Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah, Khaz'al al-Ka'bi, in southern Iraq. A particular taxation system called
Istihlak(consumption) tax has been imposed by the Iraqi Government on the produce of the gardens. British Officials discuss payment of export duty on garden produce from the Shaikh of Kuwait’s gardens in Iraq, and the allegations made by the Shaikh of Kuwait against the customs authorities at Faw.The British Ambassador in Baghdad reports that because of the enforcement of the new tax law, the Iraqi Government is no longer able to make exempt from taxes the Shaikh‘s gardens' produce that has been exported from Iraq for the personal use of the Shaikh.The volume includes a copy of minutes of a conference on the Shaikh’s date gardens held in Baghdad and minutes of an interdepartmental meeting held in London in regards to the gardens issue.The Political Agent, Kuwait, asks the Shaikh of Kuwait to provide full and detailed statements showing all payments and losses resulting from the imposition of Istihlak tax by the Iraqi Government. The Shaikh in turn provides six statements (ff 194-221):Statement I. Showing the amount levied as
Istihlaktax from merchants purchasing and exporting dates in 1932.Statement II. Showing the amount levied as
Istihlaktax from merchants purchasing and exporting dates in 1933.Statement III. Showing the amount levied from the Shaikh as
Istihlaktax and under the heading 'Customs duties' on articles exported for the Shaikh’s private consumption.Statement IV. Showing the quantities of dates which the Shaikh was obliged to surrender from his own share to the
fellaheen(peasants) working in his gardens under the
Istihlaktax.Statement V. Showing the losses sustained by the Shaikh as a result of the disobedience of the
fellaheendue to the introduction of the
Istihlaktax.Statement VI. Showing the grand total of the above lists.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 227; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are present in parallel between ff 6-222; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah, Khaz'al al-Ka'bi, in southern Iraq. The correspondence is mainly about the taxation imposed on the gardens by the Iraqi Government.British officials discuss statements of claims which cover the years 1932 and 1933, and which were submitted by the Shaikh of Kuwait and by Mirza Muhammad, Agent in Iraq to Shaikh Khaz'al, in respect of the losses both shaikhs suffered because of the imposition of the taxation system called
Istihlak(consumption) tax. The shaikhs claim that the Iraqi Government has imposed the
Istihlaktax system despite the fact that the gardens were exempted from taxations for the years 1932-1933.The volume contains statements on taxation paid on the Shaikh of Kuwait’s estates in Iraq for the years 1934-1937. These statements are in Arabic and English and they were distributed among the Political Agency, Kuwait, and the Residency, Bushire. The volume also contains a report (ff 81-90) of the administration and management of the properties of the Ruler of Kuwait in the years 1933-1934 sent by the Shaikh’s general agent, Jacob Gabriel, to the Political Agent, Kuwait.The volume also contains correspondence between British officials discussing the question of compensation for the loss of income from the date gardens in Iraq belonging to the late Shaikh Khaz‘al, and the British Government’s decision to treat his heirs with the same level of respect.The main correspondence is between the Political Resident, Bushire, the Political Agent, Kuwait, British Ambassador, Baghdad, the India Office, London, the Foreign Office, London and the Ruler of Kuwait.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 271; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 150-266; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence by the Political Resident, Bushire, to the Political Agent, Kuwait, asking him to remind the Shaikh of Kuwait to prepare a report related to the
Istihlak(consumption) tax he paid on the produce of his date gardens in Iraq in 1938 and 1939. The Shaikh wrote back promising to prepare the required report.