Papers concerning the issue of licenses and visas for Persian and Indian lorry drivers operating between Duzdap [Zahedan] in the East Persian province of Sistan, and Nok Kundi in British Baluchistan [in present-day Pakistan]. The licenses were issued by the Governments of Persia [Iran] and India.The correspondence includes: reports of social unrest in the border region between Persia and British Baluchistan from 1934 to 1936; the Persian military’s commandeering of lorries driven by Indians for the purposes of transporting Persian troops and provisions; reports of the ‘ill-treatment’ of some Indian drivers by the Persian military; compensation claims made by the British Government against the Persian Government, on behalf of Indian drivers who were injured or killed while driving through dangerous areas; discussion between the British and Persian Governments about the Anglo-Persian Treaty of 1857, and the entitlement of British subjects in Persia to ‘most-favoured nation treatment’.The file’s principal correspondents include: HM’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Tehran, Reginald Hervey Hoare, Hughe Montgomery Knatchbull-Hugesson; the British Consul at Sistan and Kain [Ka’īn], Clive Kirkpatrick Daly; the Foreign Department of the Government of India; the Governor General and Chief Commissioner in Baluchistan.The file contains several items of correspondence and newspaper cuttings in French, and a single item in Persian.The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.1 file (212 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 213; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Two medical treatises.Contents:(1) Ibn Abī Ṣādiq al-Nīsābūrī (ابن أبي صادق النيسابوري),
Sharḥ Fuṣūl Abuqrāṭ(شرح فصول أبقراط, ff. 2v-177r);(2) Avicenna (ابن سينا),
Kitāb fī-dafʿ al-maḍarr al-kullīyah li-l-abdān al-insānīyah(كتاب في دفع المضار الكلية للأبدان الإنسانية, ff. 178v-208v).Folios 2-9 and 208 are replacements added later.Codex; ff. i+208+iMaterial: Ff. 2-9 are Western laid paper with a 'Tre lune' watermark; ff. 10-207 are Eastern laid paper; f. 208 is Western laid paperDimensions: 244 x 135 mm leaf [170 x 90 mm written, written area different on ff. 2-9 and 208]Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencilRuling: No ruling visible; 17 lines per page; vertical spacing 10 lines per 10 cm (different ruling on ff. 2-9 and 208)Script:
Naskh; the scribe is Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir Qurashī (شيخ عبد القادر قرشي, see f. 177r, lines 6-8)Ink: Black ink, with rubricated headings and overlinings in redDecoration: NoneBinding: Red leather binding without flap, medallion and pendants gold-tooled, borders blind-tooledCondition: Tidemarks worse towards front of volume; ff. 135-208 mutilated and repaired worse towards back of volumeMarginalia: Very few (see f. 122r)Seal: f. 177v
This file consists largely of correspondence concerning stationery supplied to the Political Agency, Bahrain. Items ordered include rubber stamps, notepaper, envelopes, and printed forms. Much of the correspondence relates to the details of orders and the granting of export permits (from the Government of India) for those orders. Correspondents include the following: the Political Agent, Bahrain; the Secretary to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; the Political Officer, Trucial Coast, Sharjah; the Times Printing and Publishing Company Ltd; Thacker and Company, Bombay (booksellers, publishers, stationers and printers); the British Consulate, Khorramshahr; Gale and Polden Limited (printers, publishers and stationers).In addition to correspondence the file includes two folders (requested from Gale and Polden by the Political Agent) of specimens of Christmas cards produced for embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic missions, as well as colonial protectorates. In a letter, dated 2 June 1949 and addressed to the Christmas Card Manager at Gale and Polden (folio 105), the Political Agent requests 200 Christmas cards, similar in style to the card for the British Embassy, Washington DC, which features in one of the specimen folders. The file contains a photograph (and its negative) of the Political Agency, Bahrain. In the aforementioned letter, the Political Agent specifies that this photograph should be included on the Christmas card.1 file (185 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume. Circled serial numbers (red for received correspondence; blue/black for issued correspondence) refer to entries in the notes at the rear of the volume.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 187; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-66; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
The file contains correspondence about local affairs in Trucial Oman. These mainly focus on the hostile relations between the Shaikhs of Trucial Oman, and the involvement of some rulers in the restriction of local activities. The file also contains reports sent between the Bahrain Agency, the Sharjah Residency and the Political Residency in the Persian Gulf when any trouble, meeting or peace agreement took place between the local rulers. The reports focused on demands for reforms raised by locals, notables and merchants. These were asking for various reforms including budget, education, health and sanitation, peace and order, removal of all sorts of corruption in the various departments, and the grant of justice and freedom to the inhabitants in trade and other crafts.The representatives of the British Government in the Gulf raised their concerns to the Shaikhs of Trucial Oman regarding the safety of British subjects, and employees. The file also contains petitions raised by the notables and merchants of Iranian and Indian communities living in Trucial Oman to the British authorities. These were also concerned about their own safety.The main correspondence is between the Residency Agent in Sharjah, the Political Agent in Bahrain, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, the British Agency in Trucial Oman, as well as the various Shaikhs of Trucial Oman including Shaikh Said bin Maktum, Ruler of Dubai and Shaikh Sultan bin Salim, Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah.1 file (261 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 263; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional incomplete foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-238; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
The file contains letters mainly received by the Resident in the Persian Gulf regarding Persia and the Persian coast of the Gulf, from the Secretaries to the Government at Bombay Castle. There are also two documents which become part of the file at a later stage, in 1856; they were both proclamations by the Political Agent with the Field Force and Resident in the Persian Gulf at the time, Felix Jones.The subjects of the file include: the British occupation of Bushire and the Island of Kharg; opium trade (including copies of earlier documents); employment and career progression of native servants; the Battle of Alma.1 file, 6 items (51 folios)Foliation: the foliation is written in pencil, circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.The numbering begins on the first page, on number 1, and runs through to 51, ending on the final page.
