Abstract: This file contains a report by Mr George Passman Tate, the Extra Assistant Superintendent for the Survey of India, about the Seistan [Sistan] Mission. Tate details the ways in which the fieldwork was undertaken, and difficulties that were encountered. He also provides notes on communications (roads, fords and ferries) in Sistan. On folio 10, Tate outlines technical terms which are particular to Sistan and used in surveys carried out there. Between folios 11-12, there is a list of latitudes, longitudes, and heights of trigonometrical stations and points in Sistan.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 8; 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 printed pagination sequence.
Abstract: This volume is the second in a series of military reports on Iraq published by the Air Ministry in London in 1936 focusing on 'Routes'. It contains chapters on the general communications routes, water, supply, fuel, transport infrastructure, and descriptions of the grazing, camping, population, climate in Iraq. The general focus throughout the volume is on roads, railways, air routes and waterways that may allow for an assessment of the military preparedness of various regions of the country.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the 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.Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
Abstract: This volume is Volume I of the four-volume Gazetteer of Persia (1886 edition). It was compiled for political and military reference by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, Assistant Quarter Master General, in 1871, and brought up to 31 July 1885 by the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department in India. It was printed by the Government Central Branch Press, Simla, India in 1886.The areas of Persia [Iran] covered are Astarabad, Shahrud-Bustan, Khurasan [Khorāsān], and Sistan. The boundaries of the areas covered by Volume I are as follows: the Afghan border from the River Helmand to Sarakhs in the east; and from there a line north-west to Askhabad, due west to the Atrak, which it follows to the Caspian Sea; then along the sea coast to Ashurada Island; then in a straight line to Shahrud; and from the latter south-east to Tabas hill, Sihkuha, and the Helmand, from where the river first meets the south-east border of Sistan.The gazetteer includes entries on human settlements and buildings (forts, hamlets, villages, towns, provinces, and districts); communications (passes, roads, bridges, canals, and halting places); tribes and religious sects; and physical features (rivers, streams, springs, wells, fords, valleys, mountains, hills, plains, and bays). Entries include information on history, geography, buildings, population, ethnography, resources, trade, agriculture, and climate.Information sources are provided at the end of each gazetteer entry, in the form of an author or source’s surname, italicised and bracketed.The volume includes the following illustrations: ‘VIEW OF AK-DARBAND.’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 12v]; ‘PLAN OF AK-KALA.’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 14]; ‘ROUGH SKETCH OF ASTARÁBÁD, FROM AN EYE-SKETCH BY LT.-COL. BERESFORD LOVETT, R. E., 1881.’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 24]; ‘ROUGH PLAN OF BASHRÚGAH’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 40v]; ‘ROUGH PLAN OF BÚJNÚRD’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 48]; and ‘BUJNURD, FROM THE S. W.’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 49v].It also includes the following inserted papers (folios 51 to 60): a memorandum from the Office of the Quartermaster General in India, Intelligence Branch to Lord Curzon, dated 6 December 1895, forwarding for his information ‘Corrections to Volume I of the Gazetteer of Persia’, consisting of articles on the Nishapur district of the province of Khorasan, and the Shelag river.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 388, 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: This note on communications and irrigation in Arabistan was written by Sir George Cunningham Buchanan and was printed in Simla at the Government Monotype Press. The information in the note is divided using sub-headings which include:general descriptioncommunicationsthe Karun Riverirrigation (in Shushter and Ahwaz)navigationproposals for improved communicationsFolios 8-9 contain photo illustrations of the Karun River and Ahwaz Rapids.Four maps are enclosed at the back of the file (folios 11-14).The file was previously marked confidential.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 15; 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 printed pagination sequence between ff 4-7.