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 5; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-4; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: This file is a continuation from IOR/R/15/5/151. It contains correspondence, memoranda and legal papers regarding lawsuits brought against the Shaikh of Kuwait [Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ] by the heirs of the former owners of the Al Faddaghiyeh, Al Bashiyah and Al Fao properties, and efforts on behalf of the Shaikh to reclaim the properties. The papers discuss: the application of Land Settlement Procedure in the Bashiyah, Fao and Faddahiyeh cases; an amendment to the Land Settlement Law which potentially prevents non-Iraqi nationals from owning property in Iraq; updates on the various hearings and appeals being held in the Iraqi courts; arrangements for powers of attorney to be granted to and by the Shaikh; changes in the Shaikh's legal representation, following the conscription of representative Abdul Jalil Partu into the army, and later his appointment as Mayor of Basra; the occupation of the Fao fish and meat markets by the Fao municipality; and the actions of the Andrew Weir and Co monopoly in blocking the export of dates from the gardens.The file primarily consists of correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, the Foreign Office, the India Office Political Department, the Political Agent at Kuwait, and HM Ambassador to Iraq. It also contains letters received from the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ), the Shaikh's son and acting representative in Basra (Shaikh Muḥammad Āl Ṣabāḥ), the Shaikh's secretary (Abdulla Mulla Saleh) and the Shaikh's lawyers (Abdul Jalil Partu, Sulaiman Faidhi, and Nasrat al-Faresi) as well as copies of outgoing letters to them.The file contains the following legal documents (English translations unless otherwise stated):Decision of the Basra Land Board regarding the ownership of the Bashiyah property, f 5.Copy of the Land Settlement Law Amendment, taken from
Al Waqayi' al 'Iraqiyyah, f 9.Documents served by the Government of Iraq on the Al Sabah family regarding the Fao Nahiyah properties, ff 33-34.Documents issued by a Committee formed to settle the dispute between the heirs of Mohd and Jarrah Pasha and their Unvle Mubarak Pasha Al Sabah regarding shares in his estate, ff 42-50.Decision of the Land Settlement Board regarding the appeal against the Fao ruling, ff 69-74.Various Power of Attorney documents, ff 80-81, 129-131, 138-145.Decision of the Land Settlement Board regarding the claim of Hababa al Ghuneem, ff 322-323.The papers continue under reference IOR/R/15/5/153.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 338; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 2-337; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: This file is a continuation from IOR/R/15/5/152. It contains correspondence, memoranda and legal papers regarding lawsuits brought against the Shaikh of Kuwait [Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ] by the heirs of the former owners of the Al Faddaghiyeh, Al Bashiyah and Al Fao properties, and efforts on behalf of the Shaikh to reclaim the properties. The papers discuss the progress of the various cases, appeals and hearings regarding the Faddaghiyah (eventually found in favour of the Shaikh), the Bashiyah (eventually found against the Shaikh) and the Fao (still ongoing by the closure of the file) properties.The papers also discuss: the provision of legal advice for the Shaikh, following the appointment of the Advocate Nasarat al-Farisi as Iraqi Ambassador to Turkey; technical difficulties with Powers of Attorney granted to and by the Shaikh; the occupation of the Fao fish and meat markets by agents of the Fao Municipality; the rebellion of the Shaikh's
fellaheenon the Fao estate, and their refusal to pay rents or gather the date harvest; the prohibition against the export of dates from Iraq to countries other than Kuwait without the prior agreement of the Date Board; and the potential compensation claim should the Shaikh lose ownership of any of the properties.The file primarily consists of correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, the Foreign Office, the India Office Political Department, the Political Agent at Kuwait, and HM Ambassador to Iraq. It also contains copies of correspondence between the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ), the Shaikh's son and acting representative in Basra (Shaikh Muḥammad Āl Ṣabāḥ), the Shaikh's secretary (Abdulla Mulla Saleh) and the Shaikh's lawyers (Sulaiman Faidhi, Nasrat al-Faresi, and Iskandar Mansur), as well as copies of outgoing letters to them.The file contains the following legal documents (English translations unless otherwise stated):Copy of the pleading submitted by Nasrat al-Faresi to the President of the First Court of Appeal of the Land Settlement Board, ff 59-76.Document listing the various postponements to the Faddaghiyah case, providing dates and grounds for postponement, f 82.Copy of the final decision of the Second Court for Land Settlement, Iraq, for the Faddaghiyah Estate, ff 101-102.Power of Attorney documents, ff 108-109, 184-185.Précis on all the diplomatic and legal proceedings regarding the Shaikh of Kuwait's date gardens since 1927, with index, ff 130-145.Memorandum submitted by Nasrat al-Faresi to the Iraqi Court of Cassation regarding the Faddaghiyah Estate, ff 186-188.Memorandum submitted by Iskandar Mansur to the Court of Cassation regarding the Faddaghiyah Estate, ff 191-192.Various memoranda and documents of security submitted to the Iraqi Courts, ff 197-205.Final decision of the Court of Cassation regarding the Faddaghiyah Estate, ff 290-291.The correspondence is continued under reference IOR/R/15/5/154.