This volume contains administrative reports and historical sketches concerning Persian Gulf affairs. The volume also contains a number of letters between Henry Lacon Anderson, Secretary to the Government, Bombay; A Hinlock Forbes, Acting Secretary to the Government, Bombay; and Captain Felix Jones, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf. The correspondence relates to the reporting of this information (folios 3-5 and 77-79). The historical reports themselves were prepared by Herbert Frederick Disbrowe, Assistant Resident.The volume contains reports covering two reporting periods:1 May 1858 to 31 May 1859 (folios 2-75): Joasmee [Āl Qaswāsim] (folios 6-19); Beniyas [Banī Yās] (folios 20-25); Debaye [Dubai] and Ajmaun [Ajman] (folio 26); Amulgavine [Umm al-Qaywayn] (folios 27-30); Wahabee [Wahhabi, Najd] (folios 31-33); Uttoobee [al-‘Utūb, Bahrain] (folios 34-50); Muscat (folios 51-63); and Persian Coast (folios 64-75);1 June 1859 to 31 May 1861 (folios 76-173): Joasmee (folios 80-86); Bokha [Bukhā] (folios 87-89); Himreeah [Ḥimrīyah] (folios 90-91); Beniyas (folios 92-93); Boo Felasa [Bū Falāsah] (folios 94-105); Ajmaun and Amulgavine (folios 106-107); Wahabee (folios 108-115); Uttoobee (folios 116-157); Muscat (folios 158-161); and Persian Coast (folios 162-173)The reports concern British relations with various Persian Gulf and Arabian rulers, including: Sa‘īd bin Taḥnūn Āl Nahyān, former ruler of Abu Dhabi; Zāyid bin Khalīfah Āl Nahyān, ruler of Abu Dhabi; Sa‘īd bin Buṭṭī Āl Maktūm and Shaikh Ḥashr bin Maktūm Āl Maktūm, rulers of Dubai; Sulṭān bin Ṣaqr Āl Qāsimī, ruler of Sharjah; ‘Alī bin ‘Abdullāh Āl Mu‘allā, ruler of Umm al-Qaywayn; Ḥumayd bin Rāshid Āl Nu‘aymī, ruler of Ajman; Amīr Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Sa‘ūd, Wahhabi chief; Muḥammad bin Khaīfah Āl Khalīfah, ruler of Bahrain; Syed Soweynee [Sayyid Thuwaynī bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd], Sultan of Muscat and Oman; and Sayyid Mājid bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd, ruler of Zanzibar. Mention is also made of the Chief of Damaum [Damām], Seikh Mohomed bin Abdullah [Muḥammad bin ‘Abdullāh] (folio 34); the Sheikh [Muḥamad bin Thānī] of Biddah [al-Bida‘] on the Gutter [Qatar] coast (folio 36); and chiefs of Lingah [Bandar Lengeh] and Mogoo (folio 67), as well as Charrack (folio 68).The reports cover the following subjects: visits and interviews of the Political Resident and other British officials, including Commodore Jenkins and Commander Balfour, with local rulers; the slave trade; piracy and the upholding maritime peace; pearl diving and trade; judicial matters affecting British subjects (Banyans), as well as details concerning their status; native Residency Agents at Sharjah and Bahrain; smallpox outbreak; the death of Shaikh Sa‘īd bin Buṭṭī and the succession of Shaikh of Ḥashr bin Maktūm; the Perpetual Truce of Peace and Friendship (1861) between Britain and the ruling Āl Khalīfah family of Bahrain; relations and conflicts between local rulers, notables, merchants and the British; and relations with the Amir Faysal, the Imam of Muscat, the Persian Government and the Ottoman Empire.Marginal notes refer to various correspondence. In addition, annotations in pencil appear throughout the volume (particularly folios 103-105, 141-145, 157) and the front cover is marked 'Done' in blue.1 volume (178 folios)Foliation: Foliation is written in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. It begins on the front cover, on number 1, and ends on the inside of the back cover, on number 176.Foliation errors: folio 1 is followed by folio 1A; folio 75 is followed by folio 75A.