The file contains case correspondence, including several witness statements and a few Kuwait Political Agency court proceedings, relating to the investigation and prosecution of several criminal offences. These are mainly cases of assault and theft committed in Kuwait against Indian and Persian foreign residents and reported by the victims to the Political Agent. Both the perpetrators and victims of these crimes include Government of India staff employed at the Kuwait Political Agency and the Kuwait Post Office. The main correspondents are Major James Carmichale More, Political Agent, Kuwait and Shaikh Salim ab-Subah [Āl Ṣabāḥ, Shaikh Sālim bin Mubārak], Emir of Kuwait, whose letter exchanges are in Arabic, together with English translations. Some of the petitions and letters of complaint submitted by the victims to the Political Agent, are written in Arabic and in a very few cases, in Persian.1 file (209 folios)Files papers are arranged more or less chronologically.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 211; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 1-210; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
The file comprises correspondence concerning three cases involving dhows, as follows:correspondence relating to a collision between a Bahrain-registered dhow and an Anglo-Iranian Oil Company tug at Khorramshahr in November 1943. Much of the follow-up correspondence concerns the seizure by the Iranian authorities of passports belonging to two Bahrainis who travelled to Khorramshahr to assist in affairs following the collision, and the Bahrain authorities’ efforts to have the passports returned. Principal correspondents in the case include: the Political Agent at Bahrain (Major Tom Hickinbotham); the British Consul at Khorramshahr; the Adviser to the Bahrain Government (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave) (ff 2-15);correspondence dated 1944 relating to an enquiry made by an Indian company, Kanayalal Deepchand Hinduja, seeking the whereabouts of their vessel, the
Fathel Rahman, missing while travelling from Bombay to Basra, with the Political Agent at Bahrain reporting, after enquiries made with the Customs Director at Bahrain and the Residency Agent at Sharjah, that nothing is known of the vessel (ff 16-21);correspondence dated June 1949 relating to an incident taking place off the coast of Sharjah/Dubai, in which a dhow engine caught fire, resulting in the death of one crew member and the injury of another, the latter taken on board HMS
Flamingofor medical care. The principal correspondent in this case is the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf (Captain P Skelton) (ff 22-27).1 file (28 folios)The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end. The file notes at the end of the file (ff 28-29) mirror the chronological arrangement.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 30; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-20; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Memoranda, statements, forms and other papers relating to military pension payments from the Bahrain Treasury, including to former employees of the State Police in Bahrain. The principal correspondents include: the Political Agent in Bahrain (Captain Charles Geoffrey Prior; Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch); the Controllers (or Deputy Controllers) of Military Pension Accounts (CMPA) in various administrative districts of British India (Southern and Western Command, Mhow; Lahore).Papers in the file include:correspondence relating to arrangements for the recording of depositions by pensions who have stopped receiving their pension payments;CMPA objection statements, detailing the particulars of the CMPA objections over pension payments, audit remarks, replies, and audit decisions. The forms are printed with instructions (ff 23-25, ff 48-50, ff 80-82, ff 115-117);printed payment sheets for ‘Indian Military, Family and Uncovenanted Pensions’ (ff 29-32);circular memoranda from CMPAs, concerning various aspects of pension payments, such as procedure, policy, overpayments, pay increases.The file includes two telegraphic messages written in Persian.1 file (187 folios)The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end. The file notes at the end of the file (ff 187-188) refer to only a small portion of correspondence in the file, dated 1933-1934.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 189; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 3-187; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
The file contains correspondence in the form of petitions and letters. The petitions were raised by locals of different ethnic and religious backgrounds in Bahrain to the Political Agency, Bahrain. The petitions were in the form of claims against members of Al-Khalifa family. In order to avoid dealing with the claims at court, the Political Agent passed the claims directly to the family member concerned so that they could sort out the claims with the petitions outside court.The correspondence in the file is mostly in Arabic. Folios 31-32 are file notes.1 file (31 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 33; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 4-29, and ff 30-32; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
The file contains letters received by Major Samuel Hennell, British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire.The majority of letters are naval patrol reports submitted to the Resident by the following British officers in the Persian Gulf Squadron of the Indian Navy: Captain William Lowe, Commodore Thomas Grere Carless and Lieutenant Alan Hyde Gardner, all reporting from the Honourable Company (HC) sloop of war
Elphinstoneand Commodore John Croft Hawkins, reporting from the HC sloop of war
Clive. There is also a naval patrol report made by Lieutenant James Rennie, commanding the HC schooner
