This file concerns a proposed and actual visits to the Persian Gulf by the writer Lady Dorothy Mills to countries in the Middle East in 1932 for the purpose of collecting suitable material for her literary work, with permission granted to her to travel to Muscat, Bahrain and Kuwait, but not the Trucial Coast (ff 7-11); and Lady Stokes, widow of Sir Wilfred Stokes, and Miss Hastings, daughter of Colonel Sir George Hastings, to Bahrain in 1937 (ff 12-14).Correspondents in this file include: Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven Fowle, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire; Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, Political Agent at Bahrain; and Sir Courtenay Latimer, the British Resident at Rajkot.1 file (15 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.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 7-13; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
The volume comprises correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf , the Political Agent at Muscat, the Political Agent at Bahrain, the India Office (Roland Tennyson Peel, John Percival Gibson, Francis Anthony Kitchener Harrison) , the Secretary to the Government of India (Sir Aubrey Metcalfe), the Sultan of Muscat and Oman (Sayyid Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd) and Petroleum Development (Oman and Dhofar) Limited (Ernest Vincent Packer, John Skliros, H H Wheatley) regarding the oil concession agreements concluded with the Sultan of Muscat for Dhofar [Zufār] and Muscat territory. Copies of the two concessions can be found at folios 17-47.Included in the volume is correspondence relating to the political agreement between His Majesty’s Government and Petroleum Development (Oman and Dhofar) Limited including its presentation to the Sultan of Muscat; the Sultan’s concerns about the document and negotiation with the India Office in order to agree a suitably amended version that satisfied all parties, including the decision by the India Office to have a separate pre-emption agreement. Copies of the Political Agreement and Pre-Emption Clause agreement can be found at folios 93-98 and 132-135.Also discussed is the decision by Petroleum Development (Oman and Dhofar) Limited to take up in 1942 the option of an extension on their exploration agreement for two years owing to wartime conditions and further discussion regarding possible methods of extending the exploration agreement to the end of the war and a period beyond. The conclusion of the discussion being the decision by the Company to take up their concession rather than attempt to negotiate any further extension. Also discussed are concerns by the Sultan of Muscat that the Company did not really intend to explore and develop a concession in his territory and were only really interested in preventing other companies operating there. The concession with the Shaikh of Ajman [‘Ajmān] (Rāshid Bin Ḥumaid Al-Nu`aimī) is also discussed in this context as the exploration of that territory had also not commenced on the outbreak of World War II and extensions to the exploration agreement were therefore also required.Further correspondence relates to the Oil Undertaking made in 1923 by Sultan Taimur bin Faisal [Sayyid Taymūr bin Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd], formerly Sultan of Muscat and father of Sayyid Said bin Taimur. The correspondence centres around the assertion made by Sultan Said bin Taimur that the undertaking was not binding on him as his father had written a letter to the political authorities in 1923 stating that any such undertaking would not be binding on his successors unless specifically stated in the contractual agreement. Further correspondence concludes that the letter written by Sayyid Taimur bin Faisal in 1923 was received by the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf but was never responded to by him or forwarded on to the India Office or Government of India and that they were therefore unaware of any such opinion or response and that as a result were prepared to consider a re-negotiation of the Sultan’s treaties and undertakings.Also of interest within the volume are:discussions about the Muscat Arms Subsidy which was originally granted to Sayyid Faisal bin Turki [Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd] including the conditions under which it was granted and the lack of clarity in the terms and conditions of the subsidy’s contract;discussions regarding the Oman hinterland which the Company were interested in exploring but which was under the authority of the Imam of Muscat and the decision to wait until the following year to raise the question again as the Imam’s authority in that area was considered to be dwindling and the Sultan hoped then to be able to make arrangements with either the Imam of the tribes living there;a memorandum prepared in the Petroleum Department, June 1938, looking at areas where petroleum concessions were mostly likely to be, or had been already been obtained, on the Arabian Peninsula (Koweit [Kuwait], Koweit Neutral Zone, Bahrein [Bahrain], Qatar, Trucial Sheikhdom’s, Aden Protectorate, Saudi Arabia, The Yemen, Muscat, and Oman) and looking at Petroleum Concessions Limited's refinery agreement and pre-emption clause.The agreements and correspondence with the Sultan of Muscat are in Arabic and English.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 264-276.1 volume (278 folios)The volume contains a table of contents on folio 3 comprising of subject headings and page references. 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 folio 1 and terminates at the back cover with folio 280; 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 mixed foliation/pagination sequence is also present between ff 2-267; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. These are located in the same position as the main sequence, except for some instances which are located on the verso. Pagination: a short pagination sequence is present at the back of the volume between ff 264-276; these numbers are written in pencil, and are located in the top outermost corners of each page.
