This file contains correspondence between the British Political Agent at Bahrain; the British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire; Yūsuf bin Aḥamad Kanoo [Kānū]; Shaikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah, ruler of Bahrain; and Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī, ruler of Qatar. In addition, there are copies of correspondence between Bushire and the Foreign Department of the Government of India, the Foreign Office in London and the British Consuls at Basra and Constantinople.This file concerns Turkish activities on the island of al-Zakhnūniyah and the Ḥawār islands, and at al-Wakrah in Qatar between 1909 and 1912. There is a number of items of correspondence between Shaikh‘Īsā and the British Political Agent at Bahrain concerning Bahrain’s claim to the island of al-Zakhnūniyah (folios 6-7). There are also details of the 1910 Turkish occupation of the island (folios 52-60) and British representations to Constantinople requesting their withdrawal (folios 64).The file also includes details of Francis Beville Prideaux's visit with Yūsuf bin Aḥmad Kanoo in March 1909 to visit Shaikh Jāsim at Lusayl to discuss his relations with the Turks (folios 8-11 and 13), as well as further correspondence between Yūsuf bin Aḥmad Kanno and Shaikh Jāsim on the same subject (folios 14-23).Also contained in the file is a detailed report entitled 'Asiatic Turkey and Arabia' by Sir Edward Grey of the Foreign Office, dated 17 October 1910, which deals with the Turkish presence in Arabia and the Gulf.1 volume (88 folios)This file is arranged approximately in chronological order.Foliation: This file contains two foliation systems. The primary foliation number appears in the top right hand corner of the recto of the folio. It is enclosed by a circle, and runs from the front cover to the back cover. The second foliation number appears in the top right hand corner of the verso of the folio and the left hand corner of the second sheet of the page where there is text. This foliation system runs from the first page of text to the final page of text.
The file relates to the service of Major Tom Hickinbotham as Political Agent, Kuwait.The papers consist of invoices, receipts, correspondence, telegrams, and personal letters, and cover the following topics: travel arrangements, expenses and allowances; cost of transporting personal effects; accommodation; provision of a guide to places of interest in Kuwait; the holding of a licence for a wireless/radio set, September to October 1941 and September 1942; leave; membership of the Magwa Club (for staff of the Kuwait Oil Company); invitations to events; invitations to dinner; medical fees; hiring of a cook; the whereabouts of a British officer; the ill-health of a friend in Kuwait; expressions of condolences; correspondence with banks; application for a military pass; Christmas and New Year messages; a complaint concerning a lack of co-operation from a member of the Kuwait Oil Company, December 1942; telegrams of congratulations; and invoices for books, clothes, wool, cloth, alcohol, cigarettes, tyres, automobile parts, ice, fruit, general provisions, and household goods.The file includes correspondence in Arabic and printed invoices and letterheads in Arabic.The last item of correspondence in the file is dated 20 October 1943. The overall date range is supplied by an entry in the notes at the rear of the file.1 file (420 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. Circled serial numbers (red for received correspondence; blue/black for issued correspondence) refer to entries in the notes at the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation system in use commences at 1A on the front cover, and continues through to 394 on the back cover. The sequence appears written in pencil in the top right hand corner of the recto page of each folio. Foliation anomalies: ff. 1A, 1B; ff. 2A, 2B; ff. 11, 11A, 11B; ff. 13, 13A, 13B; ff. 32, 32A, 32B, 32C; ff. 36, 36A; ff. 37, 37A, 37B, 37C; ff. 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 42D, 42E, 42F, 42G; ff. 59A, 59B; ff. 84, 84A; ff. 86, 86A; ff. 95, 95A; ff. 127, 127A; ff. 131, 131A; 131B, 131C; ff. 149, 149A; ff. 247A, 247B: ff. 253, 253A; ff. 350, 350A; ff. 385, 385A. The following numbers do not appear in the sequence: 166-169. The following pagination ranges occur: 78-79, 95A-95B, 118-119, 306-307. The following folios need to be folded out to be read: ff. 95A, 130, 347. A second, short foliation numbered 113-120 runs between ff. 16-23.
