‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Agency and Muscat Political Agency for the year 1883-84.’ [47v] (34/166)
The record is made up of 1 volume (87 folios). It was created in 1884. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
32 administeation kepoet of the peesian sulf political
A deputation ^ in some hiv^^tion^Thastened^is^arnrng^
^ntea'nTsTe! fromM'uscat in November 1836, arriving at Mombasa about the close of the
year He at once summoned Easbid to surrender, but, recemng no reply, Sa eed landed h.s
Cps and batteries on the north side of the creek and commenced a bombardment Taught
bv experience, however, of the futility of this methrf, he founded h.s hopes upon mtngne and
by lavish expenditure soon gained over a large proportion of those opposed to h.m, mcludmg
Khamis and Nasir, the uncles of Bashid. Rashid, seemg the gradual defecfaou of h, B
adherents and finding himself unable to hold out against the power of Sa eed s purse, opened
neerociations, and in February 1837 a convention was concluded in the terms of the
original pact by which the fort was to be garrisoned by Sa eed s men, and the Wall was to
reside in the town. Sa'eed then appointed Ali-bin-Munsoor to command the fort with a garri
son of 500 men, and sailed for Zanzibar. Shortly after, at Sa eed s invitation l^ashid paid a
visit to Zanzibar and was then offered the Waliship of Pemba, or a liberal pension, if he
would relinquish his title and claim to the Waliship of Mombasa, and quit that place with his
family for ever.
Rashid declined the preferred baits and maintained his hereditary claim to Mombasa,
and Sa'eed failing in his attempt to get final possession of the coveted fort by purchase, devised
a plan for the extermination of the family of the Mezeni Chief. Rashid was now honourably
treated and sent back to Mombasa with presents. But two months later, Khalid, SaVd's
second son, was despatched to that fort with secret orders which he carried out with great
precision and success. On arrival at Mombasa, where he was received with due respect,
Khalid landed and held a
durbar
A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family).
in Arab fashion at the fort gate. Rashid and the other
Mezenis attended the levee, and, after making their salutations, were desired to enter the fort
for the discussion of business. On passing in they were seized one by one and thrown into
prison to the number of 80. Suspicions then arose, the alarm spread, and the remainder of
the Mezara fled to to the mainland. The prisoners were immediately put on board and carried
by Khalid to Zanzibar, whence Sa'eed shipped them to Bunder Abbass in one of his frigates.
Some were thrown overboard on the way, and the rest were immured and starved to death.
Sa'eed's wars at Mombasa had been marked throughout by a series of perfidies, and this cruel
murder of the gallant Rashid and his companions fittingly completed his conquest. With
their death the Mezeni dynasty, which had lasted for over a century, and which neither the
Imaum Ahmed nor any of his descendants had been able to overthrow by force of arms, came
to an end.
The accession of Her Majesty Queen Victoria was an opportunity for Sa^eed to display
his loyalty to England, which was not neglected by him. In 1838 he despatched Ali-bin-
Nasir as envoy to offer his congratulations, with presents of great value; and Captain Cogan,
who brought back the mission to Zanzibar, was empowered to negociate a commercial treaty,
which was concluded and signed in May 1839. Very shortly after Sa^eed received letters
from the Governor at Bourbon, who had been moved by representations from French mer
chants of commercial requirements at Zanzibar, requesting him to receive a French Consul
on the same footing as the Americans, and making overtures for a fresh treaty. Sa'eed, how
ever, demurred to granting an exequatur to the consul, who had in fact already been appoint
ed in anticipation until the treaty had been concluded, and the Consulate was deferred
accordingly.
