The volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, and notes, relating to the status of Kuwait and the negotiations between Britain and Turkey which led to a treaty in 1913.The discussion in the volume relates to the:the proposed settlement of Kuwait question with Turkish Government;the draft Anglo-Turkish Convention;the report of Shaikh Mubarak's control over tribes, and on frontiers of Kuwait;negotiations on the draft Convention.Included in the volume is a copy of the Anglo-Turkish Agreement and the collection of documents signed on 29 July,1912.The principal correspondents in the volume include the following: the Viceroy; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Percy Zachariah Cox; the Assistant Resident, Percy Gordon Loch; the Ambassador to Constantinople, Sir Gerard Lowther.1 volume (221 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to 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 223; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Additional foliation sequences are present in parallel between ff 4-222; these numbers are also written in pencil, but, where circled, are crossed through.
The memorandum consists of printed papers on the subject of whether persons of Persian origin born in India are entitled to protection as British subjects. The question arose from the fact that Persia did not recognise British nationality in persons of Persian descent. In particular, it references the case of Agha Mehdee; a person of Persian descent who has enjoyed British subject status for a number of years. His status as a British subject is accepted by the Government of Persia, but they do not consider this to be a precedent to be conferred on others. The attitudes of France and Russia towards their subjects are considered in order to inform the British position on the matter. The papers included are outlined below.A letter (No. 1, folios 96-100) from William Taylor Thomson, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia, to Edward Henry Stanley, Earl of Derby, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, dated Tehran 15 February 1876, with the following enclosures:1. Translation of a memorandum from Minister for Foreign Affairs, dated 19 January 1876 respecting the position of Agha Mehdee;2. Memorandum No. 920 of 1868 respecting Nazir Mohammed Mehedee, signed W Whinvail, Acting Chief Secretary to the Government of Bombay, dated Bombay Castle 16 May 1868;3. Memorandum No. 2740 of 1870 respecting Nazir Aga Ahmed bin Aga Ali, signed Herbert Henry Jacomb, Under Secretary to the Government of Bombay, dated Bombay Castle 11 November 1870;4. Letter from Colonel Lewis Pelly, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, to E [Charles] Gonne, Secretary to the Political Department, Government of Bombay, dated Bushire 27 January 1872;5. Government Resolution No. 1905 regarding the position of persons of Persian parentage born in British territory, dated Bombay Castle, 27 March 1872;6. Opinion of J W [James Sewell] White, Advocate-General, Bombay, regarding the position of persons of Persian parentage born in British territory. It is dated Bombay Castle 5 March 1872;7. Telegram from Colonel Lewis Pelly, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, to E [Charles] Gonne, Secretary to the Political Department, Government of Bombay, dated Bushire 27 May 1872;8. Telegram from E [Charles] Gonne, Secretary to the Political Department, Government of Bombay, to Colonel Lewis Pelly, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, dated Bombay 7 June 1872;9. Telegram from Colonel Lewis Pelly, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, to E [Charles] Gonne, Secretary to the Political Department, Government of Bombay, dated Bushire 7 June 1872;10. Letter from Colonel Lewis Pelly, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, to E [Charles] Gonne, Secretary to the Political Department, Government of Bombay, dated Bushire 26 June 1872;11. Government Resolution No. 5446 regarding the position of persons of Persian parentage born in British territory, dated Bombay Castle 14 December 1872;12. Opinion of C J Mayhew, Acting Advocate-General, Bombay (No. 34), regarding the position of persons of Persian parentage born in British territory, dated Bombay 2 September 1872;13. Letter from Charles Umpherston Aitchison, Secretary to the Government of India, to Colonel Ross, dated Fort William 5 September 1874;14. Letter from G C Paul, Assistant Advocate-General, Bengal, to Charles Umpherston Aitchison, Secretary to the Government of India, dated Fort William 21 August 1874;15. Telegram from the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Governor of Bushire, dated 22 Zuhejjeh 1292 (20 January 1876);16. Letter from William Taylor Thomson, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia, to B Schimanovsky, Russian Chargé d'Affaires, dated Tehran 25 January 1876 (enclosure in French);17. Letter from B Schimanovsky, Russian Chargé d'Affaires, to William Taylor Thomson, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia, dated 31 January 1876 (enclosure in French);18. Memorandum of a conversation between Mr Larcom and B Schimanovsky, Russian Chargé d'Affaires, respecting the laws regulating Nationality in Russia, dated Tehran 10 February 1876;19. Letter from William Taylor Thomson, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia, to R de Balloy, French Chargé d'Affaires, dated Tehran 10 February 1876 (enclosure in French);20. Letter from R de Balloy, French Chargé d'Affaires, to William Taylor Thomson, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia, dated Tehran 11 February 1876 (enclosure in French);21. Extract from "Les Codes Français" (enclosure in French);22. Extract from a law modified 7 February 1851 concerning persons born in France to foreign parents (enclosure in French).A memorandum (No. 2, folios 100-101) as to the protection to be granted to persons of Persian origin born in India, signed by A Walmisley, dated Foreign Office 20 April 1876. It considers a couple of cases; the case of 'Bagio', a Jew born to Ottoman parents; and 'Schlizzi', a man born in Ottoman territory, but who had resided for a time in England.1 file (6 folios)Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 96, and terminates at f 101, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
