IOR/R/15/2/12

The file contains correspondence related to the membership and running of the Majlis al-Urfi (or civil court) in Bahrain, and negotiations between the Bahrain ruling family and the British Government, chiefly relating to the question of jurisdiction of foreign nationals in Bahrain. The principal correspondents in the file are the Bahrain Political Agent Major Harold Dickson, the Deputy Political Resident Major Arthur Trevor, the ruler of Bahrain, Shaikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah, and Sheikh Isa’s son, Shaikh ‘Abdullāh.

The file begins with correspondence relating to the Majlis al-Urfi, with reports that a member of the Majlis had resigned (folios 2-3). In a draft letter to Shaikh ‘Īsá, dated 5 June 1919, Dickson made clear that any changes to the membership of the Majlis had to be agreed with the Political Agent (folio 6-8). A further letter from Dickson to Shaikh ‘Īsá, dated January 1920, asked the ruler why the sessions of the Majlis had stopped, in the wake of Shaikh ‘Abdullāh's visit to London (folio 13). In a letter to Sir Arthur Hertzel of the India Office, Shaikh ‘Abdullāh made four demands on behalf of his father Shaikh ‘Īsá: 1) jurisdiction over foreign nationals from neighbouring states in Bahrain; 2) the right to elect members to the Majlis al-Urfi court; 3) permission to open a port at Zubarah on the Qatar peninsula; 4) the privilege of reference to higher authorities. (folio 18).

Much of the remainder of the file is correspondence related to the first of Shaikh ‘Abdullāh's demands, namely, jurisdiction over foreign nationals in Bahrain, and the extent to which this was permissible, given that the British authorities in Bahrain wanted to administer such jurisdiction. A draft letter from Dickson to Ibn Sa‘ūd and Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Thānī of Qatar, dated 14 July 1920, confirmed that their subjects would come under the jurisdiction of His Majesty's Government when in Bahrain (folio 40). Correspondence at the end of the file relates to complaints from Ibn Sa‘ūd over discrimination against Nejdi traders in Bahrain (folio 58), and the running of the Bahrain customs house (folio 55).