Abstract: Confidential printed abstracts of letters received by the India Office from the Government of India, and from senior officials in certain areas outside India, during the year 1871. The letters are dated December 1870-December 1871. The abstracts each have one of the following titles:Abstracts of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from AdenAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire [Bushehr]Abstracts of Letters received from Aden and BushireAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire and AdenAbstracts of Letters received from ZanzibarAbstracts of Letters received from Zanzibar and BushireAbstracts of Letters received from Zanzibar, Bushire and AdenAbstracts of Secret Letters received from India.Each abstract contains summaries of one or more letters from the specified source, each with a title giving the subject of the letter. Letters from India are divided within each abstract by the branch or department of the Government of India they originated from. The correspondence covers issues including:Pay, pensions, recruitment, and other personnel issues in the Indian Civil and Military establishmentsRevenue, expenditure, and taxationPublic works, including: roads; railways including proposed railways to Persia [Iran] and the head of the Persian Gulf; prisons; barracks; irrigation; canals; harbours; and land reclamationsIssues concerning Princely States, including: debts; allowances; internal administration; and police action on the borders of Marwar and Serohi [Sirohi]Land issues, including land revenue settlements and forestryTelegraphyIssues concerning emigration from India to British Guiana [Guyana], Grenada, Penang, and French coloniesMilitary affairs, including: the reorganisation, supply, accommodation, and discipline of military units; naval deployments; and harbour defences in Aden and BombayEducationBankingAffairs on the Northwest Frontier, including raids by the Wuzeerees [Wazīrī tribe] and frontier policy in Beloochistan [Baluchistan]Affairs on the Eastern [Northeast] Frontier, including: defensive arrangements; frontier defences in British-occupied Arracan [Rakhine] and Tenasserim [Tanintharyi] in Burmah [Myanmar/Burma]; raids on tea plantations in Cachar, Sylhet, Tipperah [Tripura], and Munnipore [Manipur] by members of the Looshai [Mizo] tribes; and arrangements for a military expedition against the LooshaiAffairs in Persia, including: frontier relations with Turkey [Ottoman Empire] and with Afghanistan concerning Seistan [Sistan]; trade issues in the Persian Gulf; famine and prohibitions on grain exportAffairs in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, in particular civil conflict leading to the accession of Syud Toorkee [Turkī bin Sa’īd Āl Bū Sa’īd] to the throne and potential threats to Syud Toorkee’s powerAffairs in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, including: conflict in Nejd [Emirate of Najd, also written here as Nujd] between Saood [Sa’ūd bin Fayṣal Al Sa’ūd] and Abdullah [‘Abdullāh bin Fayṣal Al Sa’ūd]; a Turkish [Ottoman] expedition to Nejd, the Turkish occupation of Lahsa [Al Hasa], and the raising of the Turkish flag in Guttur [Qatar]; and the settlement of Odeyd [Khor al-Udayd], claimed by Aboothabee [Abu Dhabi], by an independent tribeAffairs in and around Aden Settlement, including: the capture of Hodeida [Al Hudaydah] by the Aseeris [Emirate of ‘Asir]; relations with neighbouring polities, in particular Lahej [Laḥij Sultanate] and the Foodlees [Faḍlī Sultanate]; the security of roads; and suspected Turkish designs in YemenAffairs in Zanzibar, including the accession of Syud Burgash [Sayyid Barghash bin Sa’īd Āl Bū Sa’īd] to the throne and his relations with Britain and Muscat and the slave tradeAffairs in East Africa, including suspected Turkish designs on Berbera and an attack on a British ship by the Majerteen [Mājertīn Sultanate]Civil conflict in Affghanistan [Afghanistan] between Yakoob Khan [Muḥammad Ya’qūb Khān] and the Ameer [Amīr Shīr ‘Alī Khān], the flight of refugees to India, and Russian overtures to the AmeerRelations with Burmah, including trade relations, proposed routes to China, and arms importsExploration of the route from Ladak [Ladakh] to Yarkund [Yarkant].The primary correspondents are:The Government of IndiaThe Viceroy and Governor-General of IndiaThe Resident in AdenThe Political Resident in the Persian GulfThe Political Agent in Zanzibar.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 393; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers.