Correspondence from Ephraim Gerrish Stannus, the Resident in the Persian Gulf, primarily to William Newnham, Chief Secretary to Government at Bombay and Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonald, Envoy to the Court of Persia.The main subject of correspondence within the volume is the relationship between the British Government and the Government of Persia, centering on the attitude of the Prince of Shiraz (Ḥosayn-‘Alī Mīrzā) and the Government of Bushire to the British Officers based there.Affairs at Bushire are the main topic of discussion, with the abduction by the Imam of Muscat (Saʻīd bin Sulṭān) of the former Governor Abdool Russool Khan [‘Abd al-Rasūl Khān], the seizure of the Government of Bushire by Shaikh Ahmed [Aḥmad bin Khamīs] from Shaik Hussein [Shaikh Ḥusayn Khan], and the counter attack by Shaikhs Hussein and Nassir [Nasir Khan] which resulted in threats of violence against the Residency at Bushire, the Prince of Shiraz's troops occupying the town, and the Resident being forced to leave the limits of the Bushire Residency until the acts committed by the Government and its supporters against the Residency are acknowledged.Other tensions between the British Officers in Persia and the Prince of Shiraz and his Prime Minister Zekee Khan [Zakī Khān] are also discussed, including the seizure of packets and baggage by the Customs House at Shiraz and accusations made against the officers in relation to the abduction of Abool Russool Khan, which were unfounded.The correspondence also details the daily financial administration of both His Majesty's Mission to Persia and the Residency at Bushire and includes statements of accounts and registers of Bills, along with communication with the Accountant General and Civil Auditor at Bushire on financial matters; the movements of British vessels in the Gulf; and the situation on the Arab Coast including the Imam of Muscat's intention to attack the fort at Derah [Ad Dir‘īyah] and remove its inhabitants from that place; an encounter between Rahma bin Jabir and vessels from Bahrein [Bahrain] which resulted in Rahma bin Jabir's death; and the blockade of Bussorah [Basra] by the Imam of Muscat's forces, and subsequent mediation of the situation by the Resident at Bussorah, Captain Robert Taylor.1 volume, 156 items (140 folios)Foliation: The foliation sequence is circled in pencil in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. It begins on the first folio after the front cover, on number 2, and ends on the inside of the back cover, on number 140. There is also a former pagination sequence numbering 1-272, which is written in ink in the top left corner of each page and runs through folios 3-139.
The volume of private and secret letters contains correspondence from successive Residents in the Persian Gulf at Bushire, including Captain Ephraim Gerrish Stannus, Captain David Wilson, Dr John MacNeil, Lieutenant Samuel Hennell and David Arnold Blane. The correspondence is to William Newnham, Chief Secretary to the Government of India; Lieutenant-Colonel McDonald, Envoy to the Court of Persia; Charles Morris, Acting Chief of Sectary to the Government of Bombay; and W S Collinson, Commander and Senior Marine Officer in the Persian Gulf, Bassadore [Bāsa‘īdū]. There are various enclosures included in the correspondence, including translations of letters and notes from: Shaik Ahmed of Bushire [Shaikh Aḥmad]; the Prince of Shiraz; Shaik Russool [Shaikh ‘Abd al-Rasūl], the Governor of Bushire; Sa‘īd bin Sulṭān Āl Bū Sa‘īd, the Imam of Muscat, and his agent, Hajee Abdool Ameer [Ḥājjī ‘Abd al-Amīr]; and Shaik Abdoollah ben Ahmed [‘Abdullāh bin Aḥmad Āl Khalīfah], chief of Bahrain. In addition, an enclosure (folio 18) is a 'Table showing the entire operations of 4 Cruizers destined for Services connected with the Persian Gulf'.There is an index of letters on folio 2v-3. A note on folio 2r states that 'interesting titles' are marked with a blue cross in the index. Subjects included within the file include: British influence in the Persian Gulf, including relations with Persia, the Wahhabis, Muscat, Bahrain and the Shaikhs on the Arab coast; the movement of vessels and naval issues; movements of native and merchant ships; maintaining the maritime peace; legal claims and disputes; ports in the Persian Gulf and their suitability for steamers; arms trafficking; visits to various locations on the Arab coast, including Sharjah and Bahrain.1 volume (96 folios)The letters are arranged in chronological order throughout the volume. There is an index of letters on folio 2v-3 that refers to the original pagination of the volume.Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: An original pagination sequence written in ink is present in the volume between ff 4-95.
This file contains inward letters from the Government of Bombay plus enclosures from the Government of India to Captain David Wilson, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf. Subjects include Britain’s relations with Persia and the Imam of Muscat, as well as issues concerning the Russo-Persian War and the new Persian currency.1 files, 5 items (32 folios)The file is arranged in approximate chronological order.Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the cover and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An original pagination sequence in ink also runs throughout the volume.