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 1861. The letters are dated 1 January 1861-29 December 1861. The abstracts are numbered 183-301 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 Letters Received from 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, Oman, Aden and the coast of East Africa, including:Revenue and expenditureThe retirements, dismissals and appointments of military and civil personnelTaxation and duties, including income and land taxes, and duties on salt, sugar, opium and saltpetreThe reduction of the Indian NavyCommunications, such as postal services and telegraph linesTransport and public works, including railways, canals and river navigation, irrigation, ports, roads and steam shippingThe foreign relations of the Government of India, including with Nepal, Bhotan [Bhutan], Turkey [the Ottoman Empire] and SikkimFrench activity on the coast of East Africa, including rumours of ‘aggressive designs’, alleged involvement in the trade in enslaved people at Zanzibar and the Comoro Isles [the Comoros Islands], and the alleged murder of a French consular agent at AdenThe production of crops, particularly cottonMilitary affairs, including the recruitment and disbandment of military units, organisation and supply, military reform, the reduction of military expenditure, the distribution of prize money, and the amalgamation of the army and formation of a Staff CorpsThe pay and pensions of civil and military personnel in IndiaThe planned telegraph line linking England and India, including the construction of the line through the territory of Turkey and Persia [Iran]Disputes over the cultivation of indigo between ‘ryots’ and landlords in Bengal, including the publication of a subversive play concerning the disputesLegal affairs, including the appointment of judges to small cause courts and plans for the establishment of High Courts in IndiaThe trade in enslaved people at Zanzibar and on the coast of East AfricaThe British ‘expedition’ against Sikkim and the resulting treaty between Britain and Sikkim [Treaty of Tumlong]The machinery of the Government of India, including proposals for the establishment of Legislative Councils, and the composition of the Executive Council of the Governor-GeneralThe affairs of the Princely States and other local rulers and dignitaries, particularly concerning pensions and finances, including the affairs of the former regent of the Sikh Empire, Maharanee Chunda Kower [Maharani Jind Kaur]Famine in ‘Upper India’ and the response of the Government of IndiaAffairs in the Persian Gulf, including: the British having compelled the Sheikh of Bahrein [Hakim of Bahrain, Shaikh Muḥammad bin Khalīfah Āl Khalīfah] to withdraw his blockade of the ‘Wahabee [Wahhābī] coast’; British arbitration in the sovereignty dispute between the Ruler of Muscat, Syud Thooenee [Sayyid Thuwaynī bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd], and the Ruler of Zanzibar, Syud Majid [Sayyid Mājid bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd]; and the conduct of the Political Agent, Muscat, Lieutenant William Pengelly, in a dispute between Syud Thooenee and Syud Toorkee [Sayyid Turkī bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd].The primary correspondents are:The Government of India (Ecclesiastical, Educational, Electric Telegraph, Financial, Foreign, Home, Judicial, Legislative, Marine, Military, Political, Postal, Post Office, Public, Public Works, Railway, Revenue, and Separate Revenue Departments)The Governor-General of IndiaThe 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 323; 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 multiple original pagination sequences.
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 1862. The letters are dated 3 January 1862-31 December 1862. The abstracts are numbered 1-140 and each have one of the following titles:Abstract of Letters Received from IndiaAbstract of Secret Letters Received from IndiaAbstract of Military Letters Received from IndiaAbstract of Letters Received from the Resident at AdenAbstract of Secret Letters Received from the Resident at 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 included in the volume concerns events in British India, the Persian Gulf, and Aden and the coast of East Africa, including:Revenue and expenditureCommunications, such as postal services and telegraph linesPublic works, including railways and roads, canals and river navigation, ports, irrigation, and forestryLand issues, including taxation, surveys, the use and sale of land, and disputes over the payment of rentsThe affairs of the Princely States, including internal administration and succession, and other dynastic affairs of local rulersInternal affairs, including the reorganisation of police forces and the establishment of High CourtsMilitary affairs, including the recruitment and disbandment of military units, organisation and supply, the reduction of military expenditure, military reform, and the command of military units, and also the fortifications and harbour defences at Bombay [Mumbai]The production of crops, such as indigo, cotton and opiumThe pay and pensions of civil and