The file comprises correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle), the Political Agent at Bahrain (Hugh Weightman), the Political Agent at Muscat (Ralph Ponsonby Watts) and Petroleum Concessions Limited (Stephen Hemsley Longrigg) regarding arrangements for geologists from Petroleum Concessions Limited to undertake geological exploration at Jebel Faiyah [Jabal al Fāyah], Baraimi [Al Buraymī] and Jebel Hafit [Jabal Ḩafīt].Possible routes of entry to the Baraimi Oasis through Sharjah, Muscat and Abu Dhabi are discussed along with the proposal to use two exploration parties which could meet up at the Oasis. One exploration party was sent from Muscat to Jebel Hafit and Baraimi with the assistance of the Sultan of Muscat (Sayyid Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd) and escorted by the Wali of Sohar (Mudhaffar Suliman). The other, escorted by a political officer John Baron Howes, hoped to travel through Beni Kitab [Beni Qitab] territory and visit Jebel Faiyah before going on to Baraimi, but ultimately had to travel there directly from Abu Dhabi with the assistance of the Wali of Al Ain (Ibrāhīm bin ʻUthmān).The remainder of the volume discusses the various intrigues and difficulties encountered by the exploration parties in attempting to negotiate with the principal tribes at the Baraimi Oasis in order to gain access to their territory for exploration. The tribes involved include the Na’im [Na‘īm] (Shaikh Saqr bin Sulṭān), Al Bu Shamis [Āl Bū Shāmis] (Shaikh Muḥammad bin Raḥmāh bin Salmin), Beni Ka’ab [Banū Ka‘ab] and Abu Dhabi.Contained within the volume are detailed letters and reports submitted by John Baron Howes, Assistant Political Agent at Bahrain, who had accompanied one of the exploration parties to Baraimi. The correspondence details the various negotiations to enable the parties to travel, incidents on route and day by day accounts of the exploration party’s work and their interactions with the various tribes there. Folios 131-141 comprise Howe’s official report of his special duty in connection with the PCL exploration party and includes two sketch maps, one of the geographical layout of the Baraimi Oasis and the other of the distribution of the various tribes around the Oasis. A detailed appendix lists every tribe residing at the Oasis and includes details of their leaders, strength of arms, where their main settlement was, and whether they were Ghafiri or Hinawari [Hinawi].Also discussed are the lack of attempts made by the Shaikh of Sharjah to permit the geologists to visit Jebel Faiyah and subsequent attempts by Shaikh Khalid [Shaikh Khalid bin Aḥmad bin Sulṭān Āl Qasimī], Regent of Kalba to negotiate with Shaikh Muhammad bin Ali [Muḥammad bin ‘Īsá], Chief of the Beni Kitab to arrange for the PCL geologists to travel there. The negotiations were unsuccessful owing to the intrigues of various individuals on the Trucial coast, which the British believed to be orchestrated by the Shaikh of Sharjah (Shaikh Sulṭān bin Saqr Āl Qasimī).Other matters discussed in the volume include:PCL’s wish to establish an aerodrome at Baraimi, and their subsequent decision to establish it nearer to the coast owing to the difficulties encountered at Baraimi and the likely cost of acquiring permission from the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi (Shaikh Shakhbūt bin Sulṭān bin Zāyid Āl Nahyān);memorandum and reports from the Residency Agent at Sharjah (‘Abd al Razzaq) on visits made by Shaikh Saqr bin Sultan, Ruler of Baraimi and Shaikh Mohammed bin Rahmah, Chief of the Al Bu Shamis to the Trucial coast and of the various intrigues occurring on the Trucial coast in relation to the work of the geological exploration parties at Baraimi;the intention of the PCL geologists on their return to Muscat to travel to Ras-al-Hadd [Ra’s al Ḩadd] and