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 312; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Three additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 1-311, ff 21-103, and ff 182-295; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: This file is a continuation from IOR/R/15/5/153. It contains correspondence, memoranda and legal papers regarding lawsuits brought against the Shaikh of Kuwait [Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ] by the heirs of the former owners of the Al Faddaghiyeh, Al Bashiyah and Al Fao properties, and efforts on behalf of the Shaikh to reclaim the properties or seek compensation for their loss. The majority of the file concerns the Fao estate, discussing: the progress of a number of appeals and counter appeals regarding ownership; dealings with the Fao municipality and the Mudir of Fao regarding their occupation of the gardens; the refusal of the Shaikh's tenants to gather the date crop; the passing of legislation giving the tenants the right to reclaim river land adjacent to the Shaikh's property; and negotiations with the Basra Port Directorate for the lease of land within the Fao property. The papers also discuss: the Shaikh's court appeal seeking return of the purchase money for Bashiyah property, and later attempts to bid for the land at auction; and changes in the Shaikh's legal representation at Basra.The file primarily consists of correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, the Foreign Office, the India Office, and the Political Agent at Kuwait. It also contains copies of correspondence between the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ), the Shaikh's son and acting representative in Basra (Shaikh Muḥammad Āl Ṣabāḥ), the Shaikh's secretary (Abdulla Mulla Saleh) and the Shaikh's lawyers (Sulaiman Faidhi, Iskandar Mansur, and Hasan Abdul Rahman), as well as copies of outgoing letters to them.The file contains the following legal documents and case notes (English translations unless otherwise stated):Court of Appeal decision regarding the Bashiyah, f 65.English and Arabic copies of a court document regarding the Fao properties, ff 90-91.Estimates of the present and pre-war values of the Shaikh's land at Bashiyah, ff 120-121.English and Arabic copies of inheritance documents issued by the Sharia Court of Kuwait, plus Power of Attorney documents, ff 124-132, 136-139, 140-142, 152-155, 192-205, and 325-331.An updated précis of the date garden lawsuits and their status at the time, ff 262-264.A précis of proceedings and Government correspondence regarding the date gardens, ff 276-278, and 333.The correspondence is continued under reference IOR/R/15/5/155.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 366; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 15-157; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: This file is a continuation from IOR/R/15/5/154. It contains correspondence, memoranda and legal papers regarding lawsuits brought against the Shaikh of Kuwait [Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ] by the heirs of the former owners of the Al Faddaghiyeh, Al Bashiyah and Al Fao properties, and efforts on behalf of the Shaikh to reclaim the properties or seek compensation for their loss.The papers primarily discuss the appeals and counter appeals regarding the ownership of the Fao property, lodged at the Basra Court of Appeal as part of the Land Settlement Procedure. Topics discussed include: attempts by the Government of Iraq and the lawyer of the plaintiffs, (advocate Sulaiman Shawwaf) to delay the hearings; the transfer of appeal cases from the Baghdad courts to the Basra courts; the selection by the court of experts to assess the extent of cultivated and non-cultivated land and the age of date trees in the gardens; and the steps taken to prevent the Shaikh from disposing of his date crop.The papers also document the Shaikh's attempts to re-purchase the Bashiyah estates at auction, and the reimbursement of this payment by HMG. The file also contains several documents regarding proposals for HMG to be released from their 1914 pledge to support the Shaikh in the matter of the date gardens, in return for a lump sum payment.The file primarily consists of correspondence between the Foreign Office, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, the Political Agent at Kuwait, and HM Consul-General at Iraq. It also contains copies of correspondence between the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ), the Shaikh's son and acting representative in Basra (Shaikh Muḥammad Āl Ṣabāḥ), the Shaikh's secretary (Abdulla Mulla