Abstract: Confidential printed abstracts of letters received by the India Office from the Government of India, and from senior officials in certain areas outside India, during the year 1864. The letters are dated 9 January 1864-31 December 1864. The abstracts are numbered 1-136 and each have one of the following titles:Abstract of Letters Received from IndiaAbstract of Military Letters Received from IndiaAbstract of Secret Letters Received from IndiaAbstract of Secret Letters Received from the Resident at AdenAbstract of Secret Letters Received from the Political Resident at AdenAbstract of Secret Letters Received from the Governor of the Straits SettlementsAbstract of Secret Letters Received from the Political Agent at Zanzibar.Each abstract contains summaries of one or more letters from the specified source, each with a title giving the subject of the letter. Letters from India are divided within each abstract by the branch or department of the Government of India they originated from. The correspondence included in the volume concerns events in British India, Affghanistan [Afghanistan], Bootan [Bhutan], Burmah [Burma or Myanmar], the Straits Settlements, Aden, Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the coast of East Africa, including:Revenue and expenditureFinances, including taxation, the issue of bullion and currency, and the Bank of BengalCommunications, including postal services and telegraph linesPublic works and transportation, including railways and trams, irrigation, river navigation, roads and viaducts, canals, forestry, steam shipping, lighthouses, land reclamation, harbour improvementsLegal affairs, including the establishment of courts, judicial appointments, legal reform and the salaries of High Court judgesThe retirements, dismissals and appointments of military and civil personnelThe pay and pensions of military and civil personnelMilitary affairs, including the recruitment and disbandment of military units, organisation and supply, military reform, the distribution of prize money, the reduction of the army, the sanitary commission for the reduction of disease in the army, and the issuing of Enfield rifles to ‘Native Troops’Internal affairs, including police forces, missionaries, and medical services and hospitalsEducation in India, including the funding for educational institutions and provisions for the education of ‘native females’The production of crops, particularly cotton and teaNaval affairs, including the reduction of the navy, the jurisdiction of the Royal Navy and the purchase of ships from the Anglo-Chinese SquadronThe military expedition against the ‘Sittana fanatics’ on the Punjaub [Punjab] frontierThe death of the incumbent Governor-General of India, Lord Elgin, and his replacement by Sir John LawrenceThe ongoing construction of the telegraph line between Britain and India, including through Mesopotamia and Persia [Iran]Affairs in the Gulf, including claims by the Persian Government over Charbar [Chahabar] and Guadur [Gwadar]The affairs of the Princely States, including finances, succession and issues of jurisdictionAffairs in Affghanistan, including the accession of the Ameer of Cabul [Amīr of Kabul], Shere Ali Khan [Shīr ‘Alī Khān], the dispatch of an envoy to Peshawur [Peshawar] requesting a treaty of alliance between Affghanistan and Britain, and the imprisonment of Sirdar Mahomed Afzul Khan [Sirdār Muḥammad Afḍal Khān] by the Ameer of CabulAffairs in the Straits Settlements, including shipments of arms from Singapore to China, ‘disturbances’ on the Malaya peninsula, and the affairs of the ‘Native States’ of the east coast of Sumatra, where Dutch influence is spreading‘Revolution’ in Abyssinia and the detention of the British Consul, Captain Charles Duncan CameronAffairs at Aden, including the dispute between the Sultan of Lahej, Fodhil [Faḍl IV bin Muḥsin al-‘Abdalī], and ‘the old Foodlee Chief’, Ahmed Bin Abdullah [Aḥmad bin ‘Abdullāh al-Faḍlī, Sultan of Fadhli]; an attack on Hodeida [Al Hudaydah] by Aseerees [ʿAsīris]; and the sale of Little Aden to the BritishThe trade in enslaved people on the coast of East Africa, including efforts to deter the trade at Zanzibar, and the use of the French flag by tradersBritish relations with Bootan, including the military expedition against Bootan in retaliation for the treatment of the British mission to Bootan led by Ashley Eden [Duar War, 1864-1865].The primary correspondents are:The Government of India (Ecclesiastical, Educational, Financial, Foreign, General, Home, Indo-European Telegraph, Judicial, Legislative, Marine, Mekran Telegraph, Political, Public, Public Works, Railway, Revenue Departments)The Governor-General of IndiaThe Governor of the Straits SettlementsThe Political Resident, AdenThe Political Agent, Zanzibar.The abstracts were printed and bound in London, and each one includes the following colophon: ‘LONDON: Printed by GEORGE E. EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE, Printers to the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty. For Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.’Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 447; 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 item also contains two original pagination sequences between ff 4-14 and ff 15-444.
