Abstract: The correspondence book consists of translations, and substances of letters addressed to the British Resident in the Persian Gulf. The untranslated originals cannot be found in this volume.The authors of these letters can be grouped into two main categories. The first of these being letters from British Native Agents based at Bahrain, Lingah [Bandar-e-Lengeh], Muscat, Sharjah, and Shiraz. Their content consisting of reports on local affairs, responses to queries from the Resident, and reports on incidents of piracy; along with efforts to affect the restitution of property and seize offenders. Reports on the slave trade in the Persian Gulf can also be found within. Much is material of a routine nature, such as the relaying of correspondence and packets; reports on the movement of ships; the provision of coal to British ships at Muscat; and company pensions.The second category is made up of letters from the principle rulers of the Persian Gulf; those most prominently featured include Shaikh Kulufa bin Skakboot, Chief of Aboothabee [Khalīfah bin Shakhbūṭ, Chief of Abu Dhabi]; Shaikh Abdolla bin Ahmed [Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Aḥmad Āl Khalīfah], Chief of Bahrain; Shaikh Nasir [Shaykh Nāṣir], Governor of Bushire; Mirza Abbas [Mīrzā ‘Abbās], Governor of Bushire; Shaikh Abdool Rahman bin Suggur [‘Abd al-Rahman bin Saqr], Chief of Kishm [Qeshm]; Shaikh Said bin Guzeeb [Sa'id bin Qāzib], Chief of Lingah [Bandar-e-Lengeh]; and Sultan bin Suggur [Sulṭān bin Saqr].Specific topics discussed includes:The British occupation of Karg island [Khārk, Jazīreh-ye].The progress of Egyptian troops under the command of Khurshid Pasha [Khūrshid Pāshā] in Nejde [Najd]; their claimed purpose being to support of Ameer Khalid [Amīr Khālid] in his cause against Ameer Fysul [Amīr Fayṣul].Rumours and reports concerning the Shah of Persia's military preparations against Herat.The flight of Shaikh Nasir from Bushire.A rupture between Shaikh Abdolla bin Ahmed of Bahrain and some of his subjects.The activities and background of Sooltan bin Suhar [Sulṭān bin Ṣuḥār] and Mohomed bin Suhar [Muḥammad bin Ṣuḥār] (both accused of piratical acts by the British).A feud between the Chief of Aboothabee and the Chief of Debay.Physical description: Pagination: The volume contains an original pagination sequence, which commences at the first page of content and terminates at the last page of content; these numbers are written in ink, and are located in the top outermost corners of each page.The volume contains the following pagination anomalies; 59, and 59A. Page 221 has been omitted.
Abstract: The volume consists of secret correspondence sent outwards by the British Resident in the Persian Gulf, Samuel Hennell. These letters are primarily addressed to either the Chief Secretary of the Government of Bombay (either Lestock Robert Reid or John Pollard Willoughby), or the Secret Committee at India House in London. The remainder are addressed to various officers of either the British Government, or the East India Company.The subject matter is primarily concerned with the expansion of Egyptian influence towards Bahrein [Bahrain] and Oman through the conquests of the Egyptian commander Khorshid Pasha [Khūrshid Pāshā]; the expansion of Egyptian power is viewed as a threat to British interests in the Persian Gulf. Much of the volume therefore concerns itself with the efforts of the Resident to unite the Arab tribes of Oman in resistance to the Egyptians. More specific details in relation to this subject are as follows:The expulsion of Sued bin Moottuk from Oman, and rumours of his possible return at the head of an Egyptian force to subdue the region.The efforts of the Resident to secure restitution for the Naeem tribe of Brymee for an attack made upon them by the Beniyas [Bani Yas] tribe of Aboothabee [Abu Dhabi].Negotiations to arrange for the resettlement of Esa ben Tareef [‘Isá bin Ṭarīf] and the Al Ali tribe from Aboothabee to another part of the Persian Gulf, and/or affect a reconciliation with Shaikh Abdollah ben Ahmed [‘Abdullāh bin Aḥmad Āl Khalīfah], Shaikh of Bahrein.The Resident's mediation of a reconciliation between Sa‘īd bin Sultān Āl Sa‘īd, Imam of Muscat, and Sued Humood bin Azen, Chief of Sohar [Ṣuḥār].Ideas for enhancing the power of influence of the British in the Persian Gulf.The designs of Khorshid Pasha to conquer or subdue Bahrein, and the political position of Shaikh Abdollah ben Ahmed on the island.The deputation of Captain Akins Hamerton, 15th Regiment Bombay Native Infantry, to Brymee to obtain information on the condition of the town's defences, and his later appointment as Political Agent to Muscat.To a limited extent the correspondence relays news from Persia, primarily from Shiraz. This relates