undertake an aerial survey of the coastal area south of Ras-al-Hadd.1 file (142 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 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 2-143; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not 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 comprises correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Charles Geoffrey Prior), the Political Agent at Bahrain (Hugh Weightman), the Political Agent at Muscat (Ralph Ponsonby Watts, Tom Hickinbotham), the India Office (John Percival Gibson, Roland Tennyson Peel) and Petroleum Concessions Limited, later Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Limited (Basil Henry Lermitte, Stephen Hemsley Longrigg, Thomas Fulton Williamson) regarding geological exploration of the Trucial Coast and Muscat, and its subsequent postponement owing to World War Two.The correspondence discusses initial plans for the exploration of the Trucial coast and Muscat during the winter of 1939 – 1940 and the intention that the Sultan of Muscat (Sayyid Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd ) would provide access to areas under the control of the Naim [Na‘īm] and Al Bu Shamis [Āl Bū Shāmis] tribes. Also discussed is the possibility of the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi (Shaikh Shakhbūt bin Sulṭān bin Zāyid Āl Nahyān) providing access to Baraimi [Al Buraymī ] now that a concession has been signed for his territory; and other work that might be undertaken in both Muscat and Abu Dhabi. This survey work was ultimately postponed owing to concerns over access to, and protection whilst in the relevant territory, as well as the outbreak of War in Europe.Later correspondence discusses the decision to postpone geological surveying owing to wartime conditions, and consideration of a resumption of work in 1945 with proposals for a small geological survey party working in the Baraimi and Jebel Hafit [Jabal Ḩafīt] area’s with geophysical surveys commencing in 1946. Included in the file are reports from a geologist for Petroleum Concessions Limited, Thomas Fulton Williamson, which discuss the potential problems of supplies, labour, transport, and accommodation that would have to be overcome.Other matters discussed in the volume include:news of the death of Shaikh Muhammad bin Sultan An-Nu’aimi [Sheikh Muḥammad bin Sulṭān Al-Nu`aimī] of Dhank who had been succeeded by his brother Shaikh Saqr bin Sultan [Sheikh Saqr bin Sulṭān Al-Nu`aimī] of Baraimi;the need to attempt to define the boundaries of the various Trucial Shaikh’s territories and proposing that initially each Shaikh be asked to state what they considered to be under their control so that areas of joint or disputed ownership could be identified;a meeting in Sharjah with the Political Agent at Bahrain, Shaikh Mohammed bin Saqr al-Jawassim [Sheikh Muḥammad bin Saqr Āl Qasimī] brother of the Shaikh of Sharjah, Shaikh Saqr bin Sultan of the Naim at Dhank, Shaikh Rashid bin Hamad [Rāshid Bin Ḥumaid] of Al Bu Shamis at Baraimi) and Shaikh Mohammed bin Ali bin Huweidin of the Beni Qitab (also written as Beni Chittab). That this was the first time in ten years that the Chief of the Beni Qitab had been persuaded to come to Sharjah and was considered a positive sign that could benefit Petroleum Concessions Limited in gaining access to territory under the Beni Qitab’s control;concerns in 1939 over Petroleum Concessions Limited’s intentions with regard to their concessions in the Persian Gulf and whether they actually intended exploiting them or had merely acquired them to prevent other companies from doing so.1 file (126 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 back cover with 128; 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 2-127; 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.