The volume contains mainly letters addressed to Lieutenant William Bruce, Resident at Bushire at the time. Bruce was Acting Resident until 1812, but in this volume he is still often referred to as Acting Resident. A few letters are written to James Orton, Assistant Surgeon at Bushire, who took temporary charge of the Residency while Bruce was away from Bushire. The letters are mainly from the Secretaries of the Government of Bombay. Subjects relating directly to the Residency include: accounts; military and marine expenses. Broader themes within the letters include the diplomatic relations with Persia and the Wahabee [Wahhabis], the procurement of sulphur for its use in gunpowder, the silk and horse trades, and the threat of Āl Qāsimī pirates to British trade in the Persian Gulf.1 volume, 174 items (149 folios)Two different hands have written the volume, one from folios 1-40, and the second from folio 41 until the end. In the first instance, earlier letters are grouped under headings either upon order of receipt or of transcription; heading dates start from 14 August 1813, but the actual letters are from 2 April 1813.From folio 41 the correspondence is in chronological order, and letters are up to 28 December 1814.Foliation: there is an original pagination, written in ink in the top right of each recto and the top left of each verso. It starts on the first letter with 1 and continues until page 213.The volume has been foliated in pencil, circled, in the top right corner of each folio. The numbering begins with the first letter with 1; then 2-94; 95-95a; and then runs through to 138, which is the last number given on the first blank page at the end of the volume. There are seven blank pages at the beginning and three at the end of the volume.Condition: the item has suffered from insect damage and the paper is very fragile in some parts. Some folios are glued and cannot be read.
The correspondence book consists of translations and substances of letters, with enclosures, addressed to Captain David Wilson, British Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire, Mirza Hadayat Ullah [Mīrzā Hidāyatullāh] and Captain Samuel Hennell. The dates of the letters are given using the Gregorian calendar, but also the Hijri calendar (for example, folio 44r). Some of the letters include enclosures (for example, folios 3v and 15v). The originals are not present in the volume, but there are two notes in Persian (folios 30 and 42).The letters are sent from British Native Agents in the Persian Gulf and Persia, including:Asso [Asu], Agent at Buhrein [Bahrain] (folios 2r, 4r, 13v, 21v, 25r, 29r, 37v, 42r, 45v, 46v, 53v, 54r, 56v, 57r, 59r, 69r, 72r, 74v, 76r, 77v, 83r, 89r);Goolab [Gulab Anandas], Agent at Muscat (folios 2r, 2v, 13r, 24v, 33r, 42r, 52v, 53r, 56r, 68v, 69v, 70r, 71v, 74r, 75r, 81v, 86v, 88v);Mirza Ally Akbar [Mīrzā ‘Alī Akbār], Agent at Shiraz (folios 4v, 14r, 17r, 17v, 19r, 19v, 23r, 28v, 29v, 34r, 35r, 36r, 41r, 42v, 45r, 51v, 52r, 55r, 57v, 60r, 70r, 76v, 86r, 87r, 87v);Moullah Salh [Ṣāliḥ], Agent at Mogoo [Moguyeh] (folios 5r, 5v, 12r, 24v, 29r, 32r, 33r, 36v, 38v. 40v, 50v, 54r, 57v, 58v, 63r, 76v, 77v);Moullah Houssein [Mullā Ḥusayn], Agent at Sharjah (folios 7r, 10r, 18v, 20v, 25v, 28r, 38r, 38v, 40v, 49v, 50v, 58r, 60v, 61r, 62r, 63r, 66r, 67r, 68v, 70v, 72v, 74r, 78r, 81v, 84r, 88r);Hajee Meer Baker [Ḥājjī Mīr Bakr], Agent at Isfahan (folios 21r, 32r, 32v, 34v, 35v, 54v);Hajee Salih [Ḥājjī Ṣāliḥ], Agent at Lingah (folios 46v, 64r, 69r, 86v, 87r, 88r).And local rulers, officials, notables and rulers on both littorals of the Persian Gulf:Juleel Mirza [Jalīl Mīrzā] (folios 14r, 22v, 42v);H R H the Prince of Fars [Ḥusayn ‘Alī Mīrzā Farmānfarmā] (folios 14r, 22r, 59v, 60v);Mahomed Ally [Muḥammad ‘Alī Khān] Wauzeer [Wazīr] of Fars (folios 15r, 22r, 33v, 58r);Eel [?] Khan (folios 19v, 34r, 60r);Shaik Sooltan bin Suggur [Sulṭān bin Ṣaqr Āl Qāsimī], ruler of Sharjah (folios 22r, 26v, 39r, 40r, 48r, 49r, 55v, 62v, 67v, 82v, 87v);Shaik Tahnoon [Ṭaḥanūn bin Shakhbūṭ Āl Nahyān], ruler of Abu Dhabi (folios 26v, 38r, 48v, 73v, 84r);Shaik Rashed bin Humeed [Rāshid bin Ḥumayd Āl Nu‘aymī], chief of Ejman [Ajman] (folios 27r, 39r, 47v, 63v, 68v);Shaik Abdoolah bin Ahmed [‘Abdullāh bin Aḥmad Āl Khalīfah], chief of Bahrein [Bahrain] (folios 45v, 75v, 87v);Mahomed bin Quzeeb [Muḥammad bin Qaḍīb?], Shaik of Lingah (folio 46r);Shaik Salih bin Suggur [Ṣāliḥ bin Ṣaqr] (folios 49r, 73v, 87v);Jabir [Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh Āl Ṣabāḥ], Shaikh of Grain [al-Qurayn?], Kuwait (folios 51, 64v);Shaik Abdool Russool [‘Abd al-Rasūl Khān], Shaikh of Bushire (folios 65r, 65v, 79r, 80r);His Royal Highness the Imaum [Imam of Muscat, Sa‘īd bin Sulṭān Āl Bū Sa‘īd] (folios 69v, 77r);Abdoulla bin Rashid [‘Abdullāh bin Rāshid Āl Mu‘allā], Shaik of Umulgavine [Umm al-Qaywayn] (folio 72v).Topics and themes of the correspondence include: British relations with Persia, the Imam of Muscat and rulers on the Arab littoral of the Persian Gulf; relations and conflicts between local rulers; the arrival and departure of ships; trade and piracy; maintaining the Maritime Peace; petitions and claims; slavery; and issues concerning the work of the native agents and instructions sent to them by the Residency.1 volume (96 folios)The correspondence is arranged in approximate chronological order.Foliation: The main foliation sequence commences at the title page and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A second foliation sequence runs between ff 2-11; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio. A third (original) foliation sequence appears uncircled at the top folio 9v, starting at number 24 and continuing on the recto and verso of each folio to number 189 on folio 89v.Physical Conditon: Insect damage, water damage and tears causing missing text on folios 2-58 and 83-89.