to disturbances in that town, rumours related to the travel plans of the Persian Shah (Muḥammad ‘Alī Shāh Qājār), Persian warlike preparations, and any potential threat to the British at Karrack. It also contains a few updates on affairs at Bushire.The British occupation of Karrack [Khārk, Jazīreh-ye] is therefore also covered within the volume; primarily this concerns measures required to keep the garrison supplied, the health of the troops, and suggestions for the improvement of the island's defences. In addition, the matter of Shaikh Nasir's [Shaykh Nāṣir] expulsion from Karrack, and his later restoration to the Governorship of Bushire is also covered.Also discussed within the file is the inadequacy of the strength of the naval squadron stationed in the Persian Gulf, and various methods for addressing this. This is cited in a number of instances as a factor which prevents the orders of Government from being carried out. The volume contains a split index; the first part is located on folio 2, and the second part is on folio 141.Physical description: Condition: The binding of the volume has come apart, and the front and back covers have suffered significant damage. As a result, the remains of the covers have become detached from 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 are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: The volume also contains an original pagination sequence written in ink.
Abstract: The volume contains three letters and a company circular received by the British Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire, from: a British company in Baghdad advertising its new overland postal service in Arabia (folios 1A-3), Commander Porter reporting on his sea patrol of the Persian Gulf in January 1843 (folio 4), the British Envoy to Tehran reporting the willingness of the Persian Government to repair the dilapidated public buildings on the Island of Karrak [Kharg] (folio 6).The volume title ‘Bushire Residency Book No 134 Secret letters inward 9 Jan 1843-14 Jan 1843’ is typewritten and appears on a modern title page that has been inserted at the front of the volume (folio 1).Physical description: Foliation: numbered 1, 1A, then 2 to 6, from the front to the back of the volume. Folio 1 is a modern, typewritten title page. The numbering is written in pencil on the recto, in the top right corner.As a result of a secondary and earlier foliation sequence, the volume is also numbered from 2 to 7 in ink, except for blank folios and folios containing brief details such as name and address, which are unnumbered.
Abstract: The file contains Secret and Political correspondence sent inwards and outwards from the British Residency in the Persian Gulf; the file primarily represents communications between the Resident, and the Secret and Political Department of the Bombay Government.It covers diplomatic relations with Persia, which includes British naval measures to prevent the importation of slaves; reports on Persian fortification work on the island of Khārk, Jazīreh-ye; British proposals to occupy Khārk, Jazīreh-ye; Shaikh Houssein Nasir's failed attempt to restore himself to the position of Governor of Bushire in 1853; along with the withdrawal of the British Envoy, Charles Augustus Murray, from Tehran at the end of 1855, and the suspension of diplomatic relations.Bahrain is also a subject of much of the correspondence, the principle topic being the reconciliation mediated by the Resident between Shaikh Muḥammed bin Khalīfah Āl Khalīfah, Chief of Bahrain, and Shaikh Mahomed bin Abdullah, Chief of Demaun in 1855. Followed by British efforts to prevent the Al Ali tribe from relocating to the Arabian Coast, and settling in the region of Demaun [Ad-Dammān] that same year; the Al Ali tribe was viewed as a threat by the rulers of Bahrain.Also included in the file is correspondence relating to the replacement of the Treaty of Maritime Truce 1843 with the Perpetual Treaty of Maritime Peace 1853, which was signed between Britain and the Shaikhs of the Arabian Peninsula. This includes the Resident's resolution of a crisis caused by a discrepancy in the English and Arabic expiry dates of the 1843 treaty, which had meant that not all parties were working to the same timetable. In relation to this topic, the issues Shaikh Sulṭān bin Saqr has with a ruling of the East India Company Court of Directors — indicating that compensation payments for violations of the Maritime Truce should be paid directly to injured parties without reference to their ruler — are also covered.A dispute between Syed Saeed [Sa‘īd bin Sultān Āl Sa‘īd], the Imam of Muscat, and Tahmesp Meerza, the Prince Governor of Fars Province, over Bandar-e ʻAbbās is another issue discussed in the file; a Persian force marched against the settlement in 1854. The main point of concern being the Imam's desire to recruit assistance from Bahrain, and Basra to support his claim over the town, which the British feared could lead to the disruption of maritime peace in the Persian Gulf.Physical description: Foliation: The main foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.The file contains the following foliation corrections; 1, and 1B; 125, and 125A.Pagination: The file has also been paginated; this sequence is written in a combination of blue crayon and ink.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence written during and just after the Anglo-Persian War of 1856-57. The correspondents include: James Felix Jones, Political Resident at Bushire; Henry Lacon Anderson, Secretary to Government at Bombay; Captain Dunsterville, Assistant Commissary-General to the Persian Expeditionary Force; John Hill; Brigadier-General John Jacob, a commander of the Persian Expeditionary Force; James Outram, Commander-in-Chief of the Persian Expeditionary Force; George Frederick Edmonstone, Secretary to the Government of India; Rear Admiral Henry John Leeke, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Navy; Major Green, Assistant Adjutant General of the Persian Expeditionary Force; G J Robinson, Commander of the
Tigris; R W Houner, Commander of British Forces at Karrack [Kharg]; Ahmad Khan, Governor of Bushire; the Foreign Office; the Khan of Kelat [Kalat]; Sultan Mahomed Najjaff Meerza, Prince of Jahanabad; an unnamed 'native agent' at Bushire; Meerza Mahomed [Mirza Mohammed] Khan, Commander of the Persian forces; Shuja al-Mulk, a commander of Persian forces at Borazjoon [Borazjan]; and Charles Augustus Murray, British Minister at Tehran.The file is in two parts. The first pertains to a memorial (a kind of petition) from Felix Jones to the British Government following the omission of his name from a list of promotions and recipients of the Order of the Bath.The second covers a number of miscellaneous subjects, including:the idea to present two captured guns to Queen Victoria, as a gift;a detailed list of presents sent to Bushire to be used for gift exchanges;intelligence on Persian forces in the Bushire region;a request from the British to Shuja al-Mulk to purchase horses;the closure of the postal establishment at Bushire;the evacuation of Karrack [Kharg] Island by British forces as part of the conditions of the Anglo-Persian Peace Treaty.Folios 66-67 are instructions for the garrison and gate guards during the British military occupation of the town of Bushire.Physical description: 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 centre of the recto side of each folio. There are the following irregularities: 25 and 25A; 63 and 63A; 64 and 64A; 67 and 67A.
Abstract: This volume primarily concerns Britain's Persian Expeditionary Force and the state of relations between the British and the Persians following the end of the Anglo-Persian War. The volume contains letters written and received by a range of correspondents, including the following:Lieutenant-General Sir James Outram, Commander of the Persian Expeditionary Force, Bushire;Meerza [Mirza] Mahomed Khan, Sirkisheekchee Bashee and Mookhtar-ood-Dowlah, Persian Commander-in-Chief;Hajee Sheikh Mohsin Khan, representative of Meerza Mahomed Khan;Captain James Felix Jones, Resident in the Persian Gulf (also referred to as Political Agent of the Persian Forces and Civil Commander);Brigadier-General John Jacob, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces, Bushire;Brigadier Henry Willoughby Trevelyan, Commandant of Artillery in Persia;Henry Lacon Anderson, Secretary to the Government, Bombay;Charles Augustus Murray, Her Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Persia;Brigadier Robert William Honner, Commander at Karrack [Bandar-e Charak];Ahmed Khan, Durya Begee and Governor of Bushire;His Royal Highness Prince Tahmasp Meerza [Tahmasp Mirza Mu'ayyid al-Dawla], Governor of Fars;Commander James Rennie, Senior Naval Officer, Commander of the Persian Gulf Squadron, Bushire;George Frederick Edmonstone, Secretary to the Government of India.The volume has been divided into sections and summarised as follows:Folios 3-54: Hajee Sheikh Mohsin Khan's visit to the British Commander-in-Chief [Brigadier-General John Jacob], Brigadier Henry Willoughby Trevelyan's return visit to the Persian Commander-in-Chief [Meerza Mahomed Khan], and details of the powers devolved by Lieutenant-General Sir James Outram to Brigadier-General John Jacob;Folios 55-69: Extracts (sent to Bombay by the Resident) from the