Abstract: Confidential printed abstracts of letters received by the India Office from the Government of India, and from senior officials in certain areas outside India, during the year 1874. The letters are dated November 1873-December 1874. The abstracts each have one of the following titles:Abstract of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from BushireAbstracts of Secret Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from AdenAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire and AdenAbstracts of Secret Letters received from Aden.Each abstract contains summaries of one or more letters from the specified source, each with a title giving the subject of the letter. Letters from India are divided within each abstract by the branch or department of the Government of India they originated from. The correspondence covers issues including:Revenue and expenditureAdministrative reports from individual provinces and territorial unitsPublic works, including railways, canals, and portsLand issues, including taxation, surveys, and plantationsFamine in BengalInternal affairs, including communal violence in Bombay [Mumbai]Affairs concerning Princely States, including internal administration and succession of local rulersTelegraphic communication, including a proposed telegraphic link with the Andaman Islands and issues affecting telegraph lines in Persia [Iran]Emigration from India to South Africa, British Guiana [Guyana], Mauritius and Réunion, the Straits Settlements, and the CaribbeanMilitary affairs, including frontier outposts, the supply and organisation of military units, and outbreaks of disease among troopsFrontier affairs, including a proposed campaign against the Duffla [Nyishi] tribes on the Northeast Frontier and negotiations with the Mahsud Wazir [Maḥsūd] tribe on the Northwest FrontierForeign relations of the Government of India, including: relations with Burmah [Burma/Myanmar], Siam [Thailand], Afghanistan, and Thibet [Tibet]; the missions of Thomas Forsyth and Robert Shaw to Yarkund [Yarkant]; and a proposed mission to Yunan [Yunnan Province]The activities of rival colonial powers, including French activity in Burmah and the Russian advance into Central AsiaAffairs in Afghanistan, in particular the rebellion of Yakoob Khan [Muḥammad Ya’qūb Khān, Governor of Herat] against his father Sher Ali [Shīr-’Alī Khān, Amīr of Afghanistan]Affairs in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, including: the Zanzibar Subsidy paid by the Government of India to the Sultan Syud Toorkee [Turkī bin Sa’īd Āl Bū Sa’īd]; challenges to the rule of the Sultan from Syud Salem [Sālim bin Thuwainī Āl Bū Saʿīd] in Gwadur [Gwadar], Saleh bin Ali [Ṣāliḥ bin ‘Alī al-Ḥārithī] in Muttra [Matrah], and Ibrahim bin Ghes [Ibrāhīm bin Qays Āl Bū Sa’īd]; and an expedition by the Sultan against the Ghaffrees [al-Ghāfirī tribal confederation] in Nezwa [Nizwa] and Ziki [Izki]Turkish [Ottoman] activity in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, in particular suspected Turkish designs on the Trucial Coast and interference in the Aden Protectorate from Turkish authorities in YemenAffairs in the Aden Protectorate, including: the trade in enslaved people in Hodeida [Al Hudaydah]; the aftermath of a rebellion in the Lahej Sultanate; the defences of Aden; and conflict between the Kayatee [al-Qu‘ayṭī] and Katheree [al-Kathīrī] states involving Arab soldiers from HyderabadAffairs in Persia, including the resignation and reinstatement of the Grand Vizier [Mīrzā Ḥusayn Khān Mushīr al-Dawlah], the cancellation of the Reuter Concession, the proposed Slave Trade Convention, and the issue of the Seistan [Sistan] borderAffairs in Bahrein [Bahrain], including: a petition from a group of exiles led by Nasir bin Mobarik [Nāṣir bin Mubārak Āl Khalīfa] claiming Turkish protection, requesting permission to return to Bahrein, and demanding the release of prisoners held in India following the 1869 conflict in Bahrein; and a threatened attack on Bahrein by the Beni Hajir [Banū Hājir] tribe from Nejd [Najd]Affairs in East Africa, including: slavery in Zanzibar and Mombassa [Mombasa]; suspected Egyptian and Turkish designs on Berbera; the traffic of arms to Abyssinia [Ethiopia]; the