Constance, to Commodore Thomas Grere Carless, commanding the Persian Gulf Squadron.The naval patrol reports describe the state of relations between the Arab Chiefs of the Trucial Coast Sheikhdoms and any violations of the Maritime Truce, based on observation, enquiry, meetings and other communications while on patrol along the Arabian and Persian coasts of the Persian Gulf.The file also contains letters received from Lieutenant Colonel Francis Farrant, British Chargé d’Affaires at the Court of the Shah of Persia, Tehran regarding Persian affairs. This correspondence includes Persian transcripts of two firmans (royal decrees) issued by the Shah of Persia to the Governors of Fars and Persian Arabia respectively, prohibiting any future importation by sea of African slaves into Persia.1 file (51 folios)The letters are arranged more or less chronologically. Most letters are either followed by copies or extracts from earlier letters that were enclosed with them.Foliation: the contents are numbered 2 to 51, from the front to the back of the file. The numbering is written in pencil on the recto, in the top right corner and encircled. The front cover of the file is numbered 1. The inside of the back cover is numbered 52. This is the main numbering system and should be used for referencing this file.As a result of earlier, mainly foliation sequences, the contents are also numbered in the range 2 to 346, with many gaps, from the front to the back of the file. The numbering is written in ink, usually on the recto only, in the top right corner.Condition: imperfections in the margins and along the outer edges of many folios have caused a slight loss of the text of some documents.
The volume contains a collection of biographies of 'noteworthy persons' within the political jurisdiction of the Residency in the Persian Gulf. There is some limited correspondence related to the collection of this information, which includes applications made by Edward Charles Ross, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, to the following:Samuel Barrett Miles, Political Agent and Consul at Muscat.L Gabler, Deputy Director of the Persian Gulf Telegraphs/in Political Charge of the Gwadur [Gwādar] Agency.The Residency Agent, Bahrain.The majority of the biographies have been submitted via standardised forms with entries for the following; name, father, wife, tribe, residence, and children. Each entry has a biographical history for each subject, while some have both an entry in Arabic, and an entry in English (i.e. a translation). At the back of the volume is a single entry in Persian. The returns for Oman — supplied by the Political Agent and Consul at Muscat — do not follow this format, and are instead supplied as manuscript biographical histories.The entries are arranged into sections. The first section is not labelled, but may represent the returns from Gwadur. The remaining biographies fall under the following sections:Unlabelled section.Office Copies - Busrah [Basra].Office Copies - Bahrein [Bahrain].Office Copies - Coast of Fars.Office Copies sent to the Foreign Office.For Office Record.It is noted that the biographical information from the Deputy Director of Persian Gulf Telegraphs (i.e. Gwadur) was compiled by Mr McDonall.1 volume (430 folios)The biographies are arranged by the region they were returned from, while other copies are arranged by their intended destination/use. These sections are ordered as follows:Unlabelled section.Office Copies - Busrah [Basra].Office Copies - Bahrein [Bahrain].Office Copies - Coast of Fars.Office Copies sent to the Foreign Office.For Office Record.The very first section is not labelled, but possibly represents the returns from Gwadur [Gwādar].Correspondence related to the collection of this information is interspersed throughout the file, though it is primarily located at the front and back of the volume.Condition: A large number of folios have suffered from minor pest and water damage. As a result, some of the folios are very fragile, and some of the text has also been obscured, which can result in difficulties interpreting affected text.Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.The volume contains the following foliation corrections; f 69, and f 69A; f 71, and f 71A.
The file contains correspondence and notes regarding the employment of British nationals by the Government of Afghanistan. It predominantly documents the employment of civil aviation instructors from Hawker Aircraft Limited and Rolls Royce Limited to provide training to the Afghan Air Force. This includes the process of recruiting the instructors, negotiating their terms and conditions, drafting their contracts, renewing their contracts, replacement of staff, and issues arising during the course of their employment. A number of draft contracts can be found within – in some cases both English and Persian language versions of the contract are included.The instructors are employed in connection with the purchase of eight Hawker Hind aircraft in 1937, and correspondence relating to this purchase can also be found within the file. There is also some discussion surrounding the question of policy regarding the employment of British nationals in Afghanistan.The majority of the correspondence is between officials of the Foreign Office (Laurence Collier), the India Office (predominantly Horace Algernon Fraser Rumbold and George Edmond Crombie), HM Minister at Kabul (William Kerr Fraser-Tytler), and the British companies concerned. However, contributions from officials of the Air Ministry, the Afghan Legation in London, and officials of the Government of India have also been filed within.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.1 file (596 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 596; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The file has one foliation anomaly, f 464A.