All letters in the file are from the British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at his Residency on the Island of Karrack [Khārk, Jazīreh-ye] and are addressed mainly to the British Government in Bombay. Many of the Resident’s letters include extracts from reports submitted to him by the British naval commander in charge of the Persian Gulf Squadron and the Native Agent in Shargah [Sharjah], both acting under his direction. The majority of the Resident’s letters concern outbreaks of hostilities between the several Arab Chiefs and their tribespeople inhabiting the Arabian coast and ports of the Persian Gulf, as well as the measures taken by him to enforce the Maritime Truce and suppress piracy in the region. Events, intelligence and activities reported in the year 1841 include the following:The disunion between Shaikh Sultan ben Suggur [Sultan bin Saqr], the Joasmee [Qasimi] Chief of Shargah and his son Suggur, who sought refuge with his rival Shaikh Mukhtoom [Maktūm], the Chief of Debaye [Dubai] (folios 2-3);The Resident’s ultimatums, including the threat of naval force, to Shaikh Salmin bin Nasir, Governor of Biddah [Doha] regarding his protection of the pirate Jubbur Rugragee and to Shaikh Mukhtoom, Chief of Debaye regarding his condonation of the repeated aggressions by his subjects on boats belonging to Benyas [Bani Yas] tribespeople (folios 4-7, 13-15);Disturbances by the townspeople of Bushire, following the introduction of new taxes and the non-payment of the troops guarding the town, by Sheikh Nasir, the Governor of Bushire (folios 8-9, 27);The unwillingness of the Shaikhs of Brymee [al Buraimi] to stop the frequent marauding expeditions by members of their tribes into the territories of the Imam of Muscat (folios 11-12);The Resident’s tour of the Arabian coast by ship in May for the annual renewal of the Maritime Truce at successive meetings with the Chiefs of the Arab ports (folios 13-15, 18-24, 27, 39-41);During a visit by the Prince of Shiraz, the merchants of Bushire and Shiraz affirm that the British occupation of the Island of Karrack is harmful to Persian trading interests (folios 16-17);The persistent marauding expeditions of Shaikh Khalifa bin Shakboot [Khalifa bin Shakhbut], the Benyas Chief of Aboothabee [Abu Dhabi] into the districts of Shaikh Sultan ben Suggur of Shargah and Shaikh Mukhtoom of Debaye (folios 26, 30-33);Repossession of the Fort at Houken by Syed Sooweny, Governor of Muscat, from the deposed Oman Chief, Syef bin Sooleman who had seized it in a surprise attack (folios 28, 32);The Resident gives his reasons for doubting that the peace agreed between the Joasmee and Naeem Tribes on one side and the Benyas, Moozara and Joowahir Tribes on the other side will last (folios 34-35);The Resident rescues members of the Persian royal family from shipwreck off the Island of Karrack, on the morning of 17 November (folios 42-43);The Resident’s detailed instructions and arrangements for an urgent British mission to Ameer Khaled at his camp near Lahsah [Al-Hasa], to dissuade him from invading Oman and thereby prevent the outbreak of tribal war in Oman and the destruction of Brymee (44-46, 49-50);The Resident’s detailed instructions for the work of the Residency during his absence and under the temporary charge of Lieutenant-Colonel C Davies in December, the latter’s preparations on taking up his new duties, for the imminent evacuation of British troops from the Island of Karrack (folios 47-50).Numerous letters have been crossed through. These tend to be short letters about the routine management of the Residency: staff, accommodation, equipment, accounts and communications.A few surviving letters are incomplete, only the start or end of the letter remains on file.The file title ‘Book 128 1841’ is written in blue ink on a 20th century file cover (folio 1) enclosing the letters, which are unbound.1 file (49 folios)The volume contains 70 letters that are arranged chronologically.Foliation: the letters in the file are numbered 2 to 50, from front to back. The numbering is written in pencil in the top right corner and encircled, on the recto.Pagination: the contents of the file were originally numbered in ink as follows: 21-24, 57-64, 71-74, 111-112, 115-124, 135-138, 153-166, 209-212, 245-246, 255-258, 263-278, 281-282, 305-310, 363-366, 371-380, 389-392.
