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Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎18r] (40/602)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (299 folios). It was created in 1884-1906. 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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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. FOE 1883-84. 33
N : ;
'ge. in bitter wrath at the frustration of his schemes, Mohammed Ali was nevertheless compelled
the very shortly to evacuate Arabia, and his submission to the Porte in November 1840 relieved
tig 'Oman from any further danger in that direction.
^ f The restless activity and acquisitive propensities of the French in East African waters
^ now greatly exercised the mind of Sa'eedj and, writing to Lord Palmerston from Zanzibar,
:n g t whither he had again proceeded in the autumn of 1840, he did not conceal his fears that
that nation had aggressive designs on his mainland possession. Sa^eed's fears were probably not
e d ill-founded. The brig De Messager was despatched from Bourbon on three occasions to obtain
b concessions of different sorts, and other indications were not wanting to show that the French
to were anxious to obtain a footing on the coast, but Sa'eed had the sense and manliness to resist
i. these demands and to decline to enter into any engagements against his interests. In his
a | preposterous complaint, however, concerning the French occupation of Nosse Be, which belonged,
ie as lie averred, to a Sakalava Queen, who had put herself under his authority, Sa'eed was no doubt
actuated by jealousy. Some seven or eight years before he had despatched a mission to Mada
gascar with the double object of offering marriage to the Hova Queen and of hiring soldiers for
his Mombasa campaign, and he seems then to have cherished the hope of becoming master of the
whole or part of that vast island. His matrimonial proposals had been slighted by the Queen,
who does not appear to have treated the ambassadors with particular distinction, but Sa'eed had
probably not altogether withdrawn his gaze from that quarter and did not look on the French
proceedings with entire equanimity. Very soon after Sa'eed had sailed for Zanzibar, his
rival Hamud-bin-Azzam of Sohar, who, to show his loyalty and amicable feelings towards
Sa'eed, had lately accompanied the latter on a tour