Air navigation regulations for civil aircraft for Muscat and Oman, including the Gwadar aerodrome, as approved by the Sultan of Oman [Sa‘īd ibn Taymūr].The air navigation regulations, dated 25 October 1934, cover: authorisation for aircraft flying over or landing in Muscat and Oman; requirements for aircraft registration, certification, personnel and documentation; submission of licences by aircraft personnel on the demand of the state authorities; compliance of aircraft with lights and signal regulations, as prescribed in the Convention for Regulation of Aerial Navigation (13 October 1919); access to aircraft by authorised personnel; submission of visitors to procedure prescribed by the Public Health Administration on arrival and departure; notification of intended arrival and departure to the Customs, Public Health and Police Administrations; passport and visa requirements for passengers; declaration of laws applying to the import and export of goods by land and sea being equally applicable to those goods arriving and departing by air; use of law in the contravention of regulations.Conditions governing the use of the Gwadar aerodrome cover: no acceptance of liability for damage or loss of aircraft, goods or mail, or injury to passengers and aircraft personnel; landing and accommodation fees; fuel and lubricant supplies and their charges; other services which may be arranged with the aerodrome authorities. Under the conditions are three schedules: 1) landing fees, assessed according to the maximum weight authorised by the aircraft’s airworthiness certificate; 2) housing fees, assessed according to the span and maximum length of the aircraft; and 3) charges for attendances and facilities, including arrival and departure fees for privately owned aircraft, a note on fuel and oil rates, and charges for aircraft engaged in public transport, to be supplied by Imperial Airways, Limited.An appendix includes text for the form used for the authorisation of aircraft to land and fly over Muscat and Oman.2 foliosFoliation: Circled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto (ff.1-2).
Printed memorandum. The memorandum contains:I Heads of agreement between the British Government and the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, Said bin Taimur [Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd];II Territory of Muscat and Oman: air navigation regulations for civil aircraft made by the Sultan of Muscat and Oman;III Gwadur [Gwadar] Aerodrome: conditions laid down with the approval of the Sultan of Muscat and Oman to govern the use of the Aerodrome.The memorandum is accompanied by schedules of (I) landing fees and (II) charges for attendance and facilities (revised, folio 5); and three appendices containing forms of special authorisation for aircraft to land in and fly over Muscat and Oman, and transcriptions of documents issued by the Sultan of Muscat and Oman relating to flights over the Musandam Peninsula and arrangements for the use of aerodromes by military aircraft.1 file (5 folios)Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1 on the first folio and terminates at 5 on the last folio. The numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and appear in the top right hand corner of the recto page of each folio. This is the system used to determine the sequence of pages.Pagination: the file also has an original printed pagination sequence, numbered 2-7 (folios 1-4). The numbers appear in the top centre of each page.
The file consists of a typescript document entitled 'Muscat Civil Air Agreement, 1947, and connected correspondence', which contains copies of the following papers:Heads of Agreement between the British Government and the Sultan of Muscat and Oman [Sa‘īd ibn Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd], dated 5 April 1947;Schedule of aerodromes referred to in the agreement;Schedule of landing fees and housing fees;Air Navigation Regulations for Civil Aircraft made by the Sultan of Muscat and Oman;General conditions laid down by the Sultan to govern the use of aerodromes within his territory;Related correspondence between Major Andrew Charles Stewart, Consul, Muscat and the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, dated April 1947.1 file (9 folios)Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1 on the first folio and terminates at 9 on the last folio. The numbers are written in pencil, are enclosed in a circle, and appear in the top right corner of the recto page of each folio.
The item consists of correspondence regarding the establishment of a permanent Residency at Muscat and a report by the Resident, David Seton, concerning the difficulties of living at Muscat and a request for increased allowances and a new Residency building.The correspondence consists of letters between the Government of Bombay and the Resident at Muscat.1 item (15 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the item.Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at f 91, and terminates at f 105, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the file also contains an original pagination sequence.