death of the missionary Dr David Livingstone; and the proposed construction of lighthouses in the Red SeaAffairs in Baghdad, including: disputes with Redif Pasha [Radīf Pāshā, Governor of Baghdad] concerning salutes and navigation rights of British ships on the Euphrates; and attempted Turkish conscription of Bahreinees [Baharna people] and Cashmeerees [Kashmiris] in Baghdad Vilayet.The primary correspondents are:The Government of India (Home, Foreign, Financial, Revenue, Public Works, Legislative, Judicial, Railway, Marine, and Education departments)The Governor-General of IndiaThe Resident in BushireThe Resident in AdenThe Political Agent in Zanzibar.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 272; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
Abstract: Newsletters sent out by the Officiating Secretary to the Government of India containing compiled summaries of reports from British officials and military officers in various parts of South Asia and the Middle East.Each newsletter is divided into headings, most of which refer to the place a report was sent from. Headings which appear in a majority of the newsletters are: Army of the Indus; Cabool [Kabul]; Joudhpore [Jodhpur]; Lahore; Nipal [Nepal]; Peshawur [Peshawar]; Upper Scinde [Sindh] and/or Lower Scinde; and Items of General Intelligence. Other headings include: Aden; Ava [Inwa]; Bithoor; Bokhara [Bukhara]; Burmah [Myanmar]; Bushire [Būshehr]; Candahar [Kandahar]; Dera Ismael Khan [Dera Ismail Khan]; Egypt and Syria; Finance or Financial; Gwalior; Herat; Hyderabad; Kelat [Kalat]; Kurnool; Mooltan [Multan]; Muscat; Persia [Iran]; Persian Gulf; Sattarah [Satara]; and Turkish Arabia.Several of the reports are concerned with the opening months of the First Anglo-Afghan War, the East India Company’s invasion of Afghanistan in order to depose Dost Mahomed [Dost Mohammad Khan] as Emir and replace him with former Emir Shah Shooja [Shah Shujah Durrani]. These reports cover:Movements of troops and artilleryLogistics of feeding the troops, particularly the acquisition of grainNavigation of mountain passes leading into Afghanistan, including the Boolan [Bolan] Pass and the Khyber PassThe reorganisation in preparation for the invasion of the so-called ‘Army of the Indus’ by Sir John KeaneThe raising of troops in support of the British by the Maharajah of the Sikh Empire [Ranjit Singh], in accordance with the terms of the Tripartite Treaty of 1838A treaty with the Khan of Kelat [Mir Mehrab Khan Baloch II]The invasion of Kundooz [Kunduz, also spelt Koondooz in the file] by the son of Dost MahomedRaids on British camps and convoys by so called ‘plunderers’, particularly in Balochistan and around the Khyber PassAttempts by Dost Mahomed to incite a holy war against the BritishAn uprising against Dost Mahomed in CaboolThe activities of Russian and Persian armies in western AfghanistanThe British capture of Ghuzni [Ghazni] on 23 July and of Ali Musjid [Ali Masjid] on 27 JulyThe death from sickness of Mahomed Akbar Khan, son of Dost Mahomed, while retreating from CaboolThe pursuit and attempted capture of Dost Mahomed after the capture of Ghuzni and his escape to Khoolum [Kholm]The creation by Shah Shooja of the Order of the Dooranee [Durrani] Empire to honour British officers involved in the warA treaty with Shah Kamran of HeratAttempts to force Dost Mahomed out of hiding in KoondoozSickness among British and Sikh troops at Ali Musjid, including from water naturally tainted with antimony.Other topics covered in the reports include:The health of the Maharajah, his death on 27 June, the accession and coronation of his son Kurruck Sing [Kharak Singh] and the late Maharajah’s funeral and tombThe subjugation of Nejd [Najd] by Ottoman forces, and perceived threats against Bahrein [Bahrain] and Kowheit [Kuwait]The renunciation of hostilities with his neighbours by Sooltan Bin Suggar [Shaikh Sulṭān I bin Ṣaqr al-Qāsimī], ruler of Sharga [Sharjah]The capture of Bushire by Bahir Khan [Baqir Khan Tangistani], Chief of Tengistan [Tangestan]An appeal to the British Government against the Government of India by the Raja of Sattarah [Pratap Singh] and the Company’s deposition of the RajaAnti-British sentiment and activities