Sa^eed returned from East Africa to 'Oman in September 1839, and had no sooner arrived
than he was forced to turn his attention to the adoption of measures for resisting the advance
of the Egyptians; Mohammed Ali had at this time embarked on his vain career of aggression
in Syria and Arabia, and his General, Khoorshia, had in December despatched Sa'eed-bin-Mutlak,
with a large force and two guns, to Bereymee. There was reason to believe that Sa'eed had
been engaged in a secret intrigue with Mohammed Ali for aid in obtaining possession of
Bahrein in return for the payment of tribute to Egypt. But under the advice of the British
Government Sa'eed dropped these schemes and evinced proofs of his determination to act
loyally in accordance with the policy of the Government in opposing the invasion of the
Egyptian troops. In one of his interviews with Mohammed Ali in April 1840, Colonel Hodges,
the Consul-General at Cairo, desired explanations as to the object of the force under Sa'eed-bin-
Mutlak ; professions of ignorance and evasions were at first resorted to, but the
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
sub
sequently admitted that the force was part of Khoorshid's army, and was intended for the
annexation of 'Oman. He was then informed that the British Government would allow no
interference on his part with 'Oman, and would punish any attempt at encroachment. Though
About this item
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Administration Report on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the year 1883-84, by Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Charles Ross, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , published by Authority by the Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta [Kolkata]. A copy of a letter from Ross to Charles Grant, Secretary to the Government of India (Foreign Department), dated 17 July 1884, is included in the report (folio 33), the original of which submitted the report to Government, under the following headings:
Part 1 ( General Report ), written by Ross (folios 34-39), containing summaries of local political affairs, and incidents or events of particular note for: Oman and the Pirate Coast; Bahrain; Nejd, El-Hasa [Al-Hasa] and El-Katr [Qatar]; Fars, including Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh] and Bunder Abbass [Bandar-e ʻAbbās], and the coast between Bushire and Bandar-e Lengeh; Persian Arabistan; Persian Beloochistan [Baluchistan] and Gwadur; and Bassidore. The report also contains summaries of changes in official personnel (referred to as political establishment); British naval movements in the Gulf; and a summary of meteorological events observed at the Bushire observatory. Appendix A contains tabulated and graphical meteorological data for the year, supplied by the Bushire observatory.
Part 2 ( Administration Report of the Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the year 1883-84 ), submitted by Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Barrett Miles, Her Britannic Majesty’s Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. and Consul at Muscat, dated 9 June 1884 (folios 40-50), containing a summary of affairs at Muscat, including raids and fighting around Muscat in October 1884, between rebel forces and those allied to the Sultan of Muscat. The report also records changes to British official personnel at Muscat, and notes recent shipwrecks on the Muscat coast. Appendix A is a biographical sketch, written by Miles, of Sayyid Sa'eed-bin-Sultan, the Imam of Muscat.
Part 3 ( Report on Trade for the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. for 1883 , folios 50-105), comprising a short summary of the year’s trade, and followed by two appendices, labelled A and B, but arranged in reverse order: B) Supplementary notes on the care and culture of date trees and fruit, written by A. R. Hakim, Assistant to the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; A) tabulated data on trade, including data on imports and exports into and out of the Gulf ports of Bushire, Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh], Bunder Abbass [Bandar-e ʻAbbās], Bahrain and the Arab (Oman) coast. An index to the trade tables can be found at folios 53-54.
Part 4 (
[at Muscat]), submitted by Miles, dated 9 June 1884 (folios 105-12), comprising a short summary of the year’s trade at Muscat, and an appendix containing tabulated data on imports and exports at Muscat (listed by commodity), and the nationality and average tonnage of vessels visiting Muscat.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (87 folios)
- Arrangement
The report is arranged into four numbered parts, with lettered appendices containing further reports and statistical data after each. Two appendices following part two of the report are labelled in reverse order (B then A, instead of A then B).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the first folio, on number 32, and ends on the last folio, on number 112.
Pagination: The volume contains an original typed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Agency and Muscat Political Agency for the year 1883-84.’ [47v] (34/166), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/V/23/45, No 198, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023580328.0x000024> [accessed 3 October 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/V/23/45, No 198
- Title
- ‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Agency and Muscat Political Agency for the year 1883-84.’
- Pages
- front, 31v:113r, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence