IOR/R/15/2/1

The correspondence in the file concerns repeated requests from the Āl Bu Sumait tribe of Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh], communicated via Shaikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah, the chief of Bahrain, to emigrate to Bassidore on the island of Qeshm, then under British jurisdiction. The first request was made in 1901, and discussed between the Political Resident Colonel Charles Kemball, and the Political Assistant at Bahrain, John Calcott Gaskin. In 1906 a further request was made, and again discussed between the Resident and Bahrain Political Agent (now Major Percy Cox and Major Francis Prideaux respectively). A third request was made by Shaikh Muḥammad bin Ahmad Āl Bu Sumait via Shaikh ‘Īsá in 1917, when Major Arthor Trevor was Resident and Captain Percy Loch was the Political Agent.

The Āl Bu Sumait tribe wanted to move away from Bandar-e Lengeh because of the discrimination they faced at the hands of the Persian authorities there. Bassidore was most desirous to them because they wished to become British subjects, and hence be protected from Persian persecution. Representation was made via Shaikh ‘Īsá of Bahrain because the Āl Bu Sumait tribe were historic allies of the Āl Khalīfah. However, successive Political Residents rejected the their requests to move to Bassidore. In his letter to Loch of 8 June 1917, Trevor stated that “the Bu Sumait have been settled in Persia for generations and are to all intents and purposes Persian subjects although of Arab extraction.” (folio 20). A potted history of the migrations and movements of the Āl Bu Sumait tribe was written by Gaskin in 1901 (folios 3-5).