The volume is a continuation of correspondence from ‘File 7/2 I Landing grounds and seaplane anchorages’ (IOR/R/15/2/263), its contents relating to ongoing negotiations between Arab rulers and the British Government and Royal Air Force on the installation and maintenance of air facilities along the Arab coast, between Qatar and Ra’s al-Khaymah. The principal correspondents in the file are Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven Fowle, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, Political Agent at Bahrain, and Khan Bahadur ‘Īsá bin ‘Abd al-Latif, the British Government’s Native Agent at Sharjah. The majority of the volume’s correspondence relates to specific air facilities in the Gulf, notably in the dominions of Shaikh Shakbut bin Sulton of Abu Dhabi:1. Damage to the unguarded petrol store at Yas Island [Şīr Banī Yās], and the contamination of its contents, was reported to Loch in June 1934 (folio 12). The damage enforced further negotiations with Shaikh Shakbut bin Sultan over arrangements for guards to be installed at the store. Loch arranged for negotiations to take place, with Shaikh Sa'id bin Maktum of Dubai acting as a mediator between the two parties (folios 51-52).2. The establishment and marking out of an air strip at Şīr Banī Yās. Negotiations over the guarding of the petrol tank at Şīr Banī Yās went hand-in-hand with negotiations for an emergency landing strip at the same location. Negotiations with Shaikh Shakbut bin Sultan were successfully concluded on 13 February 1935. The original agreement is included in the volume (folio 226), with a copy of the English text (folio 162, 163).3. The erection of beacons at air facilities across the Gulf for night-time flying. While arrangements were made for landing strips at Şīr Banī Yās and at Abu Dhabi, British Government officials in London and the Iraq RAF Command pressed for the installation of beacons at air facilities in the Gulf to enable night time flight along the India air route (folio 121). British officials in London and the Gulf were at odds with each other over the speed with which beacons could be installed (folios 201, 204-05), given the slow and precarious nature of negotiations with the Arab shaikhs. In a letter to Fowle, dated 13 December 1934, Loch expressed reservations about raising the issue of beacons with Shaikh Shakbut bin Sultan, given the difficulties in resolving existing issues with the landing strips and petrol store (folios 138-40).1 volume (264 folios)The contents of the volume are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest items at the front of the volume to the latest at the end. There are office notes at the end of the file (folios 227-54), which mirror the chronological order of the file correspondence.Foliation: The main foliation sequence begins on the contents page and ends on 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. Two other pagination sequences are also present in the volume, between ff. 114-224 (incomplete) and ff. 227-254; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence. Foliation anomalies: 1A and 1B; 146A, 146B and 146C.
The volume is a continuation of correspondence from ‘File 7/2 II Landing grounds and seaplane anchorages’ (IOR/R/15/2/264), its contents relating to ongoing negotiations between Arab rulers and the British Government, Royal Air Force, and Imperial Airways, on the installation and maintenance of air facilities along the Arab coast, between Qatar and Ra’s al-Khaymah. The principal correspondents in the file are Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven Fowle, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, Political Agent at Bahrain, and Captain A Cole, Officiating Political Agent at Bahrain.The main issues raised in the volume are:1. Disagreements between British officials and Shaikh Shakbut bin Sultan of Abu Dhabi, over the installation of a petrol store at Abu Dhabi, not officially mentioned in the agreement signed between the two parties on 13 February 1935, and only verbally agreed upon. In a letter addressed to the Shaikh, dated 5 June 1935, Fowle threatened action against Abu Dhabi’s pearling fleet, should he continue to raise objections to the expansion of air facilities in his domains (folios 64-66). Fowle’s letter led to an angry exchange between Shaikh Shakbut and British officials aboard HMS
Fowey(reported in a letter from Cole to Fowle, folios 93-97), which in turn led to protracted mediations prior to Shaikh Shakbut issuing a formal apology over his outburst (folios 122-23).2. Proposals for a seaplane anchorage at Umm al-Qaywayn (folios 138-40a), including a visit to the Arab coast by Mr B Cross, Manager of the Near East Area for Imperial Airways Limited, in order to ascertain the best site for such a facility (folios 185-87).The volume also contains a number of revised schedules of air facilities required along the Arab coast of the Gulf, listing facilities by both location and by RAF or civil aviation function (folios 68-72, 173-75a, 196-200).1 volume (251 folios)The volume’s correspondence is arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest items at the front of the volume to the latest at the end. Some items in the volume are marked with red or blue crayon numbers (for incoming or outgoing items respectively), and are prefixed by the letters S.No [Serial number]. This numbering system constitutes part of the original filing arrangement, and is referred to in the office notes at the end of the file (folios 230-44).Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using circled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto. An earlier foliation system, which uses uncircled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of rectos, runs through the volume. The following anomalies occur in the main foliation system: 1a-1e, 79a, 140a, 167a, 195a, 241a. The following folios are fold-outs: 7, 11, 13, 20, 64, 76.