military personnel in IndiaEmigration from India to British and French coloniesThe 'suppression' of suttee [sati] in IndiaThe construction of a telegraph line in the Persian Gulf as part of a line between England and India, particularly along the Mekran [Makran] Coast in Persia [Iran]French activity in the Indian Ocean, including at Aden, the Red Sea, and MadagascarAffairs in Aden, including a dispute concerning a debt owed to the Foudtheli [Faḍlī] ruler, Sultan Ahmed [Aḥmad bin ‘Abdullāh al-Faḍlī], and proposals for the improvement of defences at AdenAffairs in Afghanistan, including the operations of the Ameer of Cabul [Kabul], Dost Mahomed [Dūst Muḥammad Khān Bārakzāy, Amīr of Afghanistan] against HeratAffairs in Burmah [Burma or Myanmar], including proposals for the establishment of a British Chief CommissionershipAffairs in East Africa, including the trade in enslaved people at Zanzibar, and the 'massacre' of European sailors by Somalies [Somalis]Affairs in the Gulf, including: the intention of the Ruler of Bahrein, Sheikh Mahomed Bin Khaleefa [Hakim of Bahrain, Shaikh Muḥammad bin Khalīfah Āl Khalīfah] to declare war against the Wahabees [Wahhābīs] due to a dispute with the ruler of Demaun [Damman], Mahomed Bin Abdoollah [Muḥammad bin ‘Abdullāh]; and a revolt of the Beni Sâd [Āl Sa‘d] against the Sultan of Muscat, Seyed Thoweynee [Sayyid Thuwaynī bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd]Affairs on the Northeast Frontier of India, including the military campaign against a ‘disturbance’ in the Cossyah [Khasi] and Jynteah [Jaintia] Hills, and the threat of an attack upon Darjeeling by Bhotan [Bhutan].The primary correspondents are:The Government of India (Education, Electric, Financial, Foreign, General, Home, Judicial, Legislative, Marine, Political, Public Works, Railway, Revenue and Telegraph departments)The Governor-General of IndiaThe 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 374; 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 three original pagination sequences between ff 4-6, ff 10-358, and ff 359-371.
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 1865. The letters are dated December 1864-December 1865. The abstracts each have one of the following titles:Abstracts of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Secret Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from the Resident at Aden/Political Resident at AdenAbstracts of Secret Letters received from the Resident at Aden/Political Resident at AdenAbstracts of Letters received from the Political Resident at ZanzibarAbstracts of Letters received from the Governor of the Straits Settlements.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:Land issues, including: issues of land tenure and tenant rights; land settlement operations; forestry; mining; the sale of ‘waste lands’; and plantations of cash crops including cotton and teaPay, pensions, recruitment, and other personnel issues in the Indian Civil and Military establishmentsPublic works, including railways, roads, reservoirs, land reclamation, canals, harbours and harbour defences, hospitals, prisons, and barracksRevenue and expenditureIssues concerning Princely States, including land cessions for railways; issues of succession; pensions; and an attempted plot against the Gaekwar Maharaja of Guzerat [Gujarat]Military operations, in particular an attack on Bootan [Bhutan] leading to the occupation of the Dooars [Duars, mountain passes]; and also operations against Munneepooree [Manipuri] insurgents at Luckeepore [Lakhipur] and ‘outlaws’ in Kattywar [Kathiawar]Other military affairs, including claims of military units for rewards for service during the ‘Mutiny’ [Indian Uprising of 1857]; the health of troops; and the movement, organisation, supply, and reduction of military unitsThe Indo-European Telegraph linking India to Britain via Persia [Iran] and the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, in particular breakages and repairs of telegraph linesPostal services between India and the Persian GulfEducationBankingJudicial affairsFood shortagesEmigration from India to French colonies and St Croix [Danish West Indies]Frontier affairs, including the closure of the Kohat Pass following conflict among the Afreedees [Afrīdī tribe]Civil conflict in Afghanistan [also spelled Affghanistan], including the flight of chiefs from Cabul [Kabul] to India and the question of British policy towards refugee chiefsThe activities of rival colonial powers, including French activity in East Africa, the Comoro Islands [Comoros], and the Gulf of Siam; proposed exchanges of territory in India with France; and Russian activity in Bokhara [Bukhara]Affairs in Burmah [Burma/Myanmar], including the settlement of the border with Siam [Thailand] in Tenasserim [Tanintharyi] and exploration of the Salween riverAffairs in and around Aden Settlement, including: relations with neighbouring states, in particular the Foodlee [Faḍlī Sultanate] and Lahej [Laḥij Sultanate]; the security of roads leading to Aden and the proposed creation of a mounted police force; the garrison and defences of Aden; a cholera outbreak and shortage of grainConflict between the