Tehran Gazetteregarding the renewal of friendship between Britain and Persia, religious toleration in Persia, and Afghans residing in Persia;Folios 70-84: The return of His Excellency Charles Augustus Murray to the Persian capital and the evacuation of Mohumrah [Khorramshahr, Iran] and Bushire;Folios 85-107: General John Jacob's farewell orders;Folios 108-192: The appointment of Ahmed Khan as Governor of Dashtestan and Bushire.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the inside of the back cover; the numbers are written in pencil, are circled and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The volume consists of letters sent out by Ephraim Gerrish Stannus, the Resident in the Persian Gulf, and James Pringle Riach, the officer placed in charge of the Bushire Residency during his absences; the Resident is required to make a number of trips to the Arabian Coast during the period covered by this volume.The subject matter covered includes political activity in Persia principally relating to Shaikh ‘Abd al-Rasūl Khān, the Shaikh of Bushire, and Ḥusayn ‘Alī Mirzā, the Prince at Shiraz; this includes some discussion concerning a possible Persian expedition to retake Bahrain, and the insecure position of Shaikh ‘Abd al-Rasūl Khān at Bushire. The impact and consequences of an earthquake, which occurred at Shiraz are also reported.A great deal of correspondence is related to the Resident's role in enforcing the General Treaty with the Arab Tribes of the Persian Gulf 1820, which aims to curb piracy in the Gulf. There is therefore a great deal of material relating to mediating a dispute between the dependants of Sa‘īd bin Sultān Āl Sa‘īd, the Imam of Muscat (principally Shaikh Ṭaḥnūn bin Shakhbūṭ Āl Nahyān), and Sulṭān bin Saqr. There is also some material concerning the arrangement of transportation for the Resident's trips to the Arabian coast.Captain William Owen's efforts to suppress the slave trade in East Africa are covered to a degree by the correspondence; the Captain's authorised declaration of a British Protectorate over Mombasa is reported, along with his threats against other dependencies of the Government of Oman (for example, Zanzibar). There is also a limited amount of material concerning the Imam of Muscat's threats to blockade the port of Basra.Physical description: Condition: The front cover of the volume is detached from the binding, which is itself in poor condition, and many sections are loose. Much of the body of the volume is in good condition, but care must be taken as some of the folios are very fragile.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.The volume contains the following amendments to the foliation; 1, and 1A; 20, and 20A; 90, and 90A.Pagination: The volume contains an original pagination sequence written in ink between ff 2-140; these numbers are located in the top centre of each page.
Abstract: The file consists of letters sent outwards from the British Residency in the Persian Gulf; the position of Resident in the Persian Gulf is held by Samuel Hennell during this period, with the exception of a brief period at the start of the file when the position is held James Morrison. This correspondence is predominantly addressed to the following recipients: John Pollard Willoughby, Secretary to the Secret and Political Departments of the Government of Bombay; and the Secret Committee of the Court of Directors, London. The remainder consists of correspondence sent to various officers/officials of the British Government, and the East India Company, with a tiny minority being addressed to the officials/rulers of other powers. The subject matter relates to affairs affecting the position of the British in the Persian Gulf.Material concerning British relations and trade with Persia is heavily featured in the file; it covers events leading up to, and shortly subsequent to the withdrawal of the British Residency from Bushire in March 1839. Therefore, it also concerns itself with the British occupation of the island of Karrack [Khārk, Jazīreh-ye], which was undertaken without the permission of the Persian Government, and the reaction of the authorities of Bushire in response; the British view this response as hostile to their interests, and it is used to justify their withdrawal. The Persian siege of Herat (1837-1838) is also briefly discussed due to the impact it has on diplomatic relations between Britain and Persia; much of the material in the file therefore relates to the possibility of a diplomatic rupture between the two states.The expansion of the influence of Muhammad Ali Pasha [Muḥammad ‘Alī Pāshā] of Egypt into Central Arabia as a result of the conquest of Nedgd [Najd] by Khurshid Pasha [Khūrshid Pāshā] — Commander-in-Chief of Egyptian forces in Najd — is another prominent topic in the file; Khurshid Pasha successfully defeating and imprisoning Ameer Fysul [Amīr Fayṣul], the Wahabi Chief. Much of the material therefore concerns the attempts of the