Bound volume containing two secret reports, both authored by Colonel Wilfrid Malleson (referred to as Division of the Chief of the Staff in the first report, and Assistant Quarter Master General for Intelligence in the second), and both issued by the Division of the Chief of the Staff in 1909.The first report is entitled
Statistics regarding the Masqat [Muscat] Arms Traffic (Revised.)(ff 4-16), and contains several appendices and fold-out tables giving details of: caravan routes along which arms trafficking is carried out on the Makran coast; total values of arms and ammunition imported into Muscat and other Persian Gulf ports; importers and (European) exports of arms.The second report is entitled
Special Reports on the Masqat Arms Traffic, Season 1908-09(ff 17-60), and comprises a number of reports on the arms trade through Muscat, submitted by ‘secret agents’, and a map illustrating the arms traffic from Muscat to Persia, Baluchistan and Afghanistan (f 59). The report also includes two appendices, lettered G and H. Appendix G is a letter (in French) dated 28 October 1907, from M Pick to Messieurs Malcom and Company of Muscate [Muscat]. Appendix H comprises lists (in French) of arms for sale, with prices given in French francs.The voluime includes a map illustrating the Muscat arms traffic, dated 1909, indicating routes taken by the Muscat arms trade from the Persian (Makran) coast and inland, into Persia, Baluchistan and Afghanistan (f 59).1 volume (60 folios)Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 62; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: this part also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
The file consists of notes and appendices providing a history of the arms trade up to 1908, prepared by C M Gibbon of the Persian Section of the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Department, Government of India.A preface is included by Wilfrid Malleson, Division of Chief of General Staff, India.It discusses: the monetary value of the arms trade, attempts to stop the import of arms into Persia, reported trade routes, import and export figures, the types of rifles and ammunition imported, and firms connected with arms traffic.The appendices include the following:an outline of the scheme inaugurated by Mr New of the Indo-European Telegraph Department for the prevention of illicit arms trade on the Makran Coast;lists of arms caravans known to have made their way from the Makran Coast into Afghan territory;a precis of the action taken by the Persian Government to prohibit arms caravans through South-East Persia;statistics for the value of arms and ammunition openly imported in the Masqat [Muscat] and Persian Gulf ports, monthly exports from the United Kingdom, imports into Masqat by foreign vessels, distribution from Masqat to Persian and Arabian Coasts, and the proportion of various forms of rifles and ammunition imported monthly;a statement of the departures for and arrivals at Masqat of vessels carrying arms and ammunition, and European firms connected with Masqat arms traffic.Also includes one map on folio 17: 'PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE ROUTES TAKEN BY ARMS CARAVANS BETWEEN THE MAKRAN COAST and the AFGHAN BORDER'1 file (16 folios)The file consists of a single document.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 18; 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 also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
This printed memorandum was received from the Chief Political Officer, Basra, under Sir P Cox's letter (No 3) dated 18 August 1916 (see IOR/L/PS/10/426: 3744/16), and includes a report by Gertrude Lowthian Bell (signed G L B), originally published in the Arab Bulletin, concerning the rebellion against the Sultan of Muscat, Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd, and, subsequently after his death, his son, Taymūr bin Fayṣal Āl Bū Sa‘īd. Bell gives a description of the causes of the rebellion against the Sultan of Muscat, which, in her opinion, were 'partly due to old and deepseated matters of disagreement and partly to the reflex action of modern European politics'. She goes on to describe various events from May 1913 to July 1916, including: the fall of Nizwa [Nizwá] and Izki [Izkī]; the visit of the Viceroy to Muscat in February 1914; the death of Fayṣal; the religious character of the uprising ('Jihad'); and potential peace terms.1 file (7 folios)Foliation: The foliation sequence 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.
A memorandum, written by Adolphus Warburton Moore, Assistant Secretary of the Political and Secret Department of the India Office, 1 September 1879.The document is a summary of correspondence, government reports, and published literature relating to the Turkish expedition into El Hassa [Al Hasa] in 1871, and was compiled in light of a proposed comprehensive arrangement with the Porte about the positions of the two powers along the Gulf coast, and policing responsibilities at sea. The correspondence is from the period 1870-1874 and is principally between various British Government departments and offices connected to the region, and the Turkish Government.The Turkish expedition called into question the sovereignty and jurisdiction of much of the Arabian Peninsula, as well as the coastline and islands of the Gulf. The correspondence contains discussions of these matters and reflects British fears of a loss of their monopoly over the control and security of the Gulf, and a disruption of the treaty relations they maintained with rulers in Bahrein [Bahrain], Guttur [Qatar], the Trucial Coast, Muscat, and Aden.The author quotes extensively from the correspondence and other sources, notes on which are to be found in the margin throughout.1 file (14 folios)Foliation: the foliation for this description commences at folio 131 and terminates at folio 144, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The main foliation sequence 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.Pagination: The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.Condition: folio 131 is torn along one edge, with some loss of text.