Correspondence, statements and other papers relating to incidents of theft occurring at the Political Agency:in June 1933, the theft of money from drawers in an Agency office (ff 2-9);in March 1934, another incident of money stolen from Agency cash boxes (ff 10-11);in August 1937, an incident of theft from the servants’ quarters at the Agency (ff 12-17). Copies of statements and other papers relating to the case can also be found in ‘File 16/38-II Miscellaneous: Notes and orders’ (IOR/R/15/2/1546);in 1944, the discovery of a broken plate, the pattern of which matched china missing and presumed stolen during transit from the Political Residency (ff 19-23);in November 1947, the theft of money (900 Indian rupees) from a cupboard in an Agency office (ff 24-28).Some of the file’s papers are written in Persian.1 file (29 folios)The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end. The file notes at the end of the file (ff 29-30) mirror the chronological arrangement.Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 31; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-26; these numbers are also written in pencil. Some numbers in the previous foliation sequence are also circled, and have been superseded and therefore crossed out.
The file concerns Persian claims to Bahrain (also spelled Bahrein).The correspondence is mainly between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and the Political Agent, Bahrain. Other correspondents include the British Consular Agent, Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh], and the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave). Enclosures to correspondence from the Political Resident include copies of correspondence from senior officials in the Foreign Office, the Government of India, the Colonial Office and the India Office, and other British officials in the region, including HBM's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Persia, Tehran (Sir Percy Lyham Loraine), the High Commissioner, Baghdad (Major-General Sir Percy Zachariah Cox), and the Consul at Shiraz (Herbert George Chick).The main topics covered in the papers are:reports by the Political Agent and Political Resident;discussion of the issue by the British Government and Government of India;the nature of the claims made by the Persian Government and the question of the British response to those claims;the issuing by the Persian authorities of passports and passes (
Ilm-o-Khabar) for Bahrain as though it were an inland port of Persia;use of British certificates of identity;anti-British agitation in Bahrain and support for a return to Persian rule;the need for the British Passport Office to make it clear to persons wishing to travel to Bahrain that they did not need a visa from the Persian Legation, London (folios 24-26);support for the Persian claim to Bahrain in the Persian press;proposal to give Bahrain the right to return a member to the Persian Madjliss [majlis] (folio 52);the question of British jurisdiction in Bahrain over foreigners;the history of Persian claims to sovereignty over Bahrain, including analysis of records held by the Government of India;attitude of the Bahrain ruling family;the treatment of Bahraini subjects in Persia, and the question of the protection of their interests by the British.The Arabic and Persian language content of the file consists of approximately ten letters, newspaper cuttings and associated items.1 volume (341 folios)The papers are filed in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file, except where enclosures of an earlier date are filed after the relevant covering letter.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 100-111; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence. A third foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 7-116; these numbers are written in blue crayon, are circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
The correspondence book consists of translations and substances of letters, with enclosures, addressed to Captain David Wilson, British Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire, Mirza Hadayat Ullah [Mīrzā Hidāyatullāh] and Captain Samuel Hennell. The dates of the letters are given using the Gregorian calendar, but also the Hijri calendar (for example, folio 44r). Some of the letters include enclosures (for example, folios 3v and 15v). The originals are not present in the volume, but there are two notes in Persian (folios 30 and 42).The letters are sent from British Native Agents in the Persian Gulf and Persia, including:Asso [Asu], Agent at Buhrein [Bahrain] (folios 2r, 4r, 13v, 21v, 25r, 29r, 37v, 42r, 45v, 46v, 53v, 54r, 56v, 57r, 59r, 69r, 72r, 74v, 76r, 77v, 83r, 89r);Goolab [Gulab Anandas], Agent at Muscat (folios 2r, 2v, 13r, 24v, 33r, 42r, 52v, 53r, 56r, 68v, 69v, 70r, 71v, 74r, 75r, 81v, 86v, 88v);Mirza Ally Akbar [Mīrzā ‘Alī Akbār], Agent at Shiraz (folios 4v, 14r, 17r, 17v, 19r, 19v, 23r, 28v, 29v, 34r, 35r, 36r, 41r, 42v, 45r, 51v, 52r, 55r, 57v, 60r, 70r, 76v, 86r, 87r, 87v);Moullah Salh [Ṣāliḥ], Agent at Mogoo [Moguyeh] (folios 5r, 5v, 12r, 24v, 29r, 32r, 33r, 36v, 38v. 40v, 50v, 54r, 57v, 58v, 63r, 76v, 77v);Moullah Houssein [Mullā Ḥusayn], Agent at Sharjah (folios 7r, 10r, 18v, 20v, 25v, 28r, 38r, 38v, 40v, 49v, 50v, 58r, 60v, 61r, 62r, 63r, 66r, 67r, 68v, 70v, 72v, 74r, 78r, 81v, 84r, 88r);Hajee Meer Baker [Ḥājjī Mīr Bakr], Agent at Isfahan (folios 21r, 32r, 32v, 34v, 35v, 54v);Hajee Salih [Ḥājjī Ṣāliḥ], Agent at Lingah (folios 46v, 64r, 