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'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1911-1914' [‎138r] (280/488)

The record is made up of 1 volume (241 folios). It was created in 1912-1915. 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. .

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K)R THE TEAR 1913.
9
The Arms Traffic in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. during 1913.
The measures for the suppression of the arms traffic in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
General Review. during the year ending December 31st,
1^13, were conducted on the same lines,
and sanctioned on the same scale, as those of the preceding year. The trade, how
ever, so far from suffering any abatement, continued brisk and flourishing' and,
towards the close of the year, even showed signs of recrudescence. The arena
of gun-running became considerably enlarged, and continued to move westward.
Prom the date of the opening of the bonded warehouse in Maskat, namely,
September 1st, 1912, that port rapidly ceased to be a distributing centre, but
its place was taken by a number of small depdts which were scattered chiefly
amongst the Oman hills and along the Batinah coast. Some of these situated
in or near the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Samail became absorbed during the rising in Oman which
first began to assume serious proportions in the month of May. Dep6ts are
now to be found at Barkah, Masna'ah, Suwdq, Khaburah, Khadhra and Sohar.
Along the coast of Trucial Oman A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. there are stocks of rifles at Khasab, Dibai,
Sharjah, and A-bu Dhabi j while in A1 Katr the trade still rests mainly with
Dohah. With the travel 1 ing of the storm-centre westward, the town of Kuwait
has become more and more affected, and at the present time it is the largest
emporium at the northern end of the Gulf Such names as Euc Hilleh, Khor
Mashur, and Ram Hormuz, are increasingly familiar in the sphere of arms
traffic ; and Basrah and Mohammerah are responsible for a greater number of
arms now than formerly. Most of these places have regularly contributed
their small, dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. -borne consignments of arms and ammunition to south-eastern
Persia. As rifles continued to dribble into Mekran from the south, so Afghans
continued to dribble in from the north ; and during the year under report a far
larger number of rifles reached Kabul from Mekran than during the pre
ceding year.
It was at first thought that these isolated stocks of arms on the Arab coast
would soon become exhausted, or at any rate cease to be of any account : but
in vieAV of the fact that, after supplying local needs, they were still able to
despatch nearly 8,000 rifles, and upwards of 650,000 rounds, to the Persian coast
from their surplus, it seems tolerably clear that these dep6ts are being replen
ished by some means or other. There are two principal potential sources of
supply. Firstly, there are the large allotmenis of arms and ammunition which
are made periodically by the Sultan of Maskat to the lesser Shaikhs of the
Oman confederacy, and which oddly enough are not referred to in the Ware
house report. Secondly, there are the similar consignments which are cons
tantly passing through the Maskat warehouse for the Shaikhs of Kuwait,
Mohammerah, Bahrain and other places, as well as for various Governors,'
Chiefs, and Sirdars Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. . The aggregate of issues on these two counts represents
very large quantities both of arms and ammunition upon which there is no sort
of check, and the ultimate disposal of which is by no means free from suspicion.
So far we are on firm ground ; but when we approach the question as to
whether, or not, any of the Gulf ports, other than Maskat, are receiving sup
plies direct from Europe, we must tread cautiously. Even allowing that many
of the rifles issued from the warehouse under the two foregoing headings find
their way into unauthorised hands, it is difficult to understand how these
dep6ts are able to maintain themselves as distributing centres unless they are
supplied independently of the warehouse altogether. This, of course, can only
be done in two ways, by land and by sea. Now to bring arms down to the
Arab coast across the desert would involve enormous risk if indeed it were
practicable at all ; whereas to smuggle them in amongst the thousands of bales
of merchandise which are delivered almost weekly at the various ports of call
would be a matter of great simplicity. The logical conclusion is therefore that
the ocean-going steamers are at all events helping to keep these dep6ts supplied,
a theory that is in no way inconsistent with the information at our disposal.
c

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Content

The volume contains Administration Report of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Political 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. for the Year 1911 (Calcutta: Superintendent Government Printing, India, 1912); Administration Report of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Political 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. for the Year 1912 (Delhi: Superintendent Government Printing, India, 1913); Administration Report of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Political 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. for the Year 1913 (Delhi: Superintendent Government Printing India, 1914); Administration Report of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Political 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. for the Year 1914 (Delhi: Superintendent Government Printing India, 1915).

The Reports contain reviews by 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. , and chapters on each of the consulates, agencies, and other administrative districts that made up 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. . The Reports contain information on political developments, territorial divisions, local administration, principal places and tribes, British personnel and appointments, trade and commerce, naval and marine matters, communications, transport, judicial matters, pearl fisheries, the slave trade, arms and ammunition traffic, medical matters and public health, oil, notable visitors and events, meteorological data, and related topics.

Extent and format
1 volume (241 folios)
Arrangement

There is a list of contents toward the front of each Report.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 2 on the first folio after the front cover, and terminates at 242 on the back cover. These numbers are written in pencil and enclosed in a circle, and appear in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1911-1914' [‎138r] (280/488), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/711, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023277424.0x000051> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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