Saleh) and the Shaikh's lawyer (Hasan Abdul Rahman), as well as copies of outgoing letters to them.The file contains the following legal documents and case notes (English translations unless otherwise stated):Report detailing the area of the Al-Sabah's property at Fao, ff 128-133.Aide-memoire summaries of actions taken in the Fao dispute for the years 1938-1949, ff 139-142, 155-159, and 175-177.Draft of the document discharging HMG from their pledge to the Shaikh, f 168 and 295.Arabic copy of the judgement given by the President of the Court of Appeal at Basra on 12 July 1949, ff 237-261, with an English translation at ff 279-283.Arabic and English copies of the decree by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal for Land Settlement regarding the Fao case, dated 14 July 1949, ff 302-327.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 336; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 6-329, and ff 31-149; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: This volume is a continuation from IOR/R/15/5/148. It contains correspondence, memoranda and legal papers regarding law suits brought against the Shaikh of Kuwait [Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ] by the heirs of the former owners of the Al Faddaghiyeh, Al Bashiyah and Al Fao properties. The papers discuss the provision of legal assistance for the Shaikh of Kuwait, the progress of the various lawsuits, the felling of date trees on the Fao land, and attempts by the Shaikh's representatives to have the ownership of the garden properties settled under the Iraqi Land Settlement Law. The papers also concern the question of compensation to be paid to the shaikhs of Kuwait in respect of a) property potentially lost through litigation, and b) income lost through the imposition of
Istihlaktax.The volume primarily consists of correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, the Foreign Office, the India Office Political Department, the Treasury, the Political Agent at Kuwait, and HM Ambassador to Iraq. It also contains letters received from the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ), the Shaikh's son and acting representative in Basra (Shaikh Muḥammad Āl Ṣabāḥ), and the Shaikh's lawyers, Ahmed Rushidi Bey [Aḥmad Rashīdī Bey] and Abdul Jalil Partu, as well as copies of outgoing letters to them.The volume contains the following case notes and legal documents:Translation of a reply to the Plaintiff's Counsel's Note, submitted by Ahmed Rushidi Bey to the Basra Court of Instance, ff 28-39.Minutes of a meeting held at the Foreign Office on 21 April 1938 regarding the date garden properties of the Shaikhs of Kuwait and Mohammerah, ff 71-90.Print of the Land Settlement Law No. 29 of 1938, taken from the Iraqi Government Gazette, ff 150-154.English and Arabic copies of the Judgement of the Basra Court of Instance in suit No. 373/1932, ff 198-206.English translation of the Judgement of the Court of Cassation, in its capacity as a Court of Appeal, regarding five Aranas situated in the Tel Kaif village, ff 216-218.The file continues under reference IOR/R/15/5/150.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 294; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 6-289; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: This file relates to taxes in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman and the payment (or non-payment) of certain taxes by British subjects. Related matters covered in the correspondence include the following: the Political Agent and Consul at Muscat's request that the Sultan of Muscat and Oman make the RAF exempt from payment of the Sultanate's municipal tax; a subsequent request for a refund of the RAF's recent municipal tax payments, following the granting of the exemption; the ownership of property by British subjects; other taxes charged by the Muscat state, including a date tax and a fishing boat tax.The Arabic language material consists of correspondence between the Political Agent and representatives of the Government of Muscat and Oman, including the Sultan of Muscat and Oman [Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd]. Other notable correspondents include the following: the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire; the Secretary to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire; the Commanding Officer of British Forces in Iraq.