69r, 86v, 87r, 88r).And local rulers, officials, notables and rulers on both littorals of the Persian Gulf:Juleel Mirza [Jalīl Mīrzā] (folios 14r, 22v, 42v);H R H the Prince of Fars [Ḥusayn ‘Alī Mīrzā Farmānfarmā] (folios 14r, 22r, 59v, 60v);Mahomed Ally [Muḥammad ‘Alī Khān] Wauzeer [Wazīr] of Fars (folios 15r, 22r, 33v, 58r);Eel [?] Khan (folios 19v, 34r, 60r);Shaik Sooltan bin Suggur [Sulṭān bin Ṣaqr Āl Qāsimī], ruler of Sharjah (folios 22r, 26v, 39r, 40r, 48r, 49r, 55v, 62v, 67v, 82v, 87v);Shaik Tahnoon [Ṭaḥanūn bin Shakhbūṭ Āl Nahyān], ruler of Abu Dhabi (folios 26v, 38r, 48v, 73v, 84r);Shaik Rashed bin Humeed [Rāshid bin Ḥumayd Āl Nu‘aymī], chief of Ejman [Ajman] (folios 27r, 39r, 47v, 63v, 68v);Shaik Abdoolah bin Ahmed [‘Abdullāh bin Aḥmad Āl Khalīfah], chief of Bahrein [Bahrain] (folios 45v, 75v, 87v);Mahomed bin Quzeeb [Muḥammad bin Qaḍīb?], Shaik of Lingah (folio 46r);Shaik Salih bin Suggur [Ṣāliḥ bin Ṣaqr] (folios 49r, 73v, 87v);Jabir [Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh Āl Ṣabāḥ], Shaikh of Grain [al-Qurayn?], Kuwait (folios 51, 64v);Shaik Abdool Russool [‘Abd al-Rasūl Khān], Shaikh of Bushire (folios 65r, 65v, 79r, 80r);His Royal Highness the Imaum [Imam of Muscat, Sa‘īd bin Sulṭān Āl Bū Sa‘īd] (folios 69v, 77r);Abdoulla bin Rashid [‘Abdullāh bin Rāshid Āl Mu‘allā], Shaik of Umulgavine [Umm al-Qaywayn] (folio 72v).Topics and themes of the correspondence include: British relations with Persia, the Imam of Muscat and rulers on the Arab littoral of the Persian Gulf; relations and conflicts between local rulers; the arrival and departure of ships; trade and piracy; maintaining the Maritime Peace; petitions and claims; slavery; and issues concerning the work of the native agents and instructions sent to them by the Residency.1 volume (96 folios)The correspondence is arranged in approximate chronological order.Foliation: The main foliation sequence commences at the title page and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A second foliation sequence runs between ff 2-11; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio. A third (original) foliation sequence appears uncircled at the top folio 9v, starting at number 24 and continuing on the recto and verso of each folio to number 189 on folio 89v.Physical Conditon: Insect damage, water damage and tears causing missing text on folios 2-58 and 83-89.
The volume comprises three distinct manuscripts (ff. 1v-63r, 63v-67r and 68r-135r).Contents:(1) Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī (نصير الدين الطوسي),
Taḥrīr al-Majisṭī(تحرير المجسطي ; ff. 1v-63r);(2) Menelaus of Alexandria (مانالاوس),
Fī ashkāl al-kurīyah(في أشكال الكرية; ff. 63v-67r);(3) Ulugh Beg (ألغ بيك),
Zīj-i Ulugh Beg(زيج ألغبيك; ff. 68r-135r).Codex; ff. v+135+4Material: PaperDimensions: 235 x 160 mm leaf [180 x 115 mm written ff. 1v-63r; entire writing surface used ff. 63v-67v; 180 x 132 mm written ff. 68v-135v]Foliation: British Library foliation in pencil; previous foliation in Arabic-Indic numerals, black ink, visible on some foliosRuling:
Misṭarah; 32 lines per page ff. 1v-63r, approximately 60 lines per page ff. 63v-67v, 33 lines per page ff. 68v-135v; vertical spacing 18 lines per 10 cm ff. 1v-63r, 27 lines per 10 cm ff. 63v-67v, 16 lines per 10 cm ff. 68v-135vScript:
Naskh; the scribe of Item 1 (ff. 1v-63r) is Ḥamzah ibn ‘Alī ibn Ḥamzah al-Qazwīnī al-Bayhaqī, known as Sa‘d al-Khurāsānī (حمزة بن على بن حمزة القزويني البيهقي المشهور بسعد الخراساني; see colophon on f. 62r)Ink: Black ink, with rubricated headings and overlinings, diagrams and table borders in redBinding: India Office binding with guardsCondition: Badly worm eaten; all folios removed from quires, protected with silk and mounted on guards; one folios is missing after folio 32Marginalia: Numerous and mostly in hand of scribeSeals: Ff. 1r, 68r, 105r, 106r and 135v
This file includes correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and the Political Agent at Muscat. There are also correspondence with Walter Beaupré Townley, Minister to Persia; Muhammad Amin Beg [Muḥammad Amīn Beg], the Turk; the Commissioner of Sind, Karachi; Edward Gelson Gregson, Superintendent of Police, Karachi.The file consists of three sections of correspondence:Folios 3-37 concern Persian representation at Muscat raised by the Governor of Bushire following a report of an attack on a Persian shopkeeper at Muscat in
Habl ul Matin [Ḥabl al-Matin] in 1914-1915;Folios 39-56 concern issues to do with the uprising and the Treaty of Seeb [Sīb], 1920, and includes a 'Brief survey of causes and history of the rebellion of the Oman tribes under the leadership of their elected Imam Sheikh Salim bin Rashid-al-Kharusi [Salīm bin Rāshid al-Kharūṣī] till 1915'Folios 58-115 concern Ottoman Turkish subjects, among them Muhammad Amin Beg, in Muscat and their possible influence on the Sayyid Taymūr bin Fayṣal Āl Bū Sa‘īd, the Sultan of Muscat, and includes 'List of Turks who are new, or were until recently, resident in Mascat (f 75-76) and extracts from Karachi intelligence Diary' 19 and 20 September 1914.1 file (119 folios)Foliation: The main foliation sequence commences at the first folio and terminates at the final folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Three other incomplete foliation sequences run alongside the main sequence between ff. 1-37, ff 39-56 and ff 58-117; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled and can be found in the same position as the main sequence. Fold out folios: 74-75, 87-88.
