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 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 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.
This part of the volume consists of enclosures to a despatch from the Government of Bombay's Secret Department to the East India Company's Secret Committee, Number 8 of 1841, dated 31 January 1841. The enclosures are dated 2 November 1840 to 1 February 1841.The enclosures consist of copies of correspondence sent and received by the Government of Bombay, and copies of other papers such as minutes, memoranda and resolutions.The main correspondents are as follows: the Government of Bombay's Military Board; the Secretary to the Government of India; the Political Agent in Lower Scinde; and the Quarter Master General of the Bombay Army. Other correspondents include the Envoy and Minister at Cabool [Kabul], and the Political Agent in Upper Scinde.Many of the enclosures relate to military affairs in Scinde [Sindh, also spelled Sinde in the volume] and elsewhere in India.It also includes enclosures relating to the following:Rules established by the Rao of Cutch, stating that among those vessels trading between Sinde and Bombay, those which were driven into Mandavie [Mandvi] by adverse weather conditions were exempt from the payment of the duties previously exacted at that Port (enclosures relating to this include a
Supplementto the
Bombay Government Gazette, which contains a notification on this subject by the Government of Bombay's Political Department, which is printed in English, Persian, Gujarati, and Marathi)Ordnance and ammunition ordered for the Envoy and Minister at Cabool [Kabul]A carriage intended as a present from Queen Victoria to the Imaum [Imam] of MuscatAga Khan, Governor of Kerman, requesting the Government of Bombay to aid his agent in the collection of contributions from members of his tribe living in Bombay.In addition, this part includes:Three newsletters from the Secretary to the Government of India, containing précis of the latest intelligence received by the Governor General of India, from places including: Peshawur [Peshawar], Upper and Lower Scinde [Sindh], Afghanistan, Khiva, Burma, Nepal, China, Persia [Iran], and Bagdad [Baghdad]A sketch map of the route from Deesa to Lheree via Nuggur, Purkur, Wanga Bazaur, Roree and Shickarpoor [Shikarpur] by Lieutenant J Jacob of the Bombay Artillery (folio 468).1 item (350 folios)There is an abstract of contents of the despatch, numbered 1-89, on folios 383-402. These numbers are repeated for reference on the verso of the last folio of each enclosure. Enclosures no. 80-82 listed in the abstract of contents are not included in the volume.
The volume contains enclosures to despatches, and abstracts of contents of despatches, from the Government of Bombay Secret Department to the East India Company Secret Committee.The volume is divided into eight items:Removal of the Embargo Placed on the Vessels of the Shaikh of Kishm [Shaikh of Qishm] Visiting India (IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 2-46)The Assistant to the Resident in the Persian Gulf Volunteering to Serve with the British and Turkish Troops in Syria during his Unexpired Sick Leave, and the Transmission of Mail to London via Bagdad and Constantinople [Istanbul] (IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 47-57)The Pay and Allowances of Mr Powell during the Period he Acted as Clerk and Purser to the Euphrates Expedition (IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 58-64)Abstract of Contents of a Despatch Relating to the Steam Flotilla on River Indus (IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 65-72)Aden, Mocha, and Tajoura Affairs (IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 73-161)Persian Gulf Affairs (IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 162-381)Affairs in India and Elsewhere (IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 382-731)Mission to the King of Shoa [Shewa] (IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 732-735).There is a note on folio 59 stating that enclosures to Bombay Secret Letter No. 3, dated 29 January 1841, are not included in the collection [volume].1 volume (737 folios)The enclosures to each despatch within the volume are divided by blue dividers (however there is no blue divider between IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 58-64 and IOR/L/PS/5/391, ff 65-72). The sets of enclosures to despatches are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume. The enclosures within each despatch are preceded by an abstract of contents, in which the despatch itself (not included) is numbered 1, the abstract of contents 2, and the enclosures 3, 4, etc. The numbers listed in the abstract of contents are recorded for reference on the last verso of each enclosure, along with the original reference, and a description of each enclosure.Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 739; 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.