Sultan of Muscat [Thwaynī bin Sa’īd Āl Bū Saʿīd] and the Wahabees [Waḥḥabī movement], and the question of maintaining a British naval force in the Persian GulfAffairs in East Africa, including the slave trade in Zanzibar and the Red Sea and the imprisonment of British and other nationals by Emperor Theodorus [Tewodros II] of Abyssinia [Ethiopia]Affairs in and around the Straits Settlements, including attacks on British subjects in Perak and Panai.The primary correspondents are:The Viceroy and Governor-General of IndiaThe Government of IndiaThe Resident in AdenThe Resident in 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 first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 458; 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 coversPagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
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 years 1865-66. The letters are dated 8 November 1865-28 November 1866. The abstracts are numbered 1-111 and each have one of the following titles:Abstracts of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Secret Letters received from the (Political) Resident at AdenAbstracts of Secret Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from the Assistant Resident at 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 included in the volume concerns events in British India, Oman, Aden, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the coast of East Africa, and covers the following subjects:Revenue and expenditurePublic works and transportation, including railways, roads, schools, canals, museums, ports, and jailsPay, pensions, and other personnel issues in the Indian Civil and Military establishmentsCommunications, including postal services and telegraph networksCultivation of cottonReform of the administration of Kattywar [Kathiawar]Proposed reduction of the European army in British IndiaLanguage qualification requirements for officers in the Indian ArmyPoor morale in the British Indian Army following the Indian RevoltFamine in Bengal and Madras, and Government efforts to improve conditionsDisposal and re-use of captured and damaged weaponsPurchase of ships for Government of India useImportation of horses from England to improve Indian Army’s breeding stockVaccination programmes in Bombay and MadrasProceedings of Indian courts, including judgements issued by High CourtsAlleged mismanagement at the Bank of Bombay, and debate regarding Government oversight of the Bank’s activitiesThe foreign relations of the Government of India, including with Bootan [Bhutan], Persia [Iran], Khotan [Hotan], Affghanistan [Afghanistan], Abyssinia [Ethiopia], Zanzibar, Muscat, Turkey [Ottoman Empire], and Acheen [Aceh, Indonesia]Events in the Princely States, including successions, adoptions, the establishment of regencies, and warnings to rulers regarding mismanagementBorder disturbances on the North-West Frontier, and British military expeditions in responseCivil war in AffghanistanA diplomatic mission to the Emperor of Abyssinia and negotiations for the release of European prisonersVisit of the Sultan of Zanzibar to BombayRebellion against the King of Burma [also known today as Myanmar] led by his sons at MandalayReported ‘cruelties’ carried out by Turkish Government authorities against Indian pilgrims in MeccaDutch activity in Assahan [Asahan], Siam [Thailand], and Acheen [Aceh]Russian activity in Bokhara [Emirate of Bukhara], including the capture of Samarcund [Samarkand]British financial and military support for the Sultan of Muscat against Wahabee [Wahhābī] neighboursEvents in Muscat and Oman, including: the death of the Sultan of Muscat Syud Thoweynee [Sayyid Thuwaynī bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd] and allegations that this death occurred on the orders of his son, Syud Salim [Sayyid Sālim bin Thuwaynī Āl Bū Sa‘īd]; refusal by the British to recognize Syud Salim as Sultan; and the seizure of Muscat’s ‘principal fort’ by Syud Salim’s uncle, Syud Torkee [Sayyid Turkī bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd]Raiding by and military expeditions against the Foodlee [Faḍlī] tribe, including the British destruction of the village of Shugra [Shukrah]Proposed recruitment of an Arab cavalry force at AdenConstruction of defensive structures at AdenBritish naval bombardment of Wahabee coastal fortsBritish attacks on Soor [Sur], Katiff [Al Qatif] and Fort Damaum [Dammam]Appointment of additional assistants to the Persian Gulf Political StaffAnti-slavery actions by British vessels near ZanzibarUse of slave labour by British firms in ZanzibarRumours of survivors from the shipwrecked vessel
St Abbs, and efforts by the Political Agent at Zanzibar to locate them in Somalia.A detailed index of subjects, places and people mentioned in the correspondence is included on folios 340-351.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.’The primary correspondents are:The Government of IndiaThe Governor-General of IndiaThe Government of BombayThe Resident at AdenThe Political Agent at Zanzibar.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 354; 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 4-339, and ff 340-351.
