IOR/R/15/2/168

The file concerns the presence in Bahrain of members of the Khaksar Movement, an Islamic movement originating in India, which had a distinctive ideology, and whose members wore uniform, and were distinguished by the emblem of a spade.

The main correspondents are the Political Agent, Bahrain (Hugh Weightman); the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; and the Government of India, particularly the Intelligence Bureau (Home Department).

The papers cover: a handwritten paper entitled 'The Khaksar Movement in Bahrain', giving a full account of the movement and the strength of its presence in Bahrain, April 1939 (folios 2-8), accompanied by an article about the movement from the Illustrated Weekly of India entitled 'An Army of Spades', dated 26 March 1939, including information on the movement's founder, Alama Inayatullah Mashraki [Allama Mashriqi] (folios 9-13); correspondence between British officials in the Gulf, the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave), and the Intelligence Bureau (Home Department) of the Government of India, exchanging intelligence about the extent of the movement in Bahrain, the identities of individual members, and the distribution of the movement's newspaper Al Islah, April 1939 - February 1940 (folios 14-26); correspondence about the presence of members of the Khaskar Movement at Al Khobar [Al Khubar] in Saudi Arabia, February-March 1940 (folios 27-30); following the declaration by the Government of India that the movement was unlawful, further correspondence about the identities and employment status of individual members of the movement in Bahrain, March - July 1940 (folios 31-37); and a printed pamphlet entitled 'Note on the Khaksar Movement.', 1939, giving information on the movement during the period 1933-39 (folios 41-51).

It is stated in the papers that the movement was treated with derision by the Arab population (folios 24, 29).

The date range gives the covering dates of the correspondence in the file (26 March 1939 - 28 July 1940); the printed pamphlet at the back of the file entitled 'Note on the Khaksar Movement.' contains information in three sections dated 1933-39; the last dated addition to the file is an entry in the notes dated 30 July 1940