'File 9/5 Bahrain Reforms. Reforms in Pearling and Boat Registration' [‎39r] (94/434)

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Content

The volume contains correspondence and reports relating to proposed reforms of the pearling industry in Bahrain. The majority of the correspondence takes place between the Bahrain 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. (Clive Day, who was the principle architect of the pearling industry reforms, and served from 1921 to 1926, superseded by Cyril Barrett), the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the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. or his secretary, and the advisor to the Bahrain Government, Charles Belgrave.

The reforms proposed, and which are discussed at length throughout the volume include:

• Economic reforms, with particular attention given to shares of the profits paid to divers, and the allowances paid to divers, and interest on their debts, through the Salifeh court. This aspect of the reforms was designed to reduce the state of debt slavery that many divers existed in towards their boat masters ( nakhudas );
• The introduction of accounts books for all pearl divers;
• Boat registration and pearl fishing licenses;
• The introduction of a hospital boat intended to patrol the pearling banks, with medical staff on board who are capable of providing medical attention to pearl divers as required;
• The advantages and disadvantages of permitting pearl merchants to use motor launches to reach the pearling boats, the use of which would place some merchants at an advantage over those travelling under sail power.

Items of note in the file include:

• A report entitled 'The Pearl Industry. Bahrain', written by Charles Belgrave, undated but probably 1928 (folios 3-23);
• Letters from the Director of the Bahrain Customs House to the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. (1924), giving figures for the numbers of boats registered and pearling licenses issued, and the income generated (folios 51, 71, 84);
• A original petition in Arabic, signed by numerous nakhudas , complaining of the reforms, dated 26 September 1925 (folio 123, English translation on folios 124-26);
• A letter written by Barrett to Horner (the Secretary 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. ), dated 1 January 1927, writing of disturbances in Manama, caused by a crowd of two-hundred pearl divers who are unhappy with reductions in their allowances (folios 149-52);

Extent and format

1 volume (207 folios)

Arrangement

The items in the volume have been arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest items at the front of the volume, to the latest at the end.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. . An earlier, incomplete foliation sequence, using blue pencil circled numbers in the top right corner of rectos, runs from folios 24 to 66. The following foliation anomalies occur: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 23a, 79a, 130a, 157a.

The following folios are fold-outs: 37, 42, 46-50, 52, 53, 60, 62, 70-73, 75-79, 79a, 84-86, 90, 92, 94, 96, 106, 111, 121-26, 149-54, 157, 157a, 161, 171, 177, 179, 183, 184, 187, 193.

Due to the binding of the volume, the text on some items runs very close to the gutter, making text more difficult to read.

Written in

English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script

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