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 1869. The letters are dated December 1868-December 1869. The abstracts each have one of the following titles:Abstracts of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from AdenAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from Zanzibar and AdenAbstracts of Secret Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from ZanzibarAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire [Bushehr]Abstracts of Letters received from Muscat and AdenAbstracts of Letters received from MuscatAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire and AdenAbstracts of Letters received from Zanzibar and MuscatAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire, Muscat and AdenAbstracts of Letters received from Zanzibar and Bushire.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 taxationFood shortagesPublic works, including railways, roads, irrigation, and harboursBanking and financeTelegraphyCholera outbreaksIssues concerning Princely States, including: allowances; debt; succession; internal administration; and the slave trade in KutchLegal issues, including the question of British jurisdiction in occupied Bassadore [Basa’idu] arising from the case of a murder committed by a British subjectLand issues, including the cultivation of cash crops such as cinchona, indigo, and tea, and the sale of ‘waste lands’Issues around emigration from India to British and French coloniesMilitary affairs, including the reorganisation, accommodation, and supply of military unitsFrontier policy and relations with tribes on the Northwest and Northeast Frontiers; in particular frontier raids and retaliatory expeditions, including the destruction and pillage by British forces of Shahtoot [Shahtut] village on the Northwest FrontierThe Russian advance in Central Asia; related discussions around British policy in the Northwest Frontier, Cabul [Kabul], and Persia [Iran]; and restrictions on trade from India to Central AsiaCommunications and trade with Ladakh and Cashmere [Kashmir] and on to Central AsiaAffairs in Affghanistan [Afghanistan], including challenges to the rule of the Ameer Shere Ali [Amīr Shīr ‘Alī Khān], internal reforms, a meeting between the Ameer Shere Ali and the Viceroy of India in Umballa [Ambala], and the presence of rival Sirdars [Sardārs, noblemen] in IndiaAffairs in and around Aden Settlement, including: relations with neighbouring polities, including Lahej [Laḥij Sultanate], Fodthlee [Faḍlī Sultanate], Houshebi [Ḥawshabī Sultanate], and Maculla [Mukalla]; water supply to Aden; the purchase of Little Aden; and attempted French inroads in the areaCivil conflict in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, in particular the capture of Muscat by Azan-bin-Ghes Azzān bin Qays Āl Bū Sa‘īd], the consolidation of and challenges to the rule of Azan-bin-Ghes; the effect of the change in regime on the lease of Bunder Abbas [Bandar-e ‘Abbas]; a conflict between Muscat and the Wahabees [Waḥabī movement] at Bereymee [Al Buraymi]; and debates around British policy in the countryAffairs in the Persian Gulf, including an attack by Shargah [Sharjah] on Rasul-Khyma [Ra’s al-Khaymah] and civil conflict in Bahrein [Bahrain]Relations with Persia, including: Persian objections to British actions in Bahrein; trade restrictions in the Gulf ports; frontier disputes around Khelat [Kalat], Seistan [Sistan], and Mekran [Makran] and the need to determine the eastern border of Persia; and the opium trade between Persia and ChinaAffairs in Zanzibar, including: the slave trade; the issue of subsidy payments to Muscat; and the Sultan of Zanzibar’s reaction to events in MuscatAffairs in East Africa, including the proposed occupation of Asab [Assab] Bay, French activity on Mohilla [Mohéli], affairs in Abbysinia [Ethiopia], and relations with Somali tribesAffairs in Burmah [Burma/Myanmar], Siam [Thailand], Nipal [Nepal], and Bhootan [Bhutan]The annexation of the Nicobar Islands.The primary correspondents are:The Government of IndiaThe Viceroy and Governor-General of IndiaThe Resident at AdenThe Political Resident in the Persian GulfThe Political Agent in MuscatThe Political Agent in Zanzibar.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 388; 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.Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
