This file contains letters that cover a wide variety of subjects. This includes diplomatic correspondence, general political administration, court statements and petitions, as well as trade reports and some general commercial matters. The majority of the file consists of correspondence between the Political Agent in Muscat and the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf or the Government of India. The file also contains letters by Qais bin Azzan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman in Arabic and a number of other Arabic and Gujurati language letters by both Omani ship captains, and British Indian subjects writing to the Political Agent in Muscat.1 file (487 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 489; 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 miscellaneous correspondence consisting primarily of letters between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and the Political Agent in Muscat. The subject matter of the correspondence covers a range of subjects, most of them pertaining to the resolution of commercial and legal matters with the Secretary to the Government of India based on Bombay. Many letters also discuss the changing political situation in Oman, particularly the British discussions of support for the Sultan of Muscat. Several letters contained in the file are in Gujarati.1 file (488 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 front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 490; 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 A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.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 availability of food supplies in Bahrain and the Trucial Coast, at a time when rationing and a quota system for imports had been introduced as a result of the Second World War (1939-45).The main correspondents are the Political Agent, Bahrain (Edward Birkbeck Wakefield); the Government of India; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; the Residency Agent, Sharjah (Khan Sahib Saiyid ‘Abd Al Razzaq); the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave); the Food Controller, Bahrain (Claud Cranbrook Lewis deGrenier); and the Director of Customs and Port Officer, Bahrain (also deGrenier).The papers include: correspondence with the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) concerning a request by the company for additional rations to be made available for their passengers and crews; correspondence from individual merchants concerning food shortages and import licences; lists of sanctioned quotas (including re-exports to Saudi Arabia); lists of established importers and shippers; correspondence and papers concerning the main imported commodities (rice, wheat, flour, sugar, and bran); an intervention by the Government of Bahrain to adjust the amount of profit allowed to merchants under the quota system (folios 82-85); the import of barley and millet for camels and horses of the Bahrain police (folios 89 and 106); a memorandum by the Political Agent, Bahrain to the Political Resident, dated 24 September 1942, entitled 'Import into Bahrain of essential foodstuffs', drawing attention to the serious political and economic consequences of food shortages in Bahrain as a result of the quota system (folios 179-185); and a suggestion by the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) that rice could be obtained for Bahrain from the United States (folios 274-275).The Gujerati language content of the file is confined to a letterhead.The date range gives the covering dates for the correspondence; the last dated addition to the file is an entry in the notes on folio 331 dated 2 November 1942.1 file (330 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file, except where enclosures of an earlier date are filed after their relevant covering letter, and terminate in a set of notes (folios 309-331). There are some notes within the body of the file (folios 158-160).Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 332; 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 2-331; 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 volume contains copies of covering letters sent with copies of the 1873 Slave Trade Proclamation, which was reissued on an annual basis. The letters were sent by Bushire Political Residency staff to a range of British representatives around the Gulf, including the Political Agents (Bahrain, Muscat, Trucial Coast, Consulates), representatives at the region’s telegraph stations (including Jask), and a representative of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company at Ganawah [Bandar Ganaveh]. The volume also contains numerous replies from recipients of the treaty, responding that they have posted or distributed it as requested.The volume also contains two copies of the treaty (folios 93 and 148). The treaty is printed in five languages (English, Arabic, Marathi, Gujarati and Kanarese). In a letter of 1926 to the Political Resident (Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Prideaux), the Political Agent in Kuwait (James More) notes the poor quality of the Arabic translation of the treaty. In response, Prideaux arranges for an improved Arabic translation be sent to him by More, for use on future reprints of the treaty. The revised translation is distributed for the first time in 1929. The two copies of the treaty enclosed reflect the ‘before’ (folio 93) and ‘after’ (folio 148) versions of the Arabic treaty text.One volume (158 folios)Arranged in chronological order, from earliest at beginning of file to latest at end.Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to last folio, with small numbers in the top-right corner of each recto. Folio number 7 is omitted, and that there are some instances where the reverse side of pages are numbered if they are written or printed on.