Resident to thwart the expansion of this influence to Bahrain, and the Maritime Arabs of the Arabian Coast (Trucial Oman), which he fears would undermine British influence in the Gulf.Other subjects covered more briefly include:The return of property belonging to Prince Ruza Kooly Mirza, which was left on deposit in the Residency Treasury at Bushire.British fears that the Russians are using Armenian priests as spies against British India.The arrival of Nawab Hajeah, widow to the late Prince at Shiraz with some of her descendants, and their wives, and children, followed by their detention by the Governor of Bushire, and their subsequent flight — with the assistance of the Resident — to Bussorah [Basra].The position of Shaikh Nasir [Shaykh Nāṣir], former Governor of Bushire, at Karrack; the Shaikh fled Bushire following a rupture with the Government of Fars, which he feared would seek to imprison him.The Resident's efforts to affect a settlement between Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Aḥmad Āl Khalīfah, Chief of Bahrain, and his 'revolted dependant' Esa ben Tareef [‘Isá bin Ṭarīf].The file contains an original index, which can be found at the front of the volume.Physical description: Foliation: The 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.The file contains the following foliation errors: 34, and 34A; 79, and 79A; 98, and 98A.Pagination: An original pagination sequence is also present in the volume between ff 3-126; these numbers are written in ink, and are located in the top outermost corner of each page.
Abstract: The file is in two sections. The first section contains correspondence and the minutes of a public meeting regarding desecration of British graves at Bushire by some Persians, covering attempts to secure agreement with Persian authorities to respect the sanctity of such things and permission to make repairs to those damaged.The second section pertains to the visit of the Prince-Governor of Farsistan, Sultan Murad Mirza, to Bushire. It covers preparations for the event and a trip taken by the Prince-Governor to Karrack [Kharg] Island aboard the
Semiramis, accompanied by Felix Jones. It also covers the positive results for Anglo-Persian relations that the visit engendered.The correspondents include: Felix Jones, Political Resident at Bushire; Charles Murray (later Henry Rawlinson), British Envoy and Minister at Tehran; Henry Lacon Anderson, Secretary to Government at Bombay; William Doria, British Chargé d'Affaires at Tehran; Prince Sultan Murad Mirza, Prince-Governor of Farsistan; William Balfour, Commander of the Persian Gulf Squadron; Herbert Frederick Disbrowe, Assistant Resident at Bushire.Physical description: Foliation: the numbering is circled 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 inside of the back cover, on number 58. There are the following irregularities: f 12 is followed by f 12A; f 15 is followed by f 15A; f 21 is followed by f 21A; f 22 is followed by f 22A; f 27 is followed by f 27A; f 28 is followed by f 28A.
Abstract: The volumes consist of letters outwards from the British Residency in the Persian Gulf. Most of these letters were originally penned by Samuel Hennell (Resident), with a few towards the end of the second volume penned by Thomas Edmunds (Assistant Resident). Most of these letters are addressed to John Pollard Willoughby, Secretary to the Government of Bombay in the Political and Secret Departments; Lestock Robert Reid, Acting Chief Secretary to the Bombay Government; George Barnes Brucks, Commodore of the Indian Naval Squadron in the Persian Gulf; the Secret Committee of the Court of the Directors of the East India Company, London; and Robert Taylor, Political Agent in Turkish Arabia, Bagdad [Baghdad]. The remaining correspondence is directed towards various officers/officials/servants of the British Government and the East India Company. Some letters also have translations of correspondence to and from various rulers in and around the Persian Gulf enclosed.Much of the correspondence concerns the conquest of Nedgd [Najd] by Khorshed Pasha [Khūrshid Pāshā], Commander of Egyptian Forces in Central Arabia, and the establishment of Ameer Khalid [Amīr Khālid] — also known as Khaled ben Saood — as ruler of that province. Much of the correspondence therefore concerns itself with Khorshed Pasha's efforts to extend Egyptian influence throughout the rest of the Arabian Peninsula and therefore extend the power of its ruler Mahomed Ally Pasha [Muḥammad ‘Alī Pāshā]; the British are specifically concerned about Bahrein [Bahrain], Bagdad, Bussora [Basra], Koweit, and the various rulers of Oman submitting to becoming vassals of Egypt. Much of the subject matter therefore relates to the Resident trying to check the advancement of Egyptian