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 1870. The letters are dated December 1869-December 1870. The abstracts each have one of the following titles:Abstracts of Secret Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from Zanzibar and MuscatAbstracts of Letters received from AdenAbstracts of Letters received from MuscatAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire [Bushehr]Abstracts of Letters received from Aden and ZanzibarAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire and AdenAbstracts of Letters received from Zanzibar and 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:Pay, pensions, recruitment, and other personnel issues in the Indian Civil and Military establishmentsPublic works, including: railways, including a proposed railway from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf; roads; canals; irrigation; docks; and river embankmentsRevenue, expenditure, and taxationLand issues, including: the cultivation of cotton, cinchona, and silk; forestry; and coal miningEducationBankingTelegraphy, including international telegraphic links to IndiaAffairs concerning Princely States, including internal administration, debts, allowances, issues of succession, investment in railways, and territorial claimsIssues around emigration from India to British and French coloniesLegislative and judicial affairs, including the question of jurisdiction over British subjects in the Persian GulfMilitary affairs, including the organisation and supply of military units and a proposed naval force for the Indian seas and the Persian GulfFrontier affairs: relations with tribes on the Northwest and Northeast Frontiers and frontier raidsAffairs in Persia [Iran], including: Persian claims to sovereignty over Bahrein [Bahrain] and objection to British actions in Bahrein; frontier disputes around Khelat [Kalat], Mekran [Makran], and Seistan [Sistan] and proposed arbitration of the Persian-Afghan border; anticipated food shortages and subsequent disturbances involving British subjects exporting grain from BushireAffairs in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, including: the consolidation of and challenges to the rule of Syud Azan [Azzān bin Qays Āl Bū Sa‘īd]; debates around British policy towards Syud Azan; confrontation between Muscat and the Wahabees [Waḥabī movement]; the issue of the Zanzibar subsidy; and Syud Azan’s claims to Bunder Abbas [Bandar-e ‘Abbas], Gwadur [Gwadar], Charbar [Chabahar] and other territories on the Mekran CoastAffairs in the Persian Gulf, including: the campaign of Colonel Lewis Pelly in Bahrein and the installation of Esau bin Ali [‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah] as Ruler; trade and shipping in the Gulf; the desire of the Shah of Persia for a naval presence in the Gulf; Dutch and Turkish [Ottoman] activity in the region; and tensions between Bahrein and the Wahabees, including Wahabee inroads in the Guttur peninsula [Qatar]Affairs in Affghanistan [Afghanistan], including relations with Bokhara [Emirate of Bukhara] and RussiaCentral Asian affairs, including the Russian advance in the region, trade and communication from India to Central Asia via Cashmere [Kashmir] and Ladak [Ladakh], and affairs in Eastern Turkestan [Xinjiang]Affairs in Zanzibar, including the slave trade, relations with Muscat, the death of Syud Majid [Mājid bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd], and the accession to the throne of Syud Burgash [Barghash bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd]Affairs in and around Aden Settlement, including: relations with neighbouring polities, including Lahej [Laḥij Sultanate], Houshebi [Ḥawshabī Sultanate], Fodtheli [Faḍlī Sultanate], and Kathiree [Kathīrī Sultanate]; the purchase of Little Aden; the defences of Aden; an attack on Hodeida [Al Hudaydah] from Aseer [‘Asir] and the threat to Lahej from the Zaidees [Zaidīs]Affairs in the Red Sea, including attempted French, Austrian, Turkish, and Egyptian inroads in the regionAffairs in Burmah [Burma/Myanmar], Bhootan [Bhutan], and Nipal [Nepal].The primary correspondents are:The Government of IndiaThe Viceroy and Governor-General of IndiaThe Resident at AdenThe Political Resident in the Persian GulfThe Political Agent in MuscatThe 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 395; 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.Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