The file contains extracts from work diaries, letters and reports related to tribal disturbances in Oman, mainly in Sur and Ja'alan [Ja'lan]. Rebelling against the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, the Amirs of Ja'alan [Emirs of Ja'lan] Bani Bu Ali claimed the right to rule over Sur and to pay no customs or any other taxes. They are stated in the correspondence as ‘openly flouting the Muscat Government and claiming what amounts to complete independence, claiming further the right to deal with neighbouring tribes by force and the right to settle intertribal disputes of other tribes by force.’ This led to further inter-tribal disturbance and difficulty over the building of the new custom house. The Political Agency at Muscat, the Political Residency at Bushire, and the Muscat Government discussed the actions to be taken in response to the issue.The file includes correspondence from the Amirs of Ja'alan reporting on their endeavours to settle the fights of the Janabah tribe. The file also includes petitions from the Sur Hindu traders (ff 40-53), complaining about the closing of the inland route from Sur, and about ill-treatment from the Shaikh who took over Sur, and how he enforced various taxes on their properties.The Political Agent raised concern about the amount of complaints which were received from Sur on a daily basis, and the necessity of getting the Wali of Sur to submit a full report of the situation there. The file also contains correspondence between the Political Agent and the Council of Ministers regarding the possible candidate to appoint as the new Wali of Sur.The majority of the file is dated 1924-1925.1 file (70 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 72; these numbers are written in pencil and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
The volume contains letters and reports related to tribal disturbances at Sur. The correspondence is mainly concerned with the issue of the Amirs of Ja'alan [Emirs of Ja'lan] Bani Bu Ali rebelling against the Sultan of Muscat and Oman and claiming the following rights: to rule over Sur, to pay no customs taxes, to interfere with the affairs of the tribes of Sur by force, and to establish their own customs in the village of Aiqa [Al ‘Ayjah].The volume also includes correspondence regarding the following: petitions raised by the Sur Hindu traders; the settlement of the account of a Chinese merchant; the death of one of the Amirs of Ja'alan, Shaikh Muhammad bin Nasir Al Hamudah, on 4 February 1929; and the visit of Sa‘id bin Taymur al Bu Sa‘idi to Sur to settle the problems there.The volume also includes: copies of questionnaires related to Sur; a list of the estimated expenses of the Muscat Levy; various reports on Sur; and reports regarding the building of two customs posts- one at Aiqa and one at Muqrimatain [or Maqrumtain], Sur.The main correspondents in the volume are the following: the Political Agent, Muscat; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire; the Government of Muscat and Oman; and the Amirs of Ja'alan.1 volume (340 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 first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 340; these numbers are printed, 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 3-338; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers.
The volume contains correspondence in the form of reports, telegrams and a number of translated letters of notable local Omani shaikhs. The correspondence is mainly concerned with the rising of the Imam of Oman, Salim bin Rashid al-Kharusi against the Sultan of Oman, Taimur bin Fayṣal bin Turki al-Bu Sa‘idi between November 1913 and December 1914.The volume contains news about the following:the Sultan’s efforts to raise money and enlist foreign aids to help him defend the region from the attack of the Imam’s forcescertain Omani shaikhs including Himyar bin Nasir al-Nabhani and ‘Isa bin Salih al-Harthi and Omani tribes including Bani Battash and the Hijriyyin who are part of the Imam’s forcesthe meetings held by the 'rebel' leaders at Nizwah, and the outcomes of those meetingsBritish officials’ concerns about the Sultan corresponding with any foreign government unrepresented at Muscat except through the British authoritythe British Government’s promise to bear the costs of expedition to re-establish the Sultan’s authority in Samailthe present situation in various regions including Barka, Nakhl, Muscat and Matrahthe fear of any attack on Muscat or Matrahthe number of troops on both sidesthe number of casualties on both sidesthe British keeping the garrisons in the area to protect Muscat and MatrahThe main correspondents in the volume are the Political Agent, Muscat, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire, and the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Department.1 volume (237 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 239; 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 4-236; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
The majority of the file is correspondence relating to about forty-eight manumission applications, most of which were made at the Political Agency at Bahrain. Some applications are made with the Residency Agent at Sharjah, and forwarded to the Agency at Bahrain for submission to the Political Resident in Bushire. Other applications involve Trucial Coast slaves applying for manumission at the Political Agency at Muscat. These applications were sent by the Muscat Agency to the Political Residency at Bushire, from where they were forwarded to the Political Agency at Bahrain for enquiries to be made at Sharjah.Aside from the manumission applications, the file also includes printed copies of the Proclamation of the Slave Trade Act (1873), distributed annually around the British offices of the Persian Gulf (folios 30-32, 215-217), and an Arabic copy of the Saudi Government's 1936 regulations regarding the slave trade (folio 178, with an English translation on folios 180-184).1 file (349 folios)Correspondence in the file has been arranged in a rough chronological order, from the earliest at the front of the file to the latest at the end. This chronological ordering means that correspondence relating to specific manumission applications is scattered through the file, rather than grouped together by application. There are office notes at the end of the file (folios 310-347), whose arrangement mirrors the chronological order of the file correspondence.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 340; 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; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence between ff 303-348, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