The file contains:Letters exchanged between the British Government in London, the British Government of India and the Bombay Government, the British Resident in the Persian Gulf and the British Agent Muscat, September 1840 to February 1841 about alleged French demands on the East African territories of the Imaum of Muscat in the vicinity of Zanzibar (folios 2-10);Letters exchanged between the British Envoy to Persia and the British Resident in the Persian Gulf, and an intelligence report from the British Commander of the Indian Naval Squadron in the Persian Gulf, concerning Persian affairs, April 1841 (folios 23-25) and the evacuation of British troops from the Island of Karrack [Khārk, Jazīreh-ye], October 1841 (folios 40-41);Intelligence reports submitted by the British Commander of the Indian Naval Squadron in the Persian Gulf to the Superintendent of the Indian Navy, February-March 1841 (folios12-19) and the British Resident in the Persian Gulf, March 1841 (folios 20-22) and which include English translations of letters from Sheikh Mucktoom [Maktūm] of Dubai (folio 19) and Sheikh Salmin ben Nassur of El Biddah [Doha] (folio 16), together with two Arabic promissory notes from the latter Sheikh (folios 23A and 23B). The reports relate to the British naval patrol of the Trucial Coast in the winter of 1841, referring to hostilities between the Chiefs of the Arab Ports and British enforcement of the Maritime Peace Treaty by the collection of money and goods from chiefs who had given protection to pirates or who had failed to take measures against any of their subjects known to have committed acts of piracy, as compensation to the rightful owners of plundered boats;Intelligence reports submitted by the British Commander of the Indian Naval Squadron in the Persian Gulf to the British Resident in the Persian Gulf, July-October 1841 (folios 26-39) regarding his patrol of the Pearl Fishery banks during the summer pearling season.1 file (40 folios)The letters are arranged chronologically. Several letters incorporate copies of earlier letters (folios 16-17, 19, 23A-23B) or enclose them separately (folios 6-8).Foliation: the letters are numbered 2-50, 23A, 23B, 23, 24-41, from front to back. The numbering is written in pencil in the top right corner and encircled, on the recto. Two small documents numbered 23A and 23B form a single folio. The front of the file cover is numbered 1.Pagination: the contents of the file were originally numbered in ink as follows: 29-33, 46-53, 69-70, 87-104, 106, 118-119, 123-125, 197-203, 212-223, 245-248, 250-251, 264. Blank pages and pages containing brief details such as name and address are unnumbered.One of two Arabic seals that appear on the reverse side of two Arabic promissory notes (folios 23A and 23B) is partly obscured by the strip of paper to which both documents are attached.
