'File A/2 IV [3 II] Slavery: cases of Trucial Coast slaves reported at Bahrain'

Content

The volume contains correspondence related to over forty manumission requests heard at the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Bahrain. The cases involve slaves that had escaped from the towns of the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , notably Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ra's al-Khaymah. Enclosed with most cases is the slave's statement, and correspondence between the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and the 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. Agent at Sharjah, to verify the slave's story. The majority of the cases in the file involve male slaves aged between 20 and 30 years old, who were born in the house of their master, and had been engaged as pearl divers.

Case no. 29 involves three slaves (statements folios 176-78) who had absconded to Bahrain from Abu Dhabi by boat. Shaikh Shakbut bin Sultan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, requests that the boat the slave escaped in be returned to him (folio 184). Further correspondence reveals that ownership of the boat is disputed. The boat’s original certificate of registration, with stamps, is included in the file (folio 189).

Extent and format

1 file (239 folios)

Arrangement

The correspondence in the file has been grouped together into individual manumission cases, which have not been arranged in any particular order. There is an index to these cases at the front of the file (ff 2-4). Each of the cases has a page, or pages, of office notes included, either to the front or the rear of the correspondence. Each case has a cover sheet with the case number and name of the slave (or slaves) involved. In some of the cases towards the end of file, the correspondence is haphazardly arranged, with correspondence from different cases mixed together. Case no. 2 missing.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The main foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil and can be found in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Foliation errors: 23A and 23B; 97A and 97B; 109A and 109B; 207A and 207B.

Condition: There is a small amount of insect damage on some pages, although not sufficient to impair the legibility of items.

Written in

English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script

Type

Archival file

Access & Reference

Original held at

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.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

IOR/R/15/2/1833

Former external reference(s)

Vernacular Office Files: A/2 IV

History of this record

Date(s)

29 Apr 1946-20 Sep 1948 (CE, Gregorian)

Subjects

Slave emancipationSlave trade

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'File A/2 IV [3 II] Slavery: cases of Trucial Coast slaves reported at Bahrain', British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/1833, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100000000282.0x000238> [accessed 18 April 2024]

Link to this record

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100000000282.0x000238

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