power in order to maintain Britain's dominant position, its reputation, and prestige in the Persian Gulf. A specific example being the removal of Sued ben Mootluk, an Agent to Khorshid Pasha operating in Oman; the agent was claiming to have been empowered to rule Oman on Khorshid Pasha's behalf.Another major topic concerns political relations between Britain and Persia. A diplomatic rupture between the two states takes place, and all communications between the Resident and the Government of Fars is therefore suspended. The correspondence covers events in Southern Persia leading up to — and following — the removal of the British Residency from Bushire on 29 March 1839 to Karrack [Khārk, Jazīreh-ye]; a diary of events leading up to the removal of the Residency is enclosed. The correspondence also concerns itself with the British force stationed — without the permission of the Persian Government — on the island of Karrack, along with subsequent reports of disturbances surrounding Shiraz and Bushire.Other matters featured in the volumes include a visit to the Persian Gulf by Sir Frederick Maitland, Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies and China, aboard HMS
Wellesley; efforts by the British to prevent the abduction of Africans for sale as slaves in the Persian Gulf; and discussions relating to the deployment of the ships of the Indian Naval Squadron in the Gulf.It also contains material of a routine nature such as the transmission of letters, packets, and parcels; and the issuing of disbursements.The volumes appear to have been subjected to a degree of weeding, as evidenced by the gaps present in the original pagination. As a result, some letters are only present as fragments (i.e. only the opening or ends of some letters remain).Physical description: Condition: The volumes are by and large in good condition, though on a small number of folios the ink has faded; in consequence, the text is therefore difficult to read on these folios. A very small number of folios have also suffered physical damage at the edges, and therefore a small proportion of the text has been lost.Foliation: The foliation sequence runs through two physical volumes. This sequence commences at the first folio of the volume one and terminates at the back cover of volume two; these numbers are written in pencil, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.The volumes contain the following foliation corrections; f. 111, and ff. 111A-F.Pagination: There is an original pagination sequence, which is written in ink, that is also present in the volumes between ff. 1-220; these numbers are located in the top outermost corner of each page. There are a large number of gaps in this sequence, indicating that a degree of weeding has been undertaken at some point in the past.
Abstract: The volume contains copies of letters sent by the British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, mainly to J P Willoughby, Secretary to the Government of Bombay, in 1843. Although Captain Samuel Hennell was Resident at this time, letters dated January to October 1843 were sent by Lieutenant Colonel H D Robertson, Captain Atkins D Hamerton and Lieutenant Arnold Burowes Kemball, who successively officiated for Captain Hennell during his absence.The letters often contain or enclose separately, copies of other pertinent correspondence sent or received by the Resident, such as: local intelligence reports from the native agents and occasional letters from or to local Arab rulers about military conflict, maritime treaty infractions and dispute resolution. The local intelligence reports are from British Government Native Agents Hajee Jassim at Bahrein [Bahrain], Moollah Hoosein at Shargah [Sharjah] and Reuben Aslan (also referred to as Khojal or Khojah Reuben) at Muscat. The letters from Arab rulers include: Sheikh Mubarak bin Abdullah of Demaum, ex-Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed of Bahrain, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggur of Ras-el Khyma, Sheikh Abdoollah bin Rashid of Amulgavine [Umm-ul-Kawain], Sheikh Mucktoom bin Butye of Debaie [Dubai] and Sheikh Khuleefa bin Shaboot of Aboothabee [Abu Dhabi].All copies of the Resident’s Arabic correspondence with native agents and ruling sheikhs, a petition by the islanders of Karrack [Kharg], transcripts of oral statements made by merchants and a slave child in the course of investigations, are in the form of English translations. There are no Arabic originals or copies in the volume.The correspondence discusses events in the Persian Gulf in 1843, predominantly in relation to: slavery, piracy, conflicts between the rulers and inhabitants of the Trucial Coast Sheikdoms, civil war in Bahrain and their implications for British foreign policy, relations and