This file contains reports and correspondence relating to the mining of iron ore on the island of Abu Musa and Hassan Samayeh's involvements with the Germans. The correspondents include the Political Resident Persian Gulf (Major Percy Cox), Residency Agent Sharjah; Lieutenant-Commander W. Hose, H.M.S.
Redbreast, Bushire; H. Listermann, Consul for the Imperial German Government; Sheikh Sagar bin Khalid, Chief of Sharjah; Foreign Office, Government of India.Topics include:The erection of the Qawasim flag on Abu Musa.Views of the Foreign Office on Abu Musa.German Consul talks with Shaikh of Sharjah about the Wonckhaus company.Informing the German Consul that the Trucial chiefs are under British protection.Provision of guards for Abu Musa.Complaint of Nejef bin Ali against Hassan bin Samaiyeh.Persian claim to the islandThe Trucial chiefs were warned not to grant concessions without consulting the Resident.Wonckhaus agent prevented from landing at Abu Musa and to be allowed to remove all oxide already accumulated.There are many letters in Arabic including letters in Arabic from the German Consul to the Sheikh of Sharjah with translations. Also a hand written letter in English from the German Consul in Bushire to the Political Resident; and a Persian newspaper,
Nedai-e-Watan.1 volume (255 folios)The papers are arranged chronologically from the front to the rear of the file.There are two foliation sequences. The first foliation sequence which should be used for referencing, begins on the first folio of writing, on number 1. After number 3 there is a blank folio, which is not numbered. The sequence then resumes on the next folio, on number 4 and runs through to number 255, which is the last folio of writing. This sequence is written in pencil, in the top right corner of each folio.The second foliation sequence begins on the third folio of writing and runs from number 1 through to number 248A, ending on the last folio of writing. The second sequence is written in blue crayon, in the top right corner of each folio.
This file consists of letters written and received by James Felix Jones, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire. Aside from Jones, the two most prominent correspondents are Henry Lacon Anderson, Secretary to the Government of Bombay, and Commodore Griffith Jenkins, Commander of the Indian Naval Squadron in the Persian Gulf. Other correspondents include: Henry Young, Chief Secretary to the Government of Bombay; Cecil Beadon, Secretary to the Government of India, Fort William; and George Frederick Edmonstone, Secretary to the Government of India, Allahabad.The two main subjects of this file are the condition of the naval station at Bassidore [Bāsaʻīdū] and Britain's assumption of the sovereignty of India. The letters received from Griffith Jenkins are primarily concerned with the status of the naval station at Bassidore. In one of his letters to Jones (ff 5-8), dated 18 March 1858, Griffith Jenkins remarks on the total inefficiency of the naval establishment at Bassidore and solicits Jones's aid in presenting this issue to the Government so that arrangements can be made for its repair. The file includes a letter to Griffith Jenkins from a committee which has been appointed to report on the condition of the public buildings at Bassidore. This letter (ff 28-33), dated 18 March 1859, submits the committee's report on the condition of the port, the water tanks, the storehouses, the houses for liberated slaves, the smithy, the hospital and the sepoys' quarters at Bassidore.In his letters to Henry Lacon Anderson, Jones discusses the distribution of the ships of the Indian Naval Squadron and expresses his opinion on whether it is advisable for British subjects to engage in pearl fishing in the Persian Gulf.Jones's correspondence with Henry Young concerns the dissemination throughout the Gulf of copies of Her Majesty's proclamation on Britain's assumption of the sovereignty of India. Included with the received letters from India are printed extracts from the Government of India Act (1858) (ff 54-62), as well as translations of the aforementioned proclamation in Persian (handwritten, ff 43-46), Arabic (printed, f 48) and English (printed, ff 63-64).Further items on this subject include letters, both in Arabic (it is not clear whether the letters in Arabic are originals or transcriptions) and in English, from the Imam of Muscat, Sayyid Thuwaynī bin Sa‘id Āl Bū Sa‘īd, to Felix Jones (see ff 74-77 and f 80), in which Jones is informed that Her Majesty's assumption of the sovereignty of India was marked with the decoration and illumination of Muscat for three successive nights. In addition, there is a copy of a letter to the Resident which is written in Persian (ff 78v-79, name of correspondent unclear). These items are followed by translated purports of letters from the British Agents at Muscat and Sharjah (Khojeh Hiskale and Hajee Yacoob – see f 81 and ff 84-85 respectively), which convey the acknowledgements of the Imam of Muscat and other local rulers.1 volume (94 folios)For the most part, the letters in this file have been arranged in chronological order, proceeding from 25 February 1858 to 24 December 1859.Foliation: This file has a foliation sequence, which is written in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. It begins on the first folio of writing, on number 1, and ends on the final folio before the back cover, on number 96. This is the sequence that has been used to reference items within the file.