The file contains letters received by Captain Samuel Hennell, British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf in 1841, mainly from J P Willoughby, Secretary to the Government of Bombay. At this period, the British Residency was based temporarily on the island of Karrack. The letters to the Resident contain information, guidance and instructions from the Governor in Council of Bombay. They also frequently include copies of pertinent correspondence between other British officials, mainly the Governor in Council of Bombay, the Governor General of India, the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors of the East India Company, London and Lord Palmerston, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, London. The letters and their enclosures discuss events in East Africa and the Persian Gulf in 1841 and their implications for British foreign policy, relations and interests in these regions. The main topics discussed in the correspondence are as follows:• Captain Atkins Hamerton’s mission to Zanzibar on behalf of the British Government, to investigate French ambitions in the East African territories of the Imam of Muscat, attempts by the French Government to establish a French Consular Agent at Zanzibar, French occupation of territory on the island of Nasbeh or Nos Beh [Nosy Bé], near Madagascar and the history of tribal warfare between its inhabitants. There are English translations of four documents seen by Hamerton in Zanzibar, including an agreement dated 29 April 1838 between Queen Smeko [Tsiomeko] of the Sucklavee [Sakalava] Tribe on the Island of Nos Beh and the Imam of Muscat. There is also an English translation of a letter sent by Lord Palmerston to the Imam of Muscat in September 1840 (folios 2-8, 14-17, 24-26, 75-90);• Plans for the evacuation of British troops from their military station on the island of Karrack [Khārk, Jazīreh-ye], following the return of the island to the ownership and control of Persian authorities, in accordance with a recent commercial treaty between Persia and Great Britain. The desirability of retaining a British settlement on Karrack and the British Government’s view that the British Resident should remain on the island and continue to conduct Residency business in the Persian Gulf from Karrack (folios 21, 63, 67-69, 74, 92-99, 107-110);• Discussion of British policy and measures for suppression of the maritime slave trade between ports in India, East Africa, the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. The intention of the British Government to increase its demands on the Trucial Coast Chiefs of the Persian Gulf to actively prohibit the slave trade in their ports and equally the Imam of Muscat, with regard to his ports in Zanzibar and other East African territories. The intention of the British Government to ask the Persian Government to prohibit the slave trade in the Persian Gulf ports subject to its authority and control (folios 19, 33-36, 56-57,102-106, 111-117).1 file (119 folios)The letters are arranged chronologically. Many letters incorporate copied extracts from earlier letters or enclose them separately.Foliation: the letters are numbered 2-26, 26A, 27-65 and 66-117, from front to back. The numbering is written in pencil on the recto, in the top right corner and encircled. The front of the file cover is numbered 1 and the back of the file cover is numbered 119 on the inside. There is a blank internal cover enclosing letters numbered 66 to 117. The front of the internal blank cover is numbered 66A and the back of the internal blank cover is numbered 118 on the inside.Pagination: the contents of the file were originally numbered in ink as follows: 9, 11, 7, 8, 12, 14, 17, 19 and then in strict ascending numerical order from 21 to 377, but with many gaps in the sequence. This earlier numbering of the file is predominantly pagination, but includes remnants of some former foliation systems as well. Blank pages or folios and those containing brief details only, such as name and address, are usually unnumbered.
The file contains an exchange of letters between British Government officials in India and London, copied to Lieutenant H D Robertson (Officiating British Resident in the Persian Gulf) for his information and guidance. The letters often refer to the regular reports submitted by the British Resident in the Persian Gulf to the Bombay Government and occasionally contain specific instructions or decisions for the Resident to follow.The main correspondents are: J P Willoughby and L R Reid (Secretaries to the Government of Bombay, on behalf of the Governor in Council of Bombay) and J H Maddock (Secretary to the Government of India, on behalf of the Governor General of India in Council). Other correspondents include: the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors of the East India Company, mainly communicating the wishes of Lord Aberdeen (British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs) about the British evacuation of Karrack and Captain Atkins Hamerton (British Agent at Muscat) reporting from Zanzibar about slave trafficking in the East African ports belonging to the Imam of Muscat.The letters discuss events in the Persian Gulf in 1842, relations between the rival Arab Maritime Chiefs particularly over slave trafficking, relations between Britain and Persia particularly over the possession of the Island of Karrack [Kharg], the state of the Maritime Peace and several other topics.British evacuation of the Island of Karrack and its restoration to the Persian Government by treaty, including: removal of the British Residency from Karrack back to Bushire, British attitude to the eventual replacement of British pilotage charges on Karrack with a Persian system of pilotage dues, retention of a British coal depot on Karrack for the use of East India Company steamers, proposal for the re-occupation of Bassadore [Bāsa‘īdū] as a British naval depot in the Persian Gulf for the East India Company’s squadron of war ships, proposal to convert the British station on Karrack to an invalid station for Europeans in India (folios 9, 20, 24, 27-29, 31-36).British suppression of the maritime slave traffic in the Persian Gulf, including: trading in slaves between the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea by members of the Joasmee [Qasimi] Tribe under the authority of the Arab Maritime Chiefs and the inability of the Imam of Muscat to prevent them from visiting the ports of his East African territories, the importation of Soomalee [Somali] slaves into Shargah [Sharjah], the importation of African slaves from Muscat into the territory of the Ameers [Amirs] of Scinde in Pakistan, new stringent measures proposed by the British Resident with regard to financial penalties, seizures and confiscations of all native boats involved in slave trafficking between the East Coast of Africa and the various ports in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, the British Government’s long term policy towards the eradication of all trade in slaves between Africa, India and the East African and Arabian countries bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea (folios 3, 10-13, 15-19).The renewal of the annual Maritime Truce between Great Britain and the Chiefs of the Arab Ports in the Persian Gulf and the reasons for and against extending the duration of its term (folios 6, 14); British reaction to an alleged planned invasion of Bahrein [Bahrain] and Koweit [Kuwait] by Persia (folios 29-31) and British relations with Ameer Khaled and his supposed intention to invade Oman (folios 3-7).The file title ‘Book 131 1832’ is written in blue ink on the file cover, with the year '1832' crossed out in pencil (folio 1). The file contains letters written in 1842 not 1832, and one letter written in 1841 (folios 2-3).1 file (37 folios)The letters are arranged chronologically. Several letters incorporate copied extracts from earlier letters or enclose them separately.Foliation: numbered 1 to 37, beginning on the front of the file cover and ending on the inside of the back cover. The numbering is written in pencil and encircled, on the recto of each folio, in the top right corner.The 27 letters in the file were originally numbered in ink, on the recto of every folio, in the topr right corner, as follows: 8-10, 15-18, 36, 47-50, 85, 113-117, 143, 149-151, 155, 158-159, 162, 164, 185-188, 210, 230-232.