in NipalAnti-British sentiment and activities in Burmah and the stationing of Royal Navy ships in Rangoon [Yangon] harbourAn uprising by Moobaruz ud Dowlah [Mubarez-ud-Daulah] against his brother the Nizam of Hyderabad [Sikandar Jah]Disturbances near British borders with Colapore [Kolhapur] and GoaRiver transport between Kurachee [Karachi] and Tatta [Thatta]The appointment of a Political Officer to handle 'anarchy and disorder' in Shikarpore [Shikarpur]Relations with the Guicowar [Sayaji Rao II Gaekwad, Maharaja of Baroda]The capture of Kot [Kota] on behalf of JoudhporeAn intercepted Arabic letter from Khan-i-Alum Khan, a cousin of the Nawab of the Carnatic, asking the intended recipient (believed to be Ibrahim Pasha, commander of the Egyptian army) to invade India and drive out the BritishDuties on goods exported from Lahore to Bombay [Mumbai], and a reduction of duties for boats on the IndusThe imprisonment of Colonel Charles Stoddart by the Emir of Bokhara [Nasrullah Khan]The withdrawal of the British Embassy from TehranThe reinforcement of Aden, and a census taken thereThe death of the heir to the throne of JoudhporeThe British occupation of Kharrack [Kharg] Island, to counter the Persian siege of HeratAn uprising in Suddya [Sadiya]The journey of the Euphrates Expedition up the Tigris to near Masoul [Mosul]A civil war in Bhootan [Bhutan]Negotiations over the position of the British in BushireA physical altercation between the Nawab of Bhopaul [Jahangir Muhammad Khan] and his wife Secunder Begum [Sikandar Begum]The arrest of forty-six Wahabee [Wahhabi] for sedition in HyderabadChinese measures against the opium trade in Canton [Guangzhou] and a proposal to send ships to protect British merchants and blockade portsA conspiracy against Maharajah Kurruck Sing and his son Now Nehal Sing [Nau Nihal Singh, also spelt Nao Nehal Sing in the file], and an enforced oath of allegiance to the MaharajahPerceived military intentions of the King of Ava [Tharrawaddy Min, King of Burma] against Britain and Siam [Thailand], and British responsesAn Egyptian victory over the Ottomans [Battle of Nezib]The reported raising of troops in Persia, possibly to target Herat, Bushire or Bagdad [Baghdad]An experiment in sending mail to Damascus via Bussora [Basra] instead of BagdadArrangements for steam navigation on the IndusA reported increase in Russian hostilities in the War in Circassia [Russo-Circassian War]The withdrawal of the British Resident from Amreepoora [Amarapura]Reported Russian preparations to invade Stambol [Istanbul]The temporary seizure by the Sheik of Muhumarah [Khorramshahr, also spelt Mohamrah in the file] of a shipment of Company coalThe British occupation of Joudhpore to put down a rebellion against the Maharajah Mann Sing [Man Singh]A request from Nipal for passage through Sikkim in order to invade BhootanThe reported insanity of the Nawab of Kurnool [Ghulam Rasul Khan], and the British examination of troops and the arsenal thereThe outlawing of Suttee [sati] by the new Raja of Sattara [Shahaji]A genealogical account of the descent of Shah Newaz Khan [Shah Nawaz Khan] to support his claim to the Khanate of KelatA demand from the Shah of Persia for reparations to Persian merchants who lost property during the Ottoman capture of MohamrahA demand from Mehemet Ali [Muhammad Ali, Pasha of Egypt] for the removal of Khosrow Mahomed Pasha [Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha] as Ottoman Grand VizierTroops sent by the Emir of Bokhara to put down a rebellion against Moorad Beg, Chief of Koondooz [Mohammad Murad Beg, Khan of Kunduz]Unrest and riots in Persian cities, including against the Armenian population in Tabreez [Tabriz] and against the Prince [Fereydoun Mirza] in ShirazThe removal of Mirza Mahomed Hossein as Governor of BushireA rumoured Russian invasion of Toorkistan [Turkestan]A survey of the road between Kurachee and SehwanThe reported intention of the Imam of Muscat [Sayyid Sa‘īd bin Sulṭān Āl Bū Sa‘īd, Sultan of Muscat and Oman] to establish a commercial relationship with the United States of America.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at f 575, and terminates at f 950, 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.
