Abstract: Twenty cases relating to individuals and small groups, kidnapped or transported from Baluchistan or India, to the Trucial Coast, in particular Dubai. Some of the cases are straightforward and involve the appearance or retrieval of slaves in the Dubai area, often initiated by the Sharjah Residency Agent ('Isa bin 'Abd al-Latif) and their manumission, plans for repatriation, and punishment of traders/kidnappers, where they are identified. Other cases are more complex, where the identification of slaves, their parents, or those who traded them, is more difficult. Of particular note in the volume:Subject 8, relating to a young Persian boy kidnapped from Sind and brought to Dubai, which stretches over 100 folios. Difficulties are encountered in obtaining a photograph of the boy for purposes of identification. The extensive correspondence in the case is in part also cause by obstructions and procrastinations of al-Latif. Subject 16, relating to two Baluchi men kidnapped by Bedouins in the interior of the Trucial coast. The case reveals tensions between the coastal Sheikhs of the Trucial region, and the Bedouin chiefs of the interior. Questions over the control how much control Sheikhs, who have signed treaties with the British, have over actions of Bedouins from the interior. Subject 20, account of the capture of a dhow carrying slaves at Dubai, and the burning of the dhow by the British navy, off the Dubai coast.Physical description: Foliation: The volume is foliated with a circled number in the top right-hand corner of each front-facing page. Cover (containing cover title), blank front page and 2 blank rear pages are unnumbered. Each of the subjects into which the volume is divided has its own internal pagination system, expressed as page number
xof subject number
y.
Abstract: The file consists of a memorandum reproducing a commercial agreement between Petroleum Concessions Limited and the Shaikh of Dubai, in which rights are granted to the former to prospect for oil in the State of Dubai. The memorandum also reproduces a political agreement between the British Government and Petroleum Concessions Limited, and correspondence between the Political Agent, Bahrain, the Shaikh of Dubai, the India Office and Petroleum Concessions Limited, in which it is agreed that the terms of the oil concession shall remain subordinate to prior agreements made between Petroleum Concessions Limited and the British Government.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 10; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
Abstract: This handwritten memorandum concerns the Debai [Dubai] Incident of 1910-1911. The memorandum gives a background on British treaty relations with the Sheikh Buṭtī bin Suhayl Āl Maktum of Dubai, the arms blockade on the Trucial coast, and a narrative of the incident that occurred on 24 December 1910 and subsequent events. Printed copies of the principal telegrams relating to the Dubai Incident appear between folios 49-51.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation for this memorandumcommences at folio 41 and terminates at folio 51, 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. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between folios 7-147; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence about local affairs in Trucial Oman. These mainly focus on the hostile relations between the Shaikhs of Trucial Oman, and the involvement of some rulers in the restriction of local activities. The file also contains reports sent between the Bahrain Agency, the Sharjah Residency and the Political Residency in the Persian Gulf when any trouble, meeting or peace agreement took place between the local rulers. The reports focused on demands for reforms raised by locals, notables and merchants. These were asking for various reforms including budget, education, health and sanitation, peace and order, removal of all sorts of corruption in the various departments, and the grant of justice and freedom to the inhabitants in trade and other crafts.The representatives of the British Government in the Gulf raised their concerns to the Shaikhs of Trucial Oman regarding the safety of British subjects, and employees. The file also contains petitions raised by the notables and merchants of Iranian and Indian communities living in Trucial Oman to the British authorities. These were also concerned about their own safety.The main correspondence is between the Residency Agent in Sharjah, the Political Agent in Bahrain, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, the British Agency in Trucial Oman, as well as the various Shaikhs of Trucial Oman including Shaikh Said bin Maktum, Ruler of Dubai and Shaikh Sultan bin Salim, Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 263; 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 incomplete foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-238; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file contains telegrams, cyphers, and correspondence regarding measures against outbreaks of cholera in the Trucial Coast. The correspondence concerns updates on cases of cholera in Sharjah and Dubai, inoculations and quarantine regulations, and restrictions on travel to the Persian Gulf area for passengers who had not been inoculated.The file also contains medical advice and delivery of cholera vaccines from the Quarantine Medical Officer at the Victoria Memorial Hospital in Bahrain to the Residency Agent of Sharjah.The principal correspondents are the Quarantine Medical Officer at the Victoria Memorial Hospital in Bahrain, the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain, Bahrain Petroleum Company Limited, the Commonwealth Relations Office in London, the Residency Agent at Sharjah, the Political Agency at Kuwait, the British Ambassador at Baghdad, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, and the Political Agent at Bahrain.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 114; 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 reports and correspondence regarding measures against outbreaks of infectious diseases in the Trucial Coast, in Bahrain and in nearby countries: plague at Karachi in 1936, and smallpox in Bombay in 1937. The correspondence concerns quarantine arrangements and vaccinations at Bahrain and reports about cases of smallpox in Bahrain, Dubai and Sharjah.The principal correspondents are the Assistant Surgeon at the Victoria Memorial Hospital in Bahrain (Dr Ralph Holmes), the Government of Bahrain, the Government of India, the Residency Agent at Sharjah, the Political Agency at Kuwait, the British Ambassador at Baghdad, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, and the Political Agent at Bahrain.The file contains documents in Arabic with English translation: quarantine notices from the Government of Bahrain.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 384; 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 incomplete foliation sequence is also present in parallel intermittently between ff 2-361; these numbers are written in a combination of pencil and crayon, but are not circled.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence and telegrams between the Residency Agent at Sharjah, the Political Agent at Muscat, the Political Agent in the Trucial Coast, the British Ambassador at Baghdad, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, and the Political Agent at Bahrain regarding outbreaks of smallpox and other diseases in the Persian Gulf. The file contains requests for supply of vaccines, vaccinations, and quarantine measures. The file also contains documents and weekly statistics regarding a smallpox epidemic in 1943 in Dubai.The file contains documents in Arabic with English translation, quarantine notices from the Government of Bahrain.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 179; 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 2-35 and between ff 37-141; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: The file comprises correspondence relating to the shipment and transhipment of cargo on local vessels (frequently referred to as country craft) from Karachi to Qatar (spelt in various ways, including Kattar, Gutter, Quatar) and, to a lesser extent, other ports on the Arab coast of the Persian Gulf, including Bahrain, Jubail [Al Jubayl], Katiff [Al Qaṭīf], Ra’s al-Khaymah, and Dubai. The file’s principal correspondents are: the Collector (and Assistant Collector) of Customs at Karachi; the Political Agent at Bahrain (Captain Charles Geoffrey Prior, Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, and staff from the Agency’s Vernacular Office); the Director of Customs at Bahrain (Claud Cranbrook Lewis DeGrenier); the Ruler of Qatar (Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī).Much of the correspondence is routine, and follows an established pattern: 1) enquiries from the Assistant Collector of Customs to the Political Agency at Bahrain after specific vessels, listing the contents of their cargo and requesting confirmation of their arrival at port and the landing of their cargo; 2) letters from Political Agency staff, in English and in Arabic, forwarding enquiries about inbound vessels to the Director of Customs at Bahrain (for vessels headed to Bahrain), the Ruler of Qatar (for vessels headed to Qatar) or the Residency Agent at Sharjah (for vessels headed to the ports of the Trucial Coast); 3) replies from the Director of Customs at Bahrain, the Ruler of Qatar, and the Residency Agent at Sharjah, either confirming the arrival of vessels and the landing of their cargo, or writing that the vessel has not yet arrived in port; and 4) letters from the Political Agency back to the Collector of Customs at Karachi, replying to the original enquiry, occasionally making reference to enclosing landing certificates, which are accepted as proof of the landing of the cargo. Some letters from the Assistant Collector of Customs at Karachi to the Political Agent at Bahrain, dated 1936 and later, make reference to enclosed export manifests, and enquiries about the authenticity of their endorsements.In addition to the routine correspondence, the file also includes:correspondence between the Political Agent at Bahrain and the Director of Customs at Bahrain, concerning the shipment of goods to Bahrain via Qatar as transhipment cargo (ff 12-15);correspondence between the Political Agent at Bahrain and the Secretary of the Calcutta Marine Insurance Association, relating to loss of vessels at Persian Gulf ports, and regulations at Dubai for registration of vessels (f 28, ff 30-31, ff 46-50).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 298; 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 4-273; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file comprises correspondence relating to the shipment and transhipment of cargo (chiefly rice, sugar, spices, piece goods) from India (Karachi) to the ports of the Persian Gulf, chiefly Dubai, Katar [Qatar, also spelt Gutter, Quatter in the file] and Bahrain. The file is a direct chronological continuation of ‘File 12/7 I Shipping. Arrival of Sailing Crafts at Qatar and other places with Cargo.’ (IOR/R/15/2/1375). The file’s principal correspondents are: the Collector (and Assistant Collector) of Customs at Karachi; staff at the Political Agency in Bahrain; the Director of Customs at Bahrain (Claud Cranbrook Lewis DeGrenier; George William Reginald Smith); the Ruler of Qatar (Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī); the Ruler of Dubai (Shaikh Sa‘id bin Maktūm Āl Maktūm).The correspondence chiefly concerns routine enquires made about specific vessels travelling from India to the ports of the Persian Gulf, and involves the delivery and return of export manifests. The enquiries begin with letters from the Collector (or Assistant Collector) of Customs, or other administrators, at Indian ports (Karachi, Bombay, Veraval) informing the Political Agent at Bahrain of named vessels travelling to ports in the Persian Gulf, with details of their cargo and cargo markings, and requesting confirmation of their arrival and the landing of their cargo. These letters are followed by enquiries made by the Political Agent to the Director of Customs at Bahrain (for vessels travelling to Bahrain), the Residency Agent at Sharjah (for vessels travelling to the ports of the Trucial Coast), and the Ruler of Qatar (for vessels travelling to Qatar), with further correspondence, including replies from the Residency Agent