complications, arguing that the matter could be settled if and when the oil company started drilling and foreign em ployees arrived. It was not until December I946 that Orders-in-Council for the Coast were enacted; they provided extra-territorial jurisdiction for British subjects, British-protected persons and non-Muslim foreigners. 6. Sir Rupert Hay, 'The Persian Gulf States and their Boundary Disputes', Geographical Journal, cxx (I 954) 435· 7. One of the principal obligations of Islam, zakat is an alms tax levied on different kinds of property and distributed amongst the needy. Its evolution into the form referred to above has its roots in the initial reluctance of the bedouin to pay it, as a result of which payment had to be enforced. 8. See Sir Charles D. Belgrave, 'Pearl Diving in Bahrain', Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society, XXI (I934); Richard le B. Bowen, Jr, 'Pearl Fisheries of the Persian Gulf', Middle East Journal v (I 95 I), and ' Marine Industries of Eastern Arabia', Geographical Review XLI (I95I). g. In I939, it was estimated that about 20 per cent of the population of Dubai was made up of Persians and Baluchis, excluding the Hindus and Khojahs. In Abu Dhabi foreign merchants made for 4 per cent of the total population, but for Sharjah there are no available figures. (L/P&Sj2o, C242.) 10. John B. Kelly, Britain and the Persian Gulf, 1795-I88o (Oxford, I968) p. 834· I 1. L/P&S/I8, B407, 'Slavery in the Persian Gulf, Sep Ig28. I2. Major-General Sir Percy Cox, 'Some Excursions in Oman', Geographical Journal, LXVI (I925) 200. I 3· After Nuhayyan, ancestor of the Al-bu-Falah. I4. The Mazari' are sometimes considered a separate tribe. Bertram Thomas regarded them in this light, but qualified the consideration by adding that they were a 'section of the Minasir with whom they are in close touch' (L/P&S/ I I /294, P669oj28, Thomas to Political Resident, I3 June I927). In I934, the Residency Agent counted them as a section of the Bani Yas (R/I5/2/544, Residency Agent to Officiating Political Resident, 9 Jumada II I353 (I9 Sep I934). Lorimer, in his Gazetteer, vo!. II, p. I933, also placed them within the Bani Yas, but said that the Mazari' outside Abu Dhabi town and Liwa 'may or may not be identical with this section of the Bani Yas '. I5. Lorimer, Gazetteer, vo!. n, pp. I932-4. I6. Ibid., vol. II, p. I I64. I 7. Ibid., vol. II p. 405. Notes 201 I8. Ibid. It must be noted here, however, that in the historical section of the Gazetteer, Lorimer states that Buraimi 'became almost an annexe of the principality of Abu Dhabi' (ibid., vol. I, p. 77I ). Ig. Cox, in Geographical Journal, LXVI, 207. 20. S. B. Miles, The Countries and Tribes rif the Persian Gulf, new edition (London, Ig66) p. 539· 2r. Lorimer, Gazetteer, vol. n, p. 4I4. 22. W. Thesiger, 'A Further Journey across the Empty Quarter', Geographical Journal, cxru (I 949) 39-40. Thesiger was the first European in modern times to visit Liwa; although he was not far from Liwa in I946 after he crossed the Rub' al-Khali, he did not actually visit Liwa until late I948. 23. Lorimer, Gazetteer, vol. n, p. 405. Lorimer's belief was based on the fact that Shaykh Zayid's influence was predominant in al-Khatam. 24. Ibid., vol. I, pp. 772-4. 25. Hay, in Geographical Journal, cxx, 439· 26. See Sir Charles D. Belgrave, The Pirate Coast (London, Ig66); Kelly, Britain and the Persian Gulf, I795-I88o; Lorimer, Gazetteer; Miles, Countries and Tribes rif the Persian Gulf; H. Moyse-Barlett, The Pirates rif Trucial Oman (London, Ig66); Sir Arnold T. Wilson, The Persian Gulf (Oxford, I928). 27. C. U. Aitchison, A Collection rif Treaties, Engagements and Sanads Relating to India and Neighbouring Countries, fifth edition (Delhi, I933), vol. XI, pp. 245--8. CHAPTER 2 r. Sir Percy Zachariah Cox (r864-1937), who was Political Resident in Bushire from Igog to I920, after five years as Acting Resident there. His career included service as Chief Political Officer, Indian Expeditionary Force in Mesopotamia, I9I4-I8; Acting Minister Tehran, I9I8-2o; and High Commissioner in Iraq, I920-3. See Philip Graves, The Life rif Sir Percy Cox (London, I94I). 2. See Busch, Britain and the Persian Gulf, r8g4-1914; and Ravinder Kumar, India and the Persian Gulf, r8J8-I907· A Study rif British Imperial Policy (New York, I965). 3· A district within the Ottoman administration, ruled by a qa'immaqam. 4· Lorimer, Gazetteer, vol. I, pp. 2638-g. 5· Parliamentary Debates, fourth ser., vol. cxxr, p. I348. 6. The adviser was Charles Belgrave, who remained rn Bahrain from I926 to I957, and exercised the greatest personal influence in the shaykhdom. For an account of his years in Bahrain, see his autobiography, Personal Column (London, rg6o). 7· L/P&S/ro, P595/I927(I), P4575/27, Government of India to India Office, 8 Sep I92 7. 8. R/I5/I/268, Political Resident to Political Agent Bahrain, 25 Apr I924. g. L/P&S/Io, P4535/I928(8), Viceroy to Secretary of State for India, 5 Oct I928 (telegraph), first of five parts. ro. Ibid., second of five parts. I r. Ibid, I6 Oct Ig28, fourth of five parts. 202 The Origins of the United Arab Emirates I2. Ibid. I3. PG22, 3I Oct Ig28. Available in LJP&Sjw, P4535/Ig28(8). I4. LJP&S/I8, B4I9, 'Future Policy on the Trucial Coast' (P384oj2g, Political Resident to Government of India, 23 Apr I929). I 5· LJP&Sj I 2/3747, PZ 1724/39, Political Agent Bahrain to Political Resident, 5 Feb I 939· Enclosed in Political Resident to Government of India, 2 I Feb I939· I 6. Busch, Britain and the Persian Gulf, 1894-1914, p. 386. I 7. The Political Agency in Muscat was initially established in I8oo. I 8. From I goo to I 904, an Assistant Political Agent was posted to Bahrain. In I904 the position became that of Political Agent. Ig. The first Political Agent to Kuwait was sent in I904. 20. For details of the setting up of the Committee, see B. C. Busch, Britain, India and the Arabs, 1914-1921 (Berkeley and Los Angeles, Calif., I97I) pp. 456--63. 21. CAB 23/24, 7(2I)2, I4 Feb I92I. 22. Established in Igo2, the CID was until I939 the principal advisory and consultative body on all matters concerned with home and overseas defence. 23. CID no. I74-D, PG (sub) I8. 24. This recommendation was approved by the Cabinet on 30 July I930 (CAB 23/24, 46(30)8, 30 July I93o). 25. On these points, the Secretary of State for India reported, 'The appoint ment is already sufficiently attractive from the aspect of prestige and remuneration ... and [I doubt] whether it is necessary to associate the Imperial Government, who have already in practice an opportunity of expressing their views before an Officer is posted to Bushire, more closely with the appointments' (ibid.). 26. CAB 23/76, 48(33)6, 26 July I933· 2 7. Texts available in Aitchison, A Collection of Treaties, vol. XI, pp. 256-7. 28. Ibid, vol.