The volume comprises telegrams, correspondence, notes, reports, and memoranda regarding the question of the settlement of the French flag dispute between the British and French governments following the award of the arbitration tribunal at The Hague on the question of the grant of the French flag to Muscat dhows.The principal subject of discussion is the negotiations which took place at Muscat between the British and French Consuls to finalise and agree a list of dhow-owners who would continue to be permitted to carry French papers and fly the French flag under the arbitration award.Also discussed in the volume is an attempt by the French Government to claim that Omanis in the service of French subjects should also be permitted to fly the French flag and the British Government’s dispute of this claim.The volume concludes with the issuing of a proclamation by the Sultan of Muscat (Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd) regarding the settlement of the French flag question.The principal correspondents in the volume are the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir Edward Grey); the Political Agent and Consul at Muscat (William George Grey, and William Henry Irvine Shakespear); the Viceroy of India (Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto); the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Percy Zachariah Cox); the French Ambassador to the United Kingdom (Paul Cambon); the French Consul at Muscat (Lucien-Ernest-Roger Laronce); and representatives of the Foreign Office and the India Office.The volume is part 2 of 3. Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, year the subject file was opened, subject heading, and list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.1 volume (336 folios)The subject 733 (Muscat Arbitration) consists of 3 volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/25-27. The volumes are divided into 6 parts with parts 1 and 2 comprising one volume each, and parts 3, 4, 5, and 6 comprising the third volume.Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 334; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
The volume comprises four parts discussing affairs in Muscat which are indirectly related to the Muscat Arbitration discussed in parts 1 and 2:part 3 discusses a possible revision of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain and Muscat, originally signed in 1892;part 4 considers the status of Muscat citizens living overseas and whether they were entitled to British diplomatic assistance;part 5 discusses a dispensary opened in Mutra [Maṭraḥ] by the American Mission hospital, against the wishes of the Sultan of Muscat (Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd);part 6 relates to the proposal to construct a new hospital in Muscat and initial financial donations towards the scheme.The volume comprises parts 3, 4, 5, and 6. Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, year the subject file was opened, subject heading, and list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.1 volume, 4 items (352 folios)The subject 733 (Muscat) consists of 3 volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/25-27. The volumes are divided into 6 parts with parts 1 and 2 comprising one volume each, and parts 3,4,5 and 6 comprising the third volume.Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 350; 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 contains correspondence related to the negotiation of new or continuing civil air agreements between British Government representatives and the Sheikhs of Bahrain, Qatar and the Trucial States. The main correspondents in the file are the Political Agent in Bahrain (Major Arnold Crawshaw Galloway until July 1946, thereafter Hugh Rance), and the Political Resident of the Persian Gulf (Sir Geoffrey Prior until November 1945, Sir Rupert Hay thereafter).The file begins with correspondence related to negotiations for the continuance of the Civil Air Agreement already in place between the British Government/British Overseas Air Corporation (BOAC) and the Government of Bahrain (see 'File 13/1 I Aerodrome at Bahrain' IOR/R/15/2/505 for the original agreement). Notes from a meeting that took place at the India Office in London on 9 October 1945, outline the British Government's reasons for wishing to extend the Agreement by seven years (folio 9).Subsequent correspondence in the file relates to a number of new air routes proposed between Europe and India/Asia, which would entail increasing numbers of international aircraft passing over or refuelling on the Arab Gulf coast. These airlines included Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA), Air France, Morton Air Services Limited, and Dalmia Jain Airways. The Chicago Convention, an international code intended to coordinate and regulate international air travel, had been signed on 7 December 1944. Amongst its provisions was the need to accord equal rights to all aircraft flying over foreign territories. In response to the convention, the British Government had to seek the Arab coast sheikhs' agreement to conform to the Chicago code, in order to permit airlines such as TWA and Air France the right to fly over or land in the dominions. Copies of the letters sent by Galloway to the various sheikhs are included in the file (folios 41-48), along with the sheikhs' replies (folios 61-66, 70-71, 73-80). The file also includes a printed copy of an agreement between the British and French Governments relating to air transport between British and French territories, issued on 28 February 1946 (folios 129-140), and reports of TWA's plans to fly to Bombay via Saudi Arabia (folio 184).1 file (212 folios)The contents of the file have been arranged in approximate chronological order, running from the earliest items at the front of the file to the latest at the end.There is a set of office notes at the end of the file (folios 199-213) which mirrors the chronological arrangement. The office notes comprise a numbered list of items contained in the volume. Each item is written in red or blue/black ink, dependent on whether it refers to an incoming (red) or outgoing (blue/black) piece of correspondence. The list references items in the file, marked either with corresponding red or blue numbers.Foliation: The main foliation system starts on the front cover of the file, and runs to the inside back cover. It uses circled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto. There is a second foliation system which uses uncircled numbers, also in the top-right corner of each folio. This foliation system runs through most of the volume, merging occasionally with the main foliation system. Some items in the file are marked with circled red or blue crayon numbers, which constitute part of the original filing arrangement. Blue numbers are used for outgoing correspondence, red numbers for incoming correspondence.Folio 66 is a fold-out.