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 1873. The letters are dated December 1872-December 1873. The abstracts each have one of the following titles:Abstracts of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from Sir B FrereAbstracts of Letters received from AdenAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Secret Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from Zanzibar, Bushire [Bushehr] and AdenAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire and AdenAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire.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:Arrangements for preserving the historical records of the Government of IndiaJudicial affairs, including the detention of Kooka [Namdhari/Kuka Sikh] insurgents as political prisoners and the question of jurisdiction over British subjects in Persia [Iran] and the Persian GulfLand issues, including plantations of tea, cinchona, and opium poppy, exploration for coal deposits, and land revenue settlementsRevenue, expenditure, and taxationPay, pensions, recruitment, and other personnel issues in the Indian Civil and Military establishmentsPublic works, including railways, canals and irrigationEducationTelegraphy, including international telegraphic links with IndiaAffairs concerning Princely States, including issues of succession, internal administration, the education of heirs, debts, and railwaysAnticipated famine in BengalIssues concerning emigration from India to British, French, and Dutch colonies, including the proposed emigration of Indian labourers to FijiMilitary affairs, including the organisation and supply of military unitsMilitary operations, including an expedition in the Garo Hills and counter-insurgency operations against the Moplahs [Mappilas] in MalabarAffairs in Persia, including: requests from the Persian Government for seconded Prussian and French army officers; frontier disputes between Persia and Turkey; the arbitration of the Mekran [Makran] and Seistan [Sistan] borders; a proposed railway from the Caspian Sea to Teheran [Tehran]Affairs in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, including: conflict in Nejd [Emirate of Najd] between Saood [Sa’ūd bin Fayṣal Al Sa’ūd] and Abdullah [‘Abdullāh bin Fayṣal Al Sa’ūd]; the Turkish [Ottoman] occupation of Lahsa [Al Hasa] and suspected Turkish designs on the Gulf coast; and the slave tradeAffairs in and around Aden Settlement, in particular Turkish activity in the regionAffairs in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, in particular the consolidation of and challenges to the rule of the Sultan Syud Toorkee [Sayyid Turkī bin Sa’īd Āl Bū Sa’īd]Affairs in Zanzibar, including the slave trade, the Zanzibar Subsidy to Muscat, and contact with the mission of Dr David Livingstone in Central AfricaAffairs in the Red Sea, including the illegal destruction of dhows by the British ship
Thetisand suspected Egyptian designs on Berbera,Sir Bartle Frere’s mission to investigate the slave trade in East Africa, negotiations with the Sultans of Zanzibar and Muscat for treaties to suppress the slave trade, and recommendations for other anti-slavery measuresAffairs in Turkish Arabia [Ottoman Iraq], including the administration of Reouf Pasha [Muḥammad Ra'ūf Pāshā], a steamer service operated by the British India Steam Navigation Company between Bussora [Basra] and Bagdad [Baghdad], and a prohibition on the export of Arab horsesAffairs in Central Asia, including: arbitration of the northern border of Affghanistan [Afghanistan]; discussions with Russia concerning spheres of influence in the region; affairs in Eastern Turkestan [Xinjiang] and the proposed expedition of Thomas Forsyth to Yarkund [Yarkant]; a Russian expedition against Khiva; the visit to India of envoys from Affghanistan and Bokhara [Bukhara]Affairs in Burmah [Burma/Myanmar]Affairs in Siam [Thailand], Nipal [Nepal], and Thibet [Tibet]The Panthay Rebellion in China.The primary correspondents are:The Government of IndiaThe Viceroy and Governor-General of IndiaThe Resident at AdenThe Political Resident in the Persian GulfThe Political Agent in MuscatThe Political Agent in ZanzibarSir Bartle Frere.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 332; 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.