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 67; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence and legal papers regarding lawsuits brought against the heirs of Shaikh Mubarak Āl Ṣabāḥ (the Emir of Kuwait) by the members of the Al Zuhair family, regarding the ownership of garden properties in Basra.The file contains a small amount of correspondence dated 1916-1918 regarding the division of the property at Fao amongst the heirs of Shaikh Mubarak, and complaints made by Shaikh Nasir al Mubarak Al Sabah against the treatment he has received from his brother Shaikh Jabir al Mubarak Al Sabah.The majority of the file consists of copies of legal documents made between the parties to the lawsuits and lodged at the Court of Instance in Basra. The following documents are included, and there are often several copies of the documents scattered throughout the file (in English unless otherwise stated):Text of Agreement (in Arabic) between the heirs of Mubarak Al Sabah and the Al Zuhair family, made 1904, ff 16-25.Case note by Attorney Abdul Jalil Partu regarding the case brought against the male heirs of Shaikh Mubarak, dated 27 January 1938, ff 37-43.Reply to the Plaintiff's Memorandum regarding the jurisdiction of the Court, ff 26-36.Introductory notes to the case, written by the Political Agent at Kuwait, ff 44-45.Preliminary agreement made between Mubarak Al Sabah and Abdul Wahab bin Qirtas regarding the Faddaghiyah Estates, made 4 Thi al Haji or 27 December 1908, ff 46-51.Petition filed by Abdulla bin Issa Pasha Al Zuhair, before the Court of Instance, against the heirs of Shaikh Mubarak Al Sabah, ff 52-57.Complete list of date gardens properties in the possession of Shaikh Mubarak in 1914, plus notes on exempted estates, ff 60-74.Deed between Mubarak and Abdul Wahab Kirstas relating to the purchase of the Faddahiyay property, ff 90-93.Representation made by Abdul Partu on behalf of the Al Sabah family to the Basra Court of Instance, ff 131-158.Statement by Ahmed Rushdi Bey, lodged in reply to the Plaintiff, ff 165-175.English and Arabic copies of the counter-plea lodged by the Plaintiff's attorney, ff 210-213, 216-217.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 231; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 16-25; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: This item consists of copies of a Political Despatch from the Government of India Foreign Department to the Secretary of State for India, dated 1 September 1874, forwarding a copy of correspondence relative to the imposition, by the Government of Fars, of a tax which, though nominally levied from muleteers, in reality falls on the owners of goods. The despatch also draws attention especially to this matter as illustrating the necessity for a revision of the British Commercial Treaty with Persia [Iran].Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at f 11, and terminates at f 21, 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 sequence contains three foliation anomalies: f 11a, f 12a, and f 13a.
Abstract: This item comprises a copy of an enclosure to a despatch from the Government of Bombay Secret Department to the Secret Committee, Number 15 of 1847, dated 12 February 1847. The enclosures is dated 14 December 1846.The item comprises copies of despatches forwarded, for the information of the Government of Bombay and the Governor-General of India, by Lieutenant-Colonel Justin Sheil, HM Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Persia [Iran], to Viscount Palmerston, HM Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with relevant enclosures.The papers cover a number of matters, notably including:Sheil’s report that he has contracted Hajee Syed Noor Doollah, a native of Bokhara [Bukhara] (but which he left twenty years ago) to make enquiries in Bokhara regarding the whereabouts or the fate of Mr Wyburd [Lieutenant William Henry Wybard], and of an English man and woman said to be prisoners captive in Afghanistan and Khiva. Included is a copy of Sheil’s detailed instructions to the agent which contain details of Mr Wyburd who left Tehran twelve years ago to proceed to Khiva by Asterabad [Gorgan], dressed as ‘an Arab’ or ‘a Persian’ and who called himself ‘Hajee Ahmed Arab’ (ff 252-254)Sheil’s report of responses to his enquiries regarding the whereabouts or fate of Mr Wyburd that he has received from: the Political Resident at Bushire [Bushehr]; the Khan of Khiva (f 256); Aga Khan, the Yoomoot Toorkooman [Yomut Turkmen] chief; the Cazee [qadi] of Herat (ff 256-258); and the Acting Agent of the Mission at Meshed [Mashhad] (f 259). These notably comprise versions of a story that a person called ‘Hajee Ahmed’ was said to have been killed or committed suicide at Bokhara, possibly in the house of the Naib, Abdoos Semed Khan [Nā’ib ‘Abd al-Ṣamad Khān]A commercial treaty concluded between Persia and Spain (ff 261-263)The apprehension, expressed to Sheil by the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, of a potential attack on Bushire due to the disaffected state of Tengestan [Tangestan], Desht [Dashti] and Deshtestan [Dashtestan], which the Resident states is caused by the Persian Government’s practice of selling the government of provinces and districts leading to oppressive exactions on the populace.Physical description: 1 item (50 folios)