The majority of correspondence in the file consists of miscellaneous letters and instructions, with enclosures, in Arabic and English, between 9 February 1884 to 24 February 1914, from the Political Residency in the Persian Gulf at Bushire and ‘Abd al-Qāsim, Khān Bahādur ‘Abd al-Laṭīf bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān and ‘Īsá bin ‘Abd al-Laṭīf, Residency Agents on the Trucial Coast at Sharjah. There are also letters from Messrs A & T J Malcolm & Company (f. 9) and the Residency Agent at Lingah (f. 49). Enclosures typically include copies and originals of letters to and from various Persian Gulf rulers (for example, ff. 69, 70-77) and from British native agents at Bahrain and Lingah (for example, f. 151). Also included within the file are copies of responses from the Residency Agent to the Political Residency (for example, f. 67) and list of claims of various residents of Abu Dhabi (ff. 78-87).The Arabic and Persian text of the letters is handwritten and appears on the left hand of the folio, while the English text occasionally appears typed (for example, ff. 191-192). Some letters have strips of paper attached to them indicating the subject of the letter (for example, ff. 141-144), while on the recto side of some folios the subject of the letter is written in Arabic in pencil or pen (for example, f. 26v). The letters are numbered according to the year, for example, ‘No 389 of 1886’ (f. 107), although some letters appear unnumbered (for example, f. 171).The correspondence within the file deals generally with commercial and consular matters and the relations of the rulers of the Trucial Coast shaikhdoms with one another and the British. Subjects covered within the file include: the islands of Dalmā, Sīrī, Sir Bu Neir [Ṣīr Bū Nu‘ayr] and Abū Mūsá and red oxide mines; the status and claims of British Indian subjects (
banyans) in the Persian Gulf; pearl diving matters and cases of absconding divers; relations between Aḥmad bin ‘Abdullāh Āl Mu‘allā, the ruler of Umm al-Qaywayn, and his son Muḥammad; the transport of armed men and munitions by sea, and the preservation of maritime peace; relations between Shaikh Zāyid bin Kahlīfah Āl Nahyān of Abu Dhabi and Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī of Qatar; attack on an al-Wakrah boat and correspondence from ‘Alī bin Rāshid, the shaikh of al-Wakrah; various slavery cases, including one related to the shaikhs of Abu Dhabi and Qatar; relations between Shaikh Zāyid and al-Qubaysāt, al-Manāṣīr and Banī Hājir tribes; relations between Oman and Persia vis-à-vis the Trucial Coast; and a breach of the maritime peace by the people of al-Ḥamrīyah against ports on the Persian littoral of the Gulf.1 file (241 folios)Foliation: The foliation numbers are circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. They begin on the front cover, on number 1, and end on the inside of the back cover, on number 241. Foliation errors: f. 78 is followed by f. 78A; no f. 211.
The file contains papers of the Political Agency, Muscat, concerning the transliteration of personal and place names in India and the Persian Gulf. The papers were compiled in response to requests from the Government of India for standardisation in the translation of vernacular names.The papers include: correspondence from the Under Secretary and the Secretary to the Government of India, drawing attention to the need for consistency in the spelling and arrangement of native Indian names in official lists, 1903-06; correspondence between the British Residency and Consulate-General, Bushire, and the Political Agent, Muscat, dated 1910-11, containing lists of transliterated names of persons, places, and tribes in Muscat, in accordance with a slightly modified Hunterian system of spelling and the system employed in Volume II of the
Persian Gulf Gazetteer; papers concerning an extract from 'A System for the Spelling of Names of Places etc. in Persia, Afghanistan, and Arabia', 1924; copies of the
First List of Names in Persia (South)and the
Second List of Names in Persia (North), by the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use, with associated correspondence, 1928-29; correspondence concerning circulars issued by the Protocol Department of the Persian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, communicating
changes to the names of certain towns in Persia [Iran], 1930-32; and correspondence concerning the new official names of the Kingdom and Ruler of Saudi Arabia, 1932.There is no correspondence in the file dated 1917-23.The other languages and scripts noted as being present in the file appear in lists of transliterated names.1 file (81 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 83; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-82; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.A previous foliation sequence between ff 37-82, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