at Sharjah (in English and Arabic) and letters from the Rulers of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ajman, and replies from the Ruler of Qatar. Correspondence is concluded with a letter from the Political Agent at Bahrain, back to the Collector of Customs at Karachi, confirming the arrival (and sometimes non-arrival) of named vessels.Other papers in the file include:correspondence in response to an enquiry made by P N Candavarkar, Collector of Customs at Bombay, to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, dated October 1938, relating to the status of the customs administration at the port of Dofar [Dhofar], prompting broader questions, answered by the Political Agent at Bahrain and the Residency Agent at Sharjah, of how certificates for the landing of cargoes are managed in the ports of the Persian Gulf. This correspondence includes copies of earlier papers, dating from 1924 (ff 95-110);a copy of an export general manifest, dated 1941 (f 237).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 500; 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 3-331 and between ff 427-462; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. An additional mixed foliation/pagination sequence is also present in parallel between ff 463-492; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The file comprises correspondence relating to the shipment and transhipment of cargo from India (chiefly Karachi but also Veraval) to the ports of the Persian Gulf, principally Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar (often spelt Quattar) and Bahrain. The file is a direct chronological continuation of ‘File 12/7 II Arrival of country craft from India’ (IOR/R/15/2/1376) The file’s principal correspondents are: the Collector of Customs at Karachi; staff at the Political Agency in Bahrain; the Residency Agent at Sharjah; the Political Officer on the Trucial Coast; the Director of Customs at Bahrain (George William Reginald Smith).The correspondence relates to routine enquiries made concerning cargo on specific vessels travelling from Karachi (and Veraval) to the ports of the Persian Gulf, and involves the exchange of export manifests detailing goods landed at different ports. The enquiries begin with letters from the Collector of Customs at Karachi (or Veraval) informing the Political Agent at Bahrain of named vessels travelling to ports in the Persian Gulf, with extracts of their export manifest, and requesting confirmation of their arrival and the verification of the landing of their cargo. These letters are followed by enquiries made by the Political Agent (enclosing export manifests) to the Director of Customs at Bahrain (for vessels travelling to Bahrain), the Residency Agent at Sharjah (for vessels travelling to the ports of the Trucial Coast), and the Ruler of Qatar (for vessels travelling to Qatar), requesting verification of the export manifests. Replies from the Director of Customs at Bahrain, the Residency Agent at Sharjah (in English and Arabic) and the Ruler of Qatar, confirm if vessels have arrived in port or not. Further correspondence includes letters from the Political Agent at Bahrain to the Collector of Customs at Karachi (or Veraval) confirming the arrival (and sometimes non-arrival) of named vessels, enclosing verified (or unverified) export manifests.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 199; 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 2-149; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: The file comprises correspondence concerning three cases involving dhows, as follows:correspondence relating to a collision between a Bahrain-registered dhow and an Anglo-Iranian Oil Company tug at Khorramshahr in November 1943. Much of the follow-up correspondence concerns the seizure by the Iranian authorities of passports belonging to two Bahrainis who travelled to Khorramshahr to assist in affairs following the collision, and the Bahrain authorities’ efforts to have the passports returned. Principal correspondents in the case include: the Political Agent at Bahrain (Major Tom Hickinbotham); the British Consul at Khorramshahr; the Adviser to the Bahrain Government (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave) (ff 2-15);correspondence dated 1944 relating to an enquiry made by an Indian company, Kanayalal Deepchand Hinduja, seeking the whereabouts of their vessel, the
Fathel Rahman, missing while travelling from Bombay to Basra, with the Political Agent at Bahrain reporting, after enquiries made with the Customs Director at Bahrain and the Residency Agent at Sharjah, that nothing is known of the vessel (ff 16-21);correspondence dated June 1949 relating to an incident taking place off the coast of Sharjah/Dubai, in which a dhow engine caught fire, resulting in the death of one crew member and the injury of another, the latter taken on board HMS
Flamingofor medical care. The principal correspondent in this case is the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf (Captain P Skelton) (ff 22-27).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 30; 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 also present in parallel between ff 2-20; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence and telegrams discussing the opening of a Post Office in Dubai, rather than in Sharjah (see IOR/R/15/2/1418); the main subjects are arrangements for the building, air mail facilities and conveyance of mail. The file contains an agreement with the contractor for the conveyance of mail from 1942 to 1945 (on folios 76-80, 112-116,169-172, 187-190).The principal correspondents are: British Overseas Airways; the Superintendent of Post and Telegraphs for Lower Sind and Persian Gulf, at Karachi; the Director of Post and Telegraphs at Karachi; the Residency Agent at Sharjah; the Political Officer in the Trucial Coast; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; and the Political Agent at Bahrain.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 mixed foliation/pagination is also present in parallel between ff 4-206; these numbers are written in a combination of pencil and red crayon, but are not circled. Pagination: the file notes at the back have been paginated in pencil between ff 207-217.