Abstract: The item consists of copies and extracts of correspondence, minutes and resolutions cited in, or enclosed with, an extract of a Political Letter from the Government of Bombay [Mumbai] to the East India Company Court of Directors, dated 24 December 1845.The item relates to requests made to the Government of Bombay by Abul Hassan Khan Sherazee [Mīrzā Abū al-Ḥasan Khān Shirāzī], Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Shah of Persia [Iran]. Citing a similar arrangement that the Government had with the Persian Prince Futteh Oollah Khan [Fatḥ-‘Alī Khān], he requests that the Government will become trustees of any property he has remaining in the Government's treasuries at the time of his death and will take on the role of executors of his will. He also requests that, after his death, the Government will continue to pay half of his pension to his surviving sons.The requests are considered and discussed by: the governments of Bombay and India; W C Bruce, Accountant General, Bombay; and the Court of Directors. Details on the arrangement with Prince Futteh Oollah Khan are also included, as well as details of the original arrangement for Abul Hassan Khan Sherazee’s pension which was agreed in 1810.The item contains two versions of Abul Hassan Khan Sherazee’s will. The first, dated 8 January 1842 and forwarded by Sir John McNeill, HM Envoy at the Court of Persia, can be found at folios 679-681. The second, dated 4 May 1843 and forwarded by Lieutenant Colonel Justin Sheil, HM Chargé d’Affaires at Tehran, can be found at folios 692-695.There are multiple spellings for Abul Hassan Khan Sherazee within the item.The majority of the item’s contents date from between 1842-45, with the exceptions of a few extracts quoted from letters dating from 1810.The title page of the item contains the following references: ‘Bombay Political Department’, ‘P.C. [Previous Communication] 5196, Draft 323/46, Coll[ection] 7’, ‘Collection N. 8 of N. 144’ and ‘Examiner’s Office’.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at f 668, and terminates at f 705, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the item also contains an original pagination sequence.
Abstract: The item consists of copies and extracts of correspondence cited in, or enclosed with, an extract of a Political Letter from the Government of Bombay to the East India Company Court of Directors, 30 September 1851.The item relates to a debate between Lieutenant-Colonel Justin Sheil, HM Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Persia [Iran], and William Acland, the Company's Solicitor, over the correct way of executing the will of Meerza Abul Hassan Khan Sheerazee [Mīrzā Abū al-Ḥasan Khān Shīrāzī], former Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs. Points debated include:Whether Acland, as power of attorney, has the right to withdraw and reinvest all capital and interest from the estateWhether he can charge commission to do soHow the money owed to the executors of the will should be divided and paid.The item includes a copy of a petition from Meerza Abul Hassan Khan Sheerazee's grandsons, Mirza Hady Khan [Mīrzā Hādī Khān] and Mirza Bankir Khan [Mīrzā Bāqir Khān] (ff 331 verso-332 recto), as well as quotes from the will (f 334) and copies of the power of attorney documents (ff 338-340 and ff 346-347).The item also contains minutes by the Government of Bombay Council members.There are multiple spellings for individuals' names in the text.Whilst the item contains copies of earlier material dating from March 1844, the majority of material dates from 1849-51.The title page of the item contains the following references: 'Bombay Political Department', 'Draft No. 19 of 1852', 'Collection No 17 of No 71', and 'Examiner's Office'. Originally, the Collection number was given as '24' but this has been crossed out and replaced with '17'.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at f 328, and terminates at f 352, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the item also contains an original pagination sequence.
Abstract: This file relates to the establishment of what is referred to in the file as the Auqāf al Harameyn Claims Association, created for the purpose of claiming
auqāf(or
awqāf, plural of
waqf) on behalf of the Harameyn (the two sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina, also transliterated as Haramayn, Haramein and Haramain in the file) and their people.Much of the correspondence concerns enquiries made by the Hejazi (later Saudi Arabian) Government about information regarding the estates of deceased persons in British-ruled territories (including British India, Burma, and Palestine), parts of which estates are claimed to have been designated as Harameyn
auqāf.The file features the following principal correspondents: the British Agent and Consul, Jeddah (Acting Agent: Herbert George Jakins); His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires to Jeddah (Cecil Gervase Hope Gill, succeeded by Albert Spencer Calvert); His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah (Sir Andrew Ryan); the High Commissioner, Palestine (Arthur Grenfell Wauchope); the Governor of Burma (Charles Alexander Innes); the Hejaz/Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Saudi Minister for Foreign Affairs; officials of the India Office, the Foreign Office, the Government of Bombay, the Government of Burma, and the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department.A large part of the correspondence is concerned with the details of a
waqfcreated under the will of a deceased British Indian resident of Java named Ali bin Hussein Nanabhai as-Surati (there are various transliterations of his name in the correspondence), who left property in Rangoon, Burma. Whilst His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah and other British correspondents make efforts to assist in providing the Hejazi/Saudi Government with information regarding Nanabhai's estate, they also state that the British Government cannot intervene in the management of any
auqāfcreated in British territories.Also discussed are plans for an unofficial Saudi mission (proposed in 1935 by a recently formed Mecca-based society for the protection of Harameyn
auqāf) to Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Iraq and India, to promote the claims of the Hejaz's Holy Places to the revenues of Harameyn
auqāf.Most of the material in the file dates from 1932 to 1935, with the exception of a few earlier items, which date from 1927.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 224; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An external leather cover wraps around the documents; the inside front cover has been foliated as f 1. A previous foliation sequence, which is present between ff 2-223 and is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.