Abstract: This volume consists of printed copies of telegraphic correspondence, dated 1 January to 31 December 1900, of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, with Lord George Hamilton, Secretary of State for India.The start of the volume contains a detailed index of names, places and subjects (ff 2-8). This is followed by telegrams from the Secretary of State for India to Lord Curzon, numbered 1-489 (ff 9-75) and telegrams from Lord Curzon to the Secretary of State for India, numbered 1-502 (ff 77-162).A wide variety of subjects are covered, including matters relating to the following:The Aden Protectorate, notably Turkish [Ottoman] ‘encroachments’ on Haushabi [al-Ḥawshabī] territoryThe war in South Africa [the South African War or Second Boer War in Southern Africa, 1899-1902]Army matters, such as the recall of officers of the Indian Army from furloughBoer prisoners of war, including the proposal to send them to Ceylon [Sri Lanka]Russian ‘designs’ upon Bunder Abbas [Bandar Abbas]The Burma [or Myanmar]-China boundaryThe China Expeditionary Force [Gaselee Expedition], notably arms and ammunition, estimated cost, hospital and medical arrangements, and the rank and position of General Sir Alfred Gaselee within the ForceThe replacement of the Garrison at Hong KongCurrency, including proposed measures to address the serious scarcity of rupees, the Paper Currency Act Amendment Bill, the purchase and shipment of silver from England, the release of gold, and the shipment of gold to EnglandFamine [the Indian famine of 1899-1900], notably famine and cholera in the Bombay Presidency, crop prospects and relief works, and composition of the Famine CommissionHonours, including the Queen’s Birthday HonoursKoweit [Kuwait], in particular a dispute with Nejd [Najd]Loans, including applications from Native States [Princely States] for loans for famine relief purposes, and a loan to the Nizam of HyderabadMaskat [Muscat], notably a site for a French coal-shed, and the actions of the Sultan of Muskat regarding the use of French flags by his subjectsRailways in British India and the Uganda RailwayRussia, in particular Russian ‘designs’ on the Persian Gulf.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 162; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.Pagination: the volume also contains two original printed pagination sequences.
Abstract: This volume consists of printed copies of telegraphic correspondence, dated 1 January to 11 December 1904. The correspondence is between: Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, and (William) St John Fremantle Brodrick, Secretary of State for India, from 1 January to 30 April 1904; and between Brodrick and Lord Ampthill as acting Viceroy from 30 April to 11 December 1904.The start of the volume includes a detailed index of names, places and subjects (ff 3-12). This is followed by telegrams from Brodrick to Curzon (ff 13-39) and then Ampthill (ff 40-75), numbered 1-406, and telegrams from Curzon (ff 77-127) and then Ampthill (ff 128-200) to Hamilton, numbered 1-592.A wide variety of subjects are covered, including matters relating to the following:The Aden Protectorate, in particular the delimitation of AdenAfghanistan, notably Russian movements on the Afghan frontier, and correspondence between the Amir [Amīr Ḥabībullāh Khān] and the ViceroyArmy matters, including reinforcements for IndiaBahrein [Bahrain] affairsThe wreck of the steamship
Baron InverdaleThe Burma [or Myanmar]-Chinese frontierThe appointment of Curzon as Lord Warden of the Cinque PortsThe proposed appointment of Mr J Cogswell as Controller of Stationery and PrintingHenry Robert Conway Dobbs, in particular the question of his withdrawal from the Herat frontier, and his visit to the Amir of AfghanistanThe state of affairs on the Herat frontierCalcutta [Kolkata] High Court appointmentsPersia [Iran], notably consular guards for Persia, and a British loan to PersiaThe Indian Police CommissionRussian military activities in Central AsiaIndian Army involvement in the Russo-Japanese WarSeistan [Sistan], including the telegraph line to Seistan, and demarcation of the Seistan boundaryThe Tibet Mission [the Younghusband expedition], including fighting and casualties at Guru, the attitude of Tibetans towards the Mission, reinforcements for the Mission, treaty negotiations between Great Britain and Tibet, and the occupation of the Chumbi ValleyThe Convention between Great Britain and Tibet, the indemnity to be paid by Tibet, the Adhesion Agreement, Chinese suzerainty over Tibet, the Tibet Blue Book, and other issues concerning Tibet.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 200; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.Pagination: the volume also contains two original printed pagination sequences.