The volume’s correspondence and other papers relate to the construction of air facilities along the Arab coast of the Gulf, and as such is a continuation of volumes IOR/R/15/2/263-265. The principal correspondents in the volume are the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven Fowle, the Political Agent at Bahrain, Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, and his deputy, Captain Tom Hickinbotham, Husain bin Hasan ‘Amad, in charge of the duties of the Residency Agent at Sharjah until May 1936, and his successor as Residency Agent, Sayid ‘Abd al-Razzaq.The volume’s correspondence deals with a number of proposals for facilities (including landing strips, wireless stations, accommodation, petrol stores, beacons), in particular an aerodrome at Kalba, but also extended aerodrome facilities at Sharjah, a renewal of the lease for the petrol storage facility at Ra’s al Khaymah, a seaplane anchorage for Imperial Airways in the lagoon at Umm al-Qaywayn, and a seaplane anchorage at Dubai creek. The correspondence chiefly concerns the negotiations between the Residency Agent and the various shaikhs of the region, on permission for the British to install facilities along the coast as part of the improved air route to India. Correspondence also documents arrangements for the survey of potential sites, and the construction of facilities. The proposal for a landing strip at Kalba occupies the largest proportion of the file; a result of the shaikh of Kalba’s initial resistance to the proposal, and questions over the extent of his independence from the authority of the shaikh of Sharjah, and British recognition of this independence.1 volume (265 folios)The volume is arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest items at the front of the volume to the latest at the rear. Some items in the volume are marked with red or blue crayon numbers (for incoming or outgoing items respectively). This numbering system constitutes part of the original filing arrangement, and is referred to in the office notes at the end of the file (folios 250-63).Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto. The following anomalies occur in the main foliation system: 1a-1e, 226A, 226B. Folio 150 is missing, folio 230 is bound out of order. The following folios are fold-outs: 2, 8, 18, 19, 26, 100, 109, 110, 170.