The file contains letters received by Lieutenant Arnold Burrowes Kemball, Assistant British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, who was in charge of the Persian Gulf Residency at Bushire, from August to October 1843. Later letters were received by Captain Samuel Hennell, British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, following his return to the Persian Gulf Residency in November 1843.Most of the letters are from British naval officers in the Persian Gulf Squadron, reporting on maritime affairs along the Trucial Coast. Their letters contain naval patrol reports, local intelligence communicated by the British Government Native Agents Hadjee Jassim and Moolah Hussein, stationed at Bahrein [Bahrain] and Sharga [Sharjah] respectively, also witness statements arising from investigations into two particular incidents, as follows:Several naval patrol reports dated August, September, October and November 1843, from Lieutenant A Macdonald, commanding the East India Company schooner
Mahi, from Lieutenant J S Draper, commanding the East India Company sloop of war
Cooteand from Commander J P Porter (Senior Indian Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf), commanding the East India Company brig of war
Euphrates, mentioning outbreaks of tribal conflict and the state of relations between the sheikhs of Abothubee [Abu Dhabi], Amulgavine [Umm-ul-Kawain], Aymaum [Ajman], Bahrein [Bahrain], Brymee, Debai [Dubai], Sharga [Sharjah] and Ras–al Keyma [Ras Al Khaimah] (folios 2-3, 22-25, 27-28, 31);Other naval reports dated September and October 1843, from Lieutenant J S Draper, mentioning chiefly the Pearl Bank fishery season; particularly the presence of a large fleet of pearl fishing boats from the island of Kenn [Kīsh] (folios 16-17, 21);Special naval reports dated July and September 1843, from Commander J P Porter and Lieutenant A Macdonald, give a detailed account of their investigations into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the wrecked British merchant ship
Mary Mallaby, which had sailed from Port Louis, Mauritius in May 1843 and run aground at the port of Bunder Abbass [Bandar Abbas] on the Persian coast of the Gulf, in July 1843, together with extracts from entries in the ship’s log book, transcripts of the oral testimony given by the ship’s crew and master, Captain C Fisher, and an English translation of the oral testimony given by the vizier of the Sheik of Bunder Abbass (folios 4-12, 18-20);Special naval report dated December 1843, from Lieutenant J S Draper, giving a detailed account of the unusual circumstances surrounding the recent discovery of an abducted Indian slave girl living in Bahrain, together with an English translation of Lieutenant Draper’s letter dated November 1843 to the Sheikh of Bahrein, stating that the slave girl was currently under the protection of the British Native Agent, also English translations of the oral testimony given by the slave girl, her alleged brother, the widow of her Arab slave owner and the local Arab inhabitant who encountered the alleged brother on his arrival from Bombay in search of his sister (folios 29, 32-33).There are also three letters dated August and October 1843, from: William H Litchfield, master of the East India Company schooner
Emilyabout the sinking of the vessel to eradicate vermin (folio 15); Mr W J A Malcolm, a merchant in Bushire about his knowledge of the history of the struggle between Persian and Turkish authorities to control the frontier port of Mohamrah [Khorramshahr] (folios 13-14); Colonel Justin Sheil, the British Minister at Tehran, reporting his conversation with Hajee Meerza Aghassee [Haji Mirza Aghasi], the Persian Prime Minister about Persia’s intention to intervene militarily in the internal power struggle in Bahrain (folio 26).1 file (33 folios)The letters are arranged chronologically. Many letters incorporate copied extracts from earlier letters or enclose them separately.Foliation: numbered 2-10, 11, 11A, 12-33, from the front to the back of the file. The numbering is written in pencil on the recto, in the top right corner and encircled. The front of the file cover is numbered 1 and the back of the file cover is unnumbered. Folios 10 and 11 are blank. The writing on folio 11A is on the verso, not the recto.As a result of a scondary and earlier foliation sequence, most folios are also numbered in ink as follows: 151, 156, 158, 160, 161, 163, 165, 167-169, 171, 185, 202, 204, 215, 217, 219, 221, 223, 225, 227, 232, 243, 244, 260, 261, 276-280.