Abstract: Genre/Subject MatterThird of three journals covering Amherst’s service with his regiment and furloughs in India and Europe between 1867 and 1873.Watercolour, pen and ink and pencil drawings interspersed throughout the journal. There are four unidentified watercolour views loose in the album, the latest of which is dated 'April 1876'.There are a number of blank pages, especially at the end of the volume, as the journal finishes two-thirds of the way through on 25 April 1873.1 ‘Part of the village of Lamayuri from the Cashmere Rd. August 3rd 70’2 ‘Peculiar formation of rocks opposite Corbu August 3rd 1870’3 ‘Buddist idol near Skergol. August 4th’4 ‘Capt C. at Marshag. May 22nd 71’; pasted into volume5 ‘Aden – Oct. 22nd /71’; pasted into volume6 ‘Baxters mixture Dec’ 1’871 [
sic]’. ; pasted into volume; caricature7 ‘Bunter alias Fireworks Dec’ 1871’; pasted into volume; caricature8 Group of small drawings: one figure, one head and four profile/character studies, one sketch of a triangular sail9 View, possibly Alexandria10 ‘On the Mahmoudieh Canal Dec’ 28th /72’11 ‘My ride into Alexandria Dec’ 20th /72’12 ‘Our Arab Reis on board the Erin.’13 ‘Where we ran aground above Atfeh December 29th’14 Group of four small drawings: ‘On the bank of the Mahmoudieh Canal Dec’ 29th’; untitled [male figure from behind standing on the cargo of a loaded boat]; ‘Charlie A in pursuit of snipe’ and ‘Rosetta Jan. 1st /73’15 ‘Sunset on the Mahmoudieh Canal. Jan 3rd /73.’16 Group of seven small drawings of Egypt: ‘An ex-captain of the Eton eight on the Kayan Tantaras – Jan 14th’; ‘At the Opera Cairo Jan 7th’; ‘Jos nearly shoots another lynx Jan 18th’ [see below]; untitled [Arab man riding a donkey]; untitled [water fowl]; ‘Our consul – Jan 3rd’; untitled [Arab woman carrying a vessel on her head]; and the following account: ‘Jos’ account – “As I was walking home in the moonlight a large beast crept out of the bushes before me. I cornered him with my gun and was about to pull, when a second evidently terrified figure made its appearance &c &c &c”’17 ‘The false Pyramid from Whasta Jan 11th /73’18 ‘View from our camp at El Edwa, Fayoom’; table denoting game killed while at Ed Edwa19 ‘From under the Bal el Nasr. Cairo Feb 3rd’20 ‘Louley and Co’; pasted into volume; man seated next to donkey, inscribed ‘Tebiz 73’21 Street scene from below taking in mashrabiya in silhouette, possibly Cairo22 ‘In the straits of Messina March 31st’23 ‘In the Straits of Messena [
sic] March 31st’24 ‘SE Cape of Sicily from the Straits March 31st’25 ‘Stromboli March 31st’26 Group of three small drawings, respectively, one sketch of two figures, one portrait, one profile: ‘March 30th’; ‘Madame Veritas’; and ‘He would swing confound him March 29th’ 27 ‘Turin 21st April /73’ [unfinished drawing]28 ‘From my Garden – Algiers April 1876’; loose29 Unidentified landscape scene depicting vineyards, six figures at far right; loose[not numbered] Unidentified maritime scene: two boats at sunset, bell tower and other buildings in silhouette; loose[not numbered] Unidentified landscape at sunset; loose[not numbered] Unidentified watercolour sketch of cruciform gravestone, flowers; held within unsealed envelope, marked with monogram and address: ‘45, Rutland Gate, S.W.’; looseLabelsLetterpress affixed to inner rear endpaper:‘FromBowden & Co.314, Oxford Street,Corner of HarewoodPlace,London, W.’Physical description: DimensionsVolume: 21 x 17 cm
Abstract: The file contains notes, telegrams, and letters, regarding: the invitation by General Ritter and General Giles, of the United States of America, to five Turkish Army officers, including the Deputy Chief of Staff and the Director of Military Training, and Prince Peter of Greece, to pay a short visit to India, China and Burma, travelling in General Giles’s aircraft; and the omission by the United States military authorities to seek prior consent for the visit from the Government of India and South East Asia Command.It largely consists of: copies of telegrams between the Foreign Office and the Supreme Allied Command South East Asia, and between the Foreign Office and Sir Maurice Peterson (British Ambassador to Turkey), Istanbul; and telegrams from the Secretary of State for India to the Government of India, External Affairs Department. It also includes copies of correspondence between British Chargé d’Affaires at Washington and the United States Department of State.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 39; 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 2-39; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence relating to the treatment to be accorded to enemy consuls de carrière and unsalaried consuls of enemy nationality in British territory on the outbreak of the Second World War.It mostly consists of: copies of telegrams between the Dominions Office and the Governments of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Eire [Ireland] and South Rhodesia [Zimbabwe], regarding the treatment of German consuls and consular staff in those countries; and copies of telegrams between the Secretary of State for Burma and the Governor of Burma regarding the departure of German consular staff from Burma.It also includes: a letter from Roland Tennyson Peel, India