The volume’s letters, telegrams and other papers relate to the installation, maintenance and extension of British air facilities along the Arab coast of the Gulf. The principle correspondents in the file are the Political Resident, the Political Agent at Bahrain, the Political Officer on the Trucial Coast, and representatives of the Royal Air Force [RAF] and Imperial Airways (referred to after 1939 as the British Overseas Airways Corporation [BOAC]).Correspondence in the first part of the volume (folios 1e-50) concerns a fire at the RAF petrol store at Doha in August 1937, resulting in serious burns to a number of men. Some of this correspondence also refers to an injury to Nasr bin Jassim [Nasr bin Jāsim Āl Thānī], brother of Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī, the ruler of Qatar, suffered while riding his horse during a parade prior to travelling to Zubarah to fight against the Bahraini forces. Agreement was reached between British Government officials and the Adviser to the Bahrain Government, Charles Belgrave, for Nasr bin Jāsim to travel to Bahrain for medical attention.Most of the later correspondence in the volume is dated to the Second World War, and relates to the creation of new or improved RAF facilities in the Gulf in early 1942. These included extended facilities, capable of accommodating bomber squadrons, at Bahrain and Sharjah, and new facilities at Dubai (folio 131). Correspondence also records the arrangements made with the Bahrain hospital and American Missionary hospital in Bahrain, to accommodate RAF patients as required.1 volume (298 folios)The contents of the volume are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest items at the front of the volume to the latest at the rear. There is a set of office notes at the end of the volume (folios 266-97) which mirror the chronological arrangement.Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto. This foliation system has been adapted from an earlier pagination system. The following foliation anomalies occur: ff. 1a-1e, 34a, 34b, 84a, 85b, 139a, 139b, 193a, 193b. The following folios are missing, as a result of the volume’s original pagination system: ff. 106, 212, 231. The following folios are fold-outs: ff. 47, 48, 65, 93, 104, 138, 173, 174, 179, 211, 230, 268, 277, 278, 280, 282, 287.
The volume mainly contains correspondence between the Political Agent in Bahrain, the Political Resident in Bushire, the Adviser to the Government in Bahrain, Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, and representatives and staff of the Bahrain Petroleum Company Limited (BAPCO) on the conditions and benefits requested by BAPCO employees, and on a special 'War Allowance' agreed by BAPCO to meet the increased cost of living.The volume includes correspondence on members of the Afghan royal family refuged in India and seeking for employment in Bahrain (folios 43-46); list of food prices 'prewar price' and 'present price' (folio 68); memorandum on 'The strike situation as on 28 December 1943' (folio 209).There are some letters in Arabic in the volume. There is an index at the end of the volume (folios 270-283).1 volume (293 folios)The documents in the volume are arranged in chronological order. There is an index at the end of the volume (folios 271-283). The index is arranged chronologically and refers to documents within the volume; it gives brief description of the correspondence with a reference number, which refers back to that correspondence in the volume.The main foliation sequence is circled in pencil, in the top right corner. It begins with the first item of correspondence, on number 2, and runs through to 291, ending on the inside of the back cover. There is another foliation sequence, incomplete.
The volume contains letters, telegrams and memoranda relating to negotiations over the transfer of the Bahrain oil concession, conducted between the British Government, Eastern & General Syndicate Limited (hereafter E&GS), and the Eastern Gulf Oil Company of the United States (EGOC). The volume is a direct continuation, with some overlap of correspondence, with ‘File 86/2 I (C 30) Bahrain Oil Concession (Eastern & General Syndicate)’ (IOR/R/15/1/649). The principal correspondents in the volume are the Political Agent in Bahrain, Captain Charles Prior, Major Frank Holmes, Director of E&GS, and various representatives of the Colonial Office of the British Government in London.Key subjects covered by the volume include:Negotiations between the British Government and E&GS (on behalf of EGOC) for the transfer of the Bahrain oil concession from E&GS to EGOC, with particular emphasis on four conditions stipulated by the British Government to ensure sufficient British control of a concession funded by foreign finance;An agreement of the concession transfer, and negotiations between the British Government and the solicitors appointed by EGOC (Freshfields, Leese and Munns of London) for the transfer;Questions over legal jurisdiction and property law in Bahrain; negotiations with regard to the liability of the Ruler of Bahrain (Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah) in the event of theft of oil company property by oil company employees;Registration of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) in Canada;Holmes’s trip to Bushire and Bahrain, and his appointment as chief representative of BAPCO in Bahrain;E&GS/BAPCO application to extend the oil concession area across those parts of Bahrain not covered by the existing concession.The volume contains numerous copies of the indentures and concessions agreements, in copy and original (folios 110-14, 206-10, 211-29).1 volume (251 folios)The volume’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest items at the front to the latest at the rear. Office notes at the end of the volume (folios 234-38) mirror the chronological arrangement. The subject index at the front of the volume (folio 2) refers to the original foliation system using uncircled pencil numbers.Foliation: The main foliation sequence begins on the front cover and ends on the inside back cover, using circled pencil numbers written in the top-right corner of each recto. A second foliation sequence is present between folios 2-53 and 72-233; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.The following foliation anomalies occur: 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E; 2 and 2A; 130 and 130A; 144 and 144A.Folios 176-195 are bound together and housed in a clear polyester sleeve.