The file contains letters received by Captain Samuel Hennell, British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire, from the Government of Bombay, between 1843 and 1848. Some correspondents address him as Major Hennell rather than Captain Hennell. A few of the letters received in 1843 are addressed instead to Lieutenant Arnold Burrowes Kemball, the Assistant British Political Resident in charge of the Persian Gulf Residency, during the absence of Captain Hennell.Most letters received between 1846 and 1848 are from Arthur Malet, Secretary to the Government of Bombay. Letters received between 1843 and 1846 are from J P Willoughby and other secretaries to the Government of Bombay.The letters contain information, guidance and instructions from the Governor in Council of Bombay. The letters often contain or enclose separately, copies of pertinent correspondence between other British officials, including: the Governor General of India in Council, Calcutta; Captain Atkins Hamerton, British Political Agent for the dominions of the Imam of Muscat, based in Zanzibar; the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors of the East India Company, London; Lord Aberdeen and his successor Lord Palmerston, as British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, London.All file correspondence is in English, except for one letter from the Imam of Muscat to the Governor General of India, dated January 1846, for which there is an Arabic copy as well as an English translation (folios 32-34).The letters and their enclosures discuss events in East Africa and the Persian Gulf between 1843 and 1848 and the implications for British foreign policy, relations and interests in the region. The main topics discussed are the suppression of the maritime slave trade, the actions of the Imam of Muscat and the Chief of Bahrain and the territorial ambitions of Turkey and Persia, as follows:Legal opinion about the liability of British subjects to incur penalties for entering into slave transactions in Muscat, under the anti-slavery provisions in the treaties of 1822 and 1839 between Great Britain and the Imam of Muscat, 1843 (folios 2-7);Measures by the Imam of Muscat to prohibit the African slave trade between his East African ports and his ports in the Persian Gulf, 1846-1847 (folios 35-37);British response to the plans of the Imam of Muscat to invade Bahrain, 1845 (folios 19-21), blockade the Persian port of Bushire, 1846-1847 (folios 31-34, 38-39, 51-53) and take retaliatory measures against Persian ports and vessels, following Persian oppressions against his Governor of Bunder Abbas and other of his dependencies in Persia, 1848 (88-92, 95-99, 110);British cooperation with Turkey and Persia for the suppression of the maritime slave trade, following the prohibition by their rulers, on the importation of African slaves into the Persian Gulf ports under Turkish and Persian control respectively, 1847-1848 (folios 49-50; 74-78; 82, 101-105);Legal opinions and naval instructions 1847-1848, about the powers of British naval ships and courts in India to seize, condemn and confiscate African slave ships intercepted in the ports and seas of East Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, under the terms of the treaties concluded by the British Government with the Imam of Muscat in 1845 and the Arab Chiefs of the Trucial Coast in 1847 (folios 54-57, 63-65, 69-73, 84-87, 106-109);British intentions to negotiate new trade and anti-slavery treaties, 1847-1848, with the Arab Chiefs of Bahrain (folios 76, 82, 93-94) and Sohar (folio 100) in the Persian Gulf;British suspicions about Turkish ambitions to supremacy over Bahrain and other Arab sheikdoms on the Trucial Coast, 1847 (folios 62, 74-78), British resistance to Persian involvement in the disputes between the rival Arab chiefs claiming sovereignty of Bahrain, 1844 (folios 11-18), an English translation of the claim advanced by the Persian Government to the sovereignty of Bahrain and an assessment of its legal validity by the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors of the East India Company in London, 1845 (folios 22-30);Opinion of Lord Palmerston, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, London that British naval ships operating in the Persian Gulf do not have the right to pursue and seize pirates beyond the Restrictive Line, into the Euphrates and other rivers in Turkey, or to detain them in the open sea for offences committed within Turkish limits, 1847-1848 (folios 45-48; 58-62; 74-78);Approval by Lord Palmerston, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, London given for the use of British naval ships to defend Bahrain, at the request of its chief, Sheik Mahomed bin Khuleefa, in the event of an attack by disaffected members of the Uttobee tribe, who had left Bahrain and sought refuge on the island of Kenn, near the Persian coast, 1847-1848 (folios 66-68, 79-81, 83).1 file (111 folios)The letters are arranged chronologically. Many letters incorporate copied extracts from earlier letters or enclose them separately.Foliation: numbered 2 to 112, from the front to back of the file. The numbering is written in pencil on the recto, in the top right corner and encircled. The front of the file cover is numbered 1. The back of the file cover is unnumbered.Present in the file are remnants of earlier foliation and pagination sequences, written in ink. Most folios have been numbered twice, usually on both the recto and verso, in the top right or left hand corner respectively. The main numbering system runs from 15 to 356, with gaps, from the front to the back of the file. The other main numbering system is made up of multiple sequences between 100 and 500, in no particular order. The blank verso of any folio is usually unnumbered.