interests in the region. Typical contents include:Letters from the officiating British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf to Commodore W Lowe at Bassadore [Bāsa‘īdū], with orders to transport six Arab pirates in British custody to the Imam of Muscat for punishment. The Resident also expresses his views on the maritime treaties and punishable acts, such as the selling of persons and the seizure of boats as punishment for piracy, 1843 (folio 12);Letter from Syed Soweynee, Governor of Muscat and others from the Native Agent at Muscat, to the British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, about the recovery of several Indian slave children living with Muscat inhabitants, including a transcript of the oral testimony of one of the slave children, February to July, 1843 (folios 17-20, 61-62);Letters from Lieutenant A B Kemball, Assistant British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf in Charge, to J P Willoughby, Secretary to the Government of Bombay reporting on his tour of the Trucial Coast by ship, to negotiate the annual renewal of the Maritime Truce with the ruling sheikhs and obtain their signatures, May 1843 (folios 29-30, 36-46);Letters from Lieutenant A B Kemball, Assistant British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf to in Charge, to J P Willoughby, Secretary to the Government of Bombay reporting on the plunder of vessels and other disturbances at Bahrain, including further attacks for supremacy of the island after its recent invasion by Sheikh Mahomed bin Khuleefa, March-June 1843 (folios 12-13, 16-17, 21-22, 27-28,47-49, 51-53);Letters from Lieutenant Colonel H D Robertson, officiating British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf to Colonel Justin Sheil, British Chargé d’Affaires at the Court of the Shah of Persia, Tehran, as well as internal Residency memoranda by Captain A D Hamerton, about the management of the British Persian Gulf Residency, its personnel, especially interpreter Hajee Ahmed and British coal agent Hajee Yacoob, arrangements for the temporary transfer of the Residency to Karrack Island, relations with the island inhabitants and with the Persian authorities, January, March- April, July-August 1843 (folios 1-5, 10, 23-26, 67-68, 76-78).Physical description: Foliation: numbered 1 to 100, from the front to the back of the volume. The numbering is written in pencil on the recto, in the top right corner.Pagination: numbered 23-30, 53-62, 65-68, 75-78, 81-88, 101-110, 129-148, 153-158, 177-198, 209-216, 231-240, 243-246, 257-270, 301-304, 307-310, 323-328, 331-346, 357-362, 377-382, 427-430, 449-456, 459, 460 and 471-486, from the front to the back of the volume. The numbering is written in ink, in the top right and left corner of the recto and verso respectively.
Abstract: This part of the volume consists of enclosures to a despatch from the Government of Bombay Secret Department to the Secret Committee, Number 113 of 1842, dated 15 October 1842.The enclosures are dated 16 August to 10 September 1842, and consist of copies of the following correspondence:Copies of despatches from HM Chargé d’affaires at Tehran (Lieutenant Colonel Justin Sheil) to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Earl of Aberdeen) concerning Persia [Iran], Afghanistan and Herat, including reports of the build-up of Turkish [Ottoman] troops on the Turkish border with Persia. The despatches include: enclosed letters from correspondents including Meerza Abul Hassan Khan [Mīrzā Abū al-Ḥasan Khān Shīrāzī, Īlchī Kabīr], Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs; a copy of a firman [order or edict] from the Khan of Khiva; and a letter in French from the French Consul General at BaghdadLetters from the Political Agent in Turkish Arabia [Iraq] (Lieutenant Colonel Robert Taylor) to the Secretary to the Government of India, forwarding copies of correspondence, mainly between Taylor and Sheil, relating to impending hostilities between Turkey [the Ottoman Empire] and PersiaLetters from the Officiating Resident in the Persian Gulf (Lieutenant Colonel Henry Dundas Robertson) to the Government of Bombay [Mumbai], forwarding copies of correspondence regarding: the proposed withdrawal of the Residency in the Persian Gulf from Bushire [Bushehr]; the circumstances behind the departure of Lootf Ally Khan [Luṭf ‘Alī Khān Lārī], the Commander of the Lar Garrison of Karrack (also spelled Kharg), from Karrack; and news reported from Bahrein [Bahrain] by Mohamed Ali [Muḥammad ‘Alī], Agent at Bahrein, and from Shiraz by Mirza Reeza [Mīrzā Rezā], Agent at Shiraz.Physical description: There is an abstract of contents of the despatch, numbered 1-10, on folios 308-309. These numbers are repeated for reference on the last verso of each enclosure.