This file contains correspondence between British officials at Bushire and Bahrain, Dr Samuel Zwemer of the Arabian Mission, and Captain Kemp aboard HMS
Phoenix.These correspondence primarily concern the presence of Turkish local governors (
mudīrs) in the Qatar peninsula, in particular Yūsuf Beg at al-Wakrah and al-‘Udayd, as a part of a Turkish plan to establish a series of guardhouses along the eastern coast of Arabia.The file contains details of John Calcott Gaskin's visit to Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī in retirement at Lusayl in 1903 (folio 47), as well as relations between Shaikh ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Jāsim and Aḥmad bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī. There are also details concerning the attempted assassination of Shaikh ‘Abd al-Raḥmān by a member of the Āl Bū ‘Aynayn tribe at al-Wakrah in December 1907, and subsequent relations between the Āl Thānī family and Āl Bū ‘Aynayn tribe in 1908.There are incidental mentions of the 1903 outbreak of the plague in the Gulf, the Arabian Mission hospital at Bahrain (folio 15), the opening of a dispensary by the Agency in Bahrain (folios 18-19), and protests by pearl divers at the proposal of a Frenchman to dive with ‘modern appliances’ (folio 25).1 volume (102 folios)This file is arranged in approximately chronological order.Foliation: This file has a foliation number in the top right hand corner of each folio. The number is enclosed by a circle.
This volume consists of an intelligence document issued by the Government of India, Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Department, which provides comprehensive descriptions of French possessions on the African coast of the Gulf of Aden, including the towns of Obok [Obock] and Jibouti [Djibouti]. The volume contains two maps held in a map pocket, and is divided into nine sections.The volume was compiled by Eric John Eagles Swayne, 16th Bengal Infantry. The printing statement reads, 'Simla: Printed at the Government Central Printing Office. 1895.'Two hand stamps appear on the front cover and on folio 5, which read, 'War Office Library 15 Jan 96' and 'Intelligence Division 15 Jan 1896'.1 volume (36 folios)The volume contains two maps held in a map pocket attached to the inside front cover, followed by a preface (f 6), a list of authorities consulted (f 7), a table of contents (f 8) and nine chapters of text (ff 9-34).Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 36; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
This file contains Arabic language correspondence between Major Tom Hickinbotham, Political Agent in Bahrain, and numerous Bahraini figures, including members of the ruling family (such as Shaikh Salmān bin Ḥamad Āl Khalīfah, the Ruler of Bahrain) and several prominent merchants.The correspondence primarily consists of short, formal letters accepting invitations to dinner at the Political Agency and others acknowledging various gifts and visits. The majority of the correspondence is in Arabic with English translations included for some letters.The file also contains a limited number of letters from individuals outside of Bahrain including members of the ruling families of Kuwait and Abu Dhabi.1 file (92 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 94; 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 2-92; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
The file comprises correspondence relating to claims on the estate of Sa'd bin Abdulla Musabahi (also given as Saad bin Abdullah Musabhi) [Sa‘d bin ‘Abdullāh Musabaḥī] who died in June 1911.The claims are from individuals, merchants and companies who the deceased had business dealings with, or held goods and cash for at the time of his death. The claims were submitted with proof to the Majlis and the Political Agency at Bahrain between 1911 and 1912.Later correspondence and notes relate to the handling of the case in 1911 and the examinations of the deceased individuals' account books, concluding that the case had not been handled properly, with claims against the estate not being properly pursued, and money owed to the estate not having been recovered.1 file (217 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 217; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the file has been paginated using blue and red crayon.Foliation anomalies: 205a, 205b.