The volume contains correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Percy Gordon Loch), the Political Agent at Bahrain (Percy Gordon Loch), the India Office (Maurice Clausen, John Charles Walton) and Edward Henry Ommaney Elkington, General Manager of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (also referred to by their former name Anglo-Persian Oil Company) about options and concessions to explore for oil on the Trucial Coast.The volume discusses negotiations being undertaken by Hajji 'Abdullah Williamson on behalf of the D'Arcy Exploration Group (part of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company) with Shaikh Sultan ibn Salim [Sulṭān bin Sālim Āl Qasimī], Ruler of Ras al Khaimah [Ra's al Khaymah], Shaikh Sultan bin Saqr [Sulṭān bin Saqr Āl Qasimī], Ruler of Sharjah and Shaikh Said bin Maktum [Saʻīd bin Maktūm Āl Maktūm], Ruler of Dibai [Dubai] which resulted in the group securing two year options to explore for oil in those territories. Also discussed is the possibility of pursuing options to explore for oil in Ajman and Umm al Qaiwaim [Umm al-Qaywayn], and negotiations for a two year option in Abu Dhabi which is unsuccessful.Other matters discussed in the volume include:major Frank Holmes interest in exploring for oil on the Trucial coast, including his correspondence with the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi and his involvement in a new British oil exploration company which does not come to fruition;a trip taken by the Shaikh Shaqbut bin Sultan bin Said (Shakhbūt bin Sulṭān bin Zāyid Āl Nahyān), Ruler of Abu Dhabi to Basrah [Basra] and Baghdad to seek medical advice, and rumours that he may also be discussing oil exploration whilst there;discussions held in the India Office regarding the British Government's future policy with regards to the Persian Gulf and the development of oil there; along with measures to be taken to safeguard British interests in the Gulf and minimise the additional workload that oil concession negotiations might add to the Political Residency;the formation of Petroleum Concessions Limited, a part of the Iraq Petroleum Company to manage non Iraqi concessions and pursue new ones. The intention was for the new company to manage the Qatar concession and to follow through exploration and negotiations for those areas that the D'Arcy exploration group had obtained options for as well as to look at possible concessions in the Kuwait neutral zone, the unallotted area of Bahrain, and the remaining areas of the Trucial Coast;possible interest by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in exploring Kalbah [Kalbā] and the island of Tunb [Greater Tumb] for oil and minerals.Other correspondents in the volume include the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf (Captain Vernon Saumarez Butler); and the British Vice-Consul at Mohammerah (also given as Khoramshahr) (Frederick Charles Leslie Chauncy) who relays correspondence and information relating to Persia, Iraq and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.The correspondence from the various Trucial Coast Shaikhs is in Arabic, with translations in English, and the letter-head for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company is in Persian and English.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 254-268.1 volume (271 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume. There is a table of contents on folio 4 which lists subjects discussed in the volume and the page references for them.Foliation: The main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-272; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Treatise on the hydraulic and pneumatic machinery of water-clocks with thirteen diagrams, attributed to Archimedes (Ἀρχιμήδης; أرشميدس; fl. 3rd century BC). The title is given wrongly as كتاب أرشميدش في عمل السكامات (
Kitāb Arshimīdash fī ‘amal al-sakāmāt; f. 2v, line 1); the final word should read البنكامات (
al-binkāmāt, 'water-clocks'). The treatise is a compilation material from Greek, Byzantine, Persian and Arabic sources, and some sections may in fact be derived from Archimedes.Begins (f. 2v, lines 3-6):إذا أردت ذلك فاعمد إلى نحاس فاتخذ منه خزانةللماء (!) يكون ارتفاعها ثلثة أشبار في شبرين وليكنمدورة مستويه مهتدمة جيدة اللحام وليكن لهاقوائم ...Ends (f. 21r, lines 7-11):... فنركب القمع في طرف الأنبوب من خارج ونصبالماء حتى يبلغ المقدار الذي يراد منها الذي وصفناه فيماتقدم من عملها إن شاء الله وقد يستخرج من هذه الآلة آلاتكبيرة فافهم ما وصفناه ولا قوة إلا بالله ثم ما أردنا منذلك وبالله التوفيق ...The text is accomapied by thirteen diagrams with captions in Persian.Diagrams:Top section of water-clock, showing a man's head whose eyes change colour on the hour a bird's head that drops balls onto a cymbal, and the mechanisms that drive these devices (f. 2r);Pipes, float and float chamber (f. 5r);Pipe out of which water enters the sump (f. 5v);Semi-circular plate indicating the twelve signs of the zodiac, and pipe with division marker and tap (f. 6v);A device found in a previous diagram (f. 8v);Drum container, water container, and water-sump container of a water-clock (f. 9r)Top section of a water-clock, showing a woman's head flanked by columns marked to indicated the 24 hours of the day (f. 11r);Automata of an executioner and fettered prisioners (f. 12v);Automaton of an executioner on horseback (f. 14v);Statues of men that rise and fall on rods to indicate the hours of the day inscribed on columns, and the mechanism that drives them (f. 16r);Mechanical snakes that emerge from holes at the foot of a mountain on the hour and the mechanism that drives them (f. 17r);A tree containing birds which emit cries on the hour when the snakes on folio 17r emerge from their holes, and the mechanism that drives them (f. 19r);Flautist automaton (f. 20v).Ff. 2r-21r