The volume contains correspondence relating to the traffic of private aircraft through the Persian Gulf region. The correspondents include:Political Agent at Bahrain;Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire;British Consulate at Mohammerah [Khorramshahr];Government of India, Political and Foreign Departments;British Embassy at Baghdad;Air Officer Commanding, Hinaidi, Iraq;Foreign Office;Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf;Sir Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain;Political Agent, Muscat.Also included as enclosures are letters from Shaikh Hamad bin Isa al Khalifah [Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah], the British Embassy at Alexandria, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo, and the French Embassy in London.The papers cover the British effort to get a general ban on private aircraft flying over or landing in Bahrain and Muscat. Also included are the papers relating to permission for specific flights, including those of the following people:Maurice Wilson (British), travelling to India and then Mount Everest;R N Chawla (Indian), travelling around the world;Lord Sempill (British), travelling to Baghdad;Hassan Anis Pasha (Egyptian), travelling around the Arabian Peninsula;Amelia Earhart (American), travelling from Karachi to Aden;M and Mme Genin (French), travelling to Saigon;André Gueit and Jean Laurent (French), travelling to Saigon.Folios 134-41 are internal office notes.1 volume (142 folios)The volume is arranged in chronological order.Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 144; 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 5-133 and between ff 134-141; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
This volume concerns the political situation in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, following the death of the Sultan of Muscat and Oman [Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd], on 5 October 1913, and the accession of his son, Saiyid Taimur bin Faisal [Taymūr bin Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd]. The main topic of discussion is Saiyid Taimur bin Faisal's request that the British Government officially recognise him as Sultan.The volume's principal correspondents are the following: Major Stuart George Knox, Political Agent and Consul, Muscat; Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Zachariah Cox, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; Saiyid Taimur bin Faisal, Sultan of Muscat and Oman.The Arabic language material mainly consists of correspondence received by the Political Agent from Saiyid Taimur bin Faisal. The French language material consists of correspondence between the Political Agent and the French Consul at Muscat.1 volume (39 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 41; 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.
This volume contains correspondence and contractual agreements signed between 1924 and 1926 on oil exploration and export rights in Kuwait, and to a lesser extent, other Gulf territories. The correspondence is primarily between the Anglo-Persian Oil Company based in Abadan, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, the Political Agent in Kuwait, the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited, and the Ruler of Kuwait. The file contains one foldout map of Kuwait's territory drawn for oil exploration at folio 157. The file contains Arabic documents that are primarily letters to the Ruler of Kuwait from the Political Agent in Kuwait, as well as a multi-language pamphlet outlining the history of the Anglo Persian Oil Company in French, Persian, and English.1 Volume (379 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 381; 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.