Office, to the Secretary, Government of India, External Affairs Department, 22 July 1939 (folios 51-52), regarding the treatment of enemy consular officers in the United Kingdom, and similar action to be taken by the Government of India in detaining enemy consuls in India until satisfactory assurances are received from the enemy government, in the event of the outbreak of war; and other related correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 53; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This part of the volume consists of copies of enclosures to a despatch from the Government of Bombay Secret Department to the Secret Committee, Number 35 of 1842, dated 1 April 1842. The enclosures are numbered 3-84 and are dated 10 December 1841 to 31 March 1842. They mainly consist of correspondence, and also include some minutes by the Governor of Bombay and resolutions of the Government of Bombay. The enclosures mostly concern military affairs in Scinde [Sindh, also spelled Sinde in this item] and Beloochistan [Balochistan], including:Troop movements, such as the advance of troops from Sonmeeanee [Sonmiani] to Candahar [Kandahar]The construction of travellers' bungalows at Kurrachee [Karachi], Gharra [Gharo, also spelled Gorrah in this item], and Tatta [Thatta]The remission of eight lacs of rupees required by the Political Agent in Scinde and Beloochistan to meet the needs of the troops in Lower ScindeThe transport of a train of mountain artillery for service in ScindeMedical officers serving in, or proceeding to, Scinde.The principal correspondents are as follows: the Political Agent in Scinde and Beloochistan; the Secretary to the Government of Bombay; the Secretary to the Government of India; the Military Board, Bombay; the Accountant General of Bombay; the Superintendent of the Indian Navy; and the Quarter Master General of the Army.This item also includes copies of news letters from the Secretary to the Government of India, consisting of précises of intelligence on the state of affairs in various places, including: Candahar and elsewhere in Afghanistan; Upper and Lower Scinde; Quetta; Baroda [Vadodara] and elsewhere in India; Burmah [Burma]; Nepal; and China.Physical description: The copies of enclosures are numbered 3-84. There is a note on folio 438 stating: 'The Abstract of Contents could not be prepared for want of time'.
Abstract: Genre/Subject MatterThese two small watercolour drawings depict scenes taken from life at the Settlement of Aden in 1871. Both drawings focus on Arabs’ use of camels as a form of transport.In the left-hand drawing, four veiled women perch alongside one another atop a litter held in place on the back of a light-haired camel. All four women are obscured in blue robes; the woman on the right has an uncovered face, while only the eyes of the other three women are visible.A tall, slender man wearing only a blue loincloth and turban leads the camel by a tether attached to a harness about its muzzle. He holds what appears to be a walking stick or cane in his right hand.The right-hand image shows an Arab man standing balanced on the neck of a dark-haired camel. He is wearing a turban and loincloth, which is held together by a belt that also holds a
janbiyain place. Both the material of the turban and loincloth are blue with red detailing and have been rendered very delicately in order to illustrate this. The man wears an object at his side, held there by a strap that crosses his torso. He whirls a whip above his head. Behind him, balanced on the camel’s saddle is a long-barrelled rifle; it has been decorated in black and white concentric stripes.Both drawings are stylistically in keeping with other sketches of ‘natives’ in this volume and in the related files Mss Eur F140/232 and Mss Eur F140/233, which, together with this volume, complete the trio of journals created by Jeffrey C. Amherst.InscriptionsLower left corner: ‘Aden – Oct 22nd /71’Temporal ContextThe drawing was made during the period Amherst was based at Aden, between 30 November 1870 and 1871/1872. It is likely to have been sketched from life either at or near the Isthmus Position, where two companies of British and two companies of Native Infantry were regularly based, according to an 1877 publication (F. M. Hunter,
An Account of the British Settlement at Aden, (London: Trübner & Co., 1877)) and where Amherst was attending a musketry course between 18–28 October 1871. Amherst moved about frequently between Crater, Isthmus, Ras Marshag and elsewhere during his time at Aden.Physical description: Dimensions:108 x 180 mm [landscape]Materials:Pencil on paperCondition:The paper is slightly foxed, with light surface residue but otherwise in good condition with adhesive still sturdy.Foliation:The images have been assigned a sequential number, 5, which is written in pencil in the lower right corner of the page onto which the image is pasted.
Abstract: Copy telegram sent by HM Legation Rangoon [Yangon] to HM High Commissioner, New Delhi, regarding a meeting with the Burmese Minister for Foreign Affairs, and requests for military equipment to deal with possible communist insurrections.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 7; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.