The file contains correspondence relating to the investigation and settlement of several debt recovery claims made against mainly Arab subjects of the Trucial Coast shaikhdoms, by merchants of Dubai and Sharjah who are British Indian subjects. The main correspondents are the Political Agent at Bahrain and the Residency Agent at Sharjah. The correspondence includes petitions and statements made by claimants, debtors and witnesses, as well as several letters from the Ruler of Dubai [Āl Maktūm, Shaikh Saʻīd bin Maktūm bin Hasher] and the Ruler of Sharjah [Al Qasimi, Shaikh Sultan II bin Saqr]. There are also several documents relating to debt settlements mediated either by the Residency Agent, a committee of local merchants or the Ruler.The majority of the correspondence is in both English and Arabic. The file contains one letter written in Persian. A few items of Indian merchant correspondence are signed in Gujarati as well as in English or Arabic, and in one instance in Sindhi. The earliest documents in the file are a debt bond made in 1911 and an Acknowledgement of Debt made in 1926.The following five debt cases are discussed extensively. The claims made by Khaja Habib bin Hasan Jasbani and Khojah Alli Hasan Joosbani (and other variations of their names) who are originally from Hyderabad, against: the estate of the former British Residency Agent at Sharjah, a Bahraini pearl merchant resident at Dubai, and two brothers of Shaikh Sultan bin Saqr the Ruler of Sharjah. The claim of Kishandas Nathanmal, originally from Tatta [Thatta] in Sindh Province, against a brother-in-law of Shaikh Said bin Maktum the Ruler of Dibai [Dubai]. The claim of the Dubai branch of the merchant firm Dharamdas Thawerdas against both the Ruler of Dubai and Shaikh Mohamad bin Ahmed Al Dalmook (spelt variously) as guarantors for the indebted estate of Dubai merchant Essa (also spelt Isa) bin Thani. The claims of several traders in Dubai and Sharjah against Dhamanmal Jagoomal (spelt variously) and the counter claims of the latter, including representations made on his behalf by his son Mohandas Dhamanmal Jagoomal of Bombay, about the looting of his father’s shop in Sharjah by local residents. The request of the Ruler of Dubai, for British assistance with his two debt recovery claims against the Dubai branch of the Mesopotamia Corporation Limited, and the Wali of Khasab in Oman, a subject of the Sultan of Muscat.The file also contains correspondence relating to complaints of ill-treatment made by a medical practitioner from Egypt who is resident at Dubai, and the counter-claims made against him by his in-laws in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The file ends with the investigation and recovery of possessions stolen from a Bahraini subject by a traveller from Kuwait, who is also suspected of complicity in the smuggling of goods into Dubai on behalf of a Persian merchant from Bushire.1 file (340 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 342; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Additional foliation sequences are present in parallel between ff 2-304, and ff 312-331; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
The file contains copies of covering letters and extracts of the 1873 Slave Trade Proclamation sent between 1926 and 1938. The letters were sent by Political Residency staff to British representatives in the political agencies in Muscat, Bahrain and Kuwait. The file contains five copies of the extracts of the Proclamation prohibiting slave trade, in five languages (English, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada and Urdu). The file also includes copies of letters requesting investigations into the kidnapping of a young male slave in Karachi (folios 1C-6).1 file (38 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) 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. The file contains seven foliation anomalies: f 1a, f 1b, f 1c, f 18a, f 25a, f 26a and f 27a.
The file consists of correspondence connected to trust funds established for the Director of Customs (Claud Cranbrook Lewis de Grenier) and the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave). The majority of the papers are receipts, covering letters, and letters of acknowledgement relating to payments made into the trust fund account by the Government of Bahrain. This correspondence is between the Political Agency in Bahrain, the Political Residency in the Persian Gulf, Charles Belgrave, and the Eastern Bank in London, where the trust fund account was held. By the end of the file a proposal is made to transfer responsibility for the accounts to the Government of Bahrain.Inserted near the back of the file (folios 234-245) are letters (in Farsi and Gujarati, respectively) from merchants Abduljalil and Abdullatiff, and Bhagwandas Askarandas. The letters concern the trade of commodities such as textiles and dates. The papers are not connected to the rest of the file and were probably inserted by mistake.Folios 254-264 are internal office notes.1 file (263 folios)The file is arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file, with the exception of folios 234-245, which are of a later date than the rest of the file and have been inserted seemingly at random.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 265; 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 10-253; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
The file contains proclamations and public notices issued by the Government of Bahrain. The notices are mostly in Arabic with brief or full translations in English given for many. They are concerned with a wide range of matters relating to boating, driving, trade and pricing, customs, travel documents and restrictions, government office closures, public holidays, property registration and land regulation, health, government appointments, and numerous miscellaneous prohibitions.The file contains some correspondence between the Political Agent, Bahrain, and the Political Residency in the Persian Gulf.1 file (161 folios)The file is arranged in 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 inside back cover with 163; 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 160-162; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out. There are a large number of fold-outs as many of the folios are A3 in size and have been filed in a way which means they must be folded out to be viewed.