These two volumes (parts 1 and 2) contain the Kuwait trade reports for each financial year from 1923-1924 up to and including 1927-1928.As documented in the volumes, advanced copies of the reports are submitted by the Political Agent, Kuwait (Major James Carmichael More), to the Persian Gulf Political Residency, Bushire, for comments, before being submitted to the Residency again, as well as to the following recipients: the Foreign Office, London; the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department, Delhi; the Chief Collector of Customs, Karachi (until the end of 1924 only).Each report gives an overview of trade for that year, including summaries of the total imports and exports (in sterling), which include brief explanations for any marked increase or decrease in the imports or exports of particular goods. Also included in the reports are brief summaries of the following in relation to Kuwait: geographical extent and size of population; currency; weights and measures; custom administration; freight, shipping and navigation; rainfall; public health; currency exchange.Each report also includes in its tables of statistics the corresponding data (i.e. quantities and values of goods) for the two preceding financial years, as well as the countries from/to which the principal articles were imported/exported.In addition to the reports the volumes contain the following:correspondence between the Political Agent and the Secretary to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, regarding discrepancies and clerical errors in the trade statistics;correspondence between the Political Agent and the Ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Ahmad al-Jabir as Subah [Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ], regarding the former's requests for schedules of imports and exports statistics;correspondence between the Political Agency and agents of the Persian Gulf Steam Navigation Company Limited and the Mesopotamia Persia Corporation Limited, regarding rates of freight and details of imports and exports.The Arabic material in these volumes consists of several items of correspondence, most of which are between the Political Agent and the Ruler of Kuwait. The French material consists of one item of correspondence.2 volumes (392 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volumes.Foliation: this file consists of two physical volumes. The foliation sequence commences at the front cover of volume one (ff 1-194) and terminates at the inside back cover of volume two (ff 195-396); 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 4-394; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
This volume relates to the finances of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman. The correspondence is primarily concerned with the Sultanate's customs tariffs. It features extensive discussion between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, the Political Agent and Consul at Muscat and officials of the India Office, Foreign Office, Dominions Office, Government of India, and the Board of Trade on the following related matters: Muscat's existing treaties with the United States and France (dated 1833 and 1844 respectively), and the advisability of these treaties – or at least their commercial clauses – being modified or denounced by the Sultan; the case for increasing customs import duties on certain goods (e.g. tobacco and alcohol), in an effort to increase revenue and restore the stability of the Sultanate's finances, and the likely effects that such an action would have on trade; the threshold (based on alcoholic content) to be used for identifying which alcoholic drinks should be subject to the proposed customs duty increase for alcohol, and the difficulty in translating the technical phrase 'under proof' into Arabic; the efforts of the British Government to secure the agreements of the Sultanate's other treaty partners (namely Canada, the Irish Free State, and France) regarding the proposed customs duty increase.The French language material consists of letters from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the British representative in Paris. The Arabic language material mainly consists of letters between British representatives and the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, most of which include English translations.1 volume (372 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 374; 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.
The file concerns the drafting and publication of nationality and property laws for Bahrein [Bahrain].The relevant Order in Council and King's Regulations (copies of which are included) are as follows:The Bahrein (Amendment) Order in Council, 1937The Bahrein Law regarding Ownership of Immovable Property in Bahrein by Foreigners Regulation, 1937The Bahrein Property Law (Amending) Regulation, 1938Registration of Transfer of Immovable Property in Bahrein (Regulation 3 of 1947)The correspondence is mainly from the Foreign Office, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, and the Political Agent, Bahrain.The papers include correspondence concerning the Government of Iran's response to the new laws, in view of Iran's claim to sovereignty over Bahrain (folios 147-160); and a proposal by the Government of Bahrain to restrict the acquisition of land property in Bahrain by Iraqis and Saudi Arabians, in view of the fact that a great proportion of the most valuable land, especially in Manama, was owned by foreigners (folios 39-52).The French language content of the file consists of six folios of diplomatic correspondence from the Government of Iran; the Arabic language content of the file consists of notices (with English translations) issued by the Government of Bahrain.The file also contains copies of earlier correspondence dated 1902-09, and 1927. There are no papers in the file dated 1941-46.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 (446 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file. Folio 74 is the second and last page of a letter, the first page of which seems not to be present in the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 447; 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 2-446; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
The file concerns relations between the governments of the United Kingdom and Persia (also referred to as Iran), specifically in terms of relations between Persia and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf that were under British protection.The file mainly contains correspondence from British Government officials, notably the Foreign Office, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; and HM Minister at Tehran.The papers cover: passport and visa regulations governing entry into Persia for citizens of Arab states on the littoral of the Persian Gulf; the treatment of subjects of those states (including the Kingdom of the Hedjaz [Hejaz], 1923) as British-protected persons in the matter of passports; the Persian claim to the Arab states on the littoral of the Persian Gulf, especially Bahrein [Bahrain]; the British response to an attempt by the Shaikh of Debai (Said bin Maktum) [Sa‘id bin Maktūm Āl Maktūm, Ruler of Dubai] to impose restrictions on the use of Persian dress by Persian citizens in Dubai (folios 281-288); 'interference' (boarding, searches) with Arab sailing vessels by ships of the Persian Navy; and the response of the Royal Navy to Persian interference in Arab shipping. The Arab states concerned are principally Bahrain, Koweit [Kuwait], the Trucial Coast, and Muscat and Oman.The French language content of the papers consists of a single item of diplomatic correspondence (folio 297).The file also contains copies of earlier papers dated 1892-1900, and 1914-15; there are no papers dated 1919-22.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 (394 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 395; 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 2-393; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.