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IOR/R/15/2/925-937

Record Id:

037-000229238

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

036-000228236

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100000000021.0x000398

LARK:

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

IOR/R/15/2/925-937

Title:

Bahrain Agency, Confidential Office Information Files

Scope & Content:

The thirteen surviving Information Files contain correspondence, reports and guidance relating to the following topics: British intelligence gathering in the Middle East, 1939-1943; the monitoring of anti-British news reporting in Arabic newspapers and radio broadcasts in the Gulf States, 1934-1948; documentary film making and other publicity projects in the Gulf States, 1940s; public information services in Bahrain and support for a proposed Bahrain Government printing press and state broadcasting service, 1948; the appointment of a Publicity Officer in the Persian Gulf, 1941; British propaganda plans for Persia and proposed reorganisation of the Public Relations Bureau, Tehran, 1945; guidance to British officials in the Gulf States about making public statements on current events in the Middle East, particularly French negotiations with the Levant States in 1945 and British recognition of the Emirate of Cyrenaica (eastern Libya) in 1949.

Collection Area:

India Office Records and Private Papers

Project / Collection:

India Office Records
Qatar Foundation Partnership Programme

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-000209245
033-000227426
036-000228236
037-000229238

Is part of:

IOR/R : India Office Records transferred later through official channels
IOR/R/15 : Records of the British Residency and Agencies in the Persian Gulf
IOR/R/15/2 : Political Agency, Bahrain

IOR/R/15/2/925-937 : Bahrain Agency, Confidential Office Information Files

Contains:

IOR/R/15/2/925 : File 4/1 (1.a/46) Arabic broadcasts by foreign stations
IOR/R/15/2/926 : ‘File 4/2 (1.a/50) M.E.I.C. publicity’
IOR/R/15/2/927 : ‘File 4/3 (1.a/51) Propaganda’
IOR/R/15/2/928 : ‘File 4/6 (1B/1) Reports of Treaty of Alliance between U.K. and Bahrain’
IOR/R/15/2/929 : ‘File 4/8 (2/4a) Article regarding Bahrain-U.K. Treaty; Dismissal of Ali bin Hussain, Secretary to the Manama Municipality’
IOR/R/15/2/930 : File 4/9 (2/7) "AL BAHRAIN" NEWSPAPER
IOR/R/15/2/931 : File 4/10 B.B.C. broadcasts
IOR/R/15/2/932 : File 4/11 Reuters Agency in Bahrain
IOR/R/15/2/933 : File 4/12 (1.a/52) Publicity Officer, Persian Gulf
IOR/R/15/2/934 : File 4/13 Bahrain Government press
IOR/R/15/2/935 : File 4/14 Bahrain State Broadcasting Station
IOR/R/15/2/936 : File 4/15 Sale of the "al-Arab" in Bahrain
IOR/R/15/2/937 : File 4/16 Explanation and Defence of H.M.G.'s policy in Foreign Affairs

Click here to View / search full list of parts of IOR/R/15/2/925-937

Hierarchy:

032-000209245[0010]/033-000227426[0002]/036-000228236[0005]/037-000229238

Container:

View / search within Archive / Collection: IOR/R

Record Type (Level):

SubSeries

Extent:

13 files (266 folios)

Digitised Content:

Languages:

Arabic
English

Scripts:

Arabic
Latin

Start Date:

1939

End Date:

1949

Date Range:

1939-1949

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

Arrangement:

The Information Files form a separate category within the Confidential Office Series. They are arranged by their Information File number, which provides a predominantly chronological file order. Information File numbers begin with the subject number ‘4’, followed by an oblique stroke and the individual file number, for example, 4/1.

A few of the surviving Information Files belonged originally to the main Confidential office Series, in one of the following subject categories: 1A (Administration - Political), 1B (Administration – General) or 2 (Books and Publications). In the case of subject number 1A, this was written on the file cover as ‘1.a’, followed by an oblique stroke and the file number. For example, 1.a/46. In the catalogue record for each renumbered file, its former Confidential Office File number appears in brackets. For example, Information File 4/1 (1.a/46).

The Information Files have no relation to the Confidential Office Files about Bahrain, where the subject number ‘4’ represents the subject category ‘Bahrain State’. For example, Confidential Office File 4/1 is a file about Bahrain public finances.

Administrative Context:

The British Residency and Agencies in the Persian Gulf, including the Bahrain Agency, consulted regularly about negative publicity and anti-British propaganda circulating in the Gulf States in Arabic newspapers and on radio. The Political Agent, Bahrain was required to submit regular intelligence reports and news summaries to his superiors, as well as actively promote British interests by providing public information services to Bahrainis. This was done in cooperation with the Publicity Officer in the Persian Gulf and the Adviser to the Bahrain Government. The Political Agent, Bahrain also received information and guidance circulated by the British Government to its officials throughout the Middle East, relating to British propaganda plans and making public statements about British foreign policy in the region.

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Public Record(s)

Names:

Adviser to the Government of Bahrain, 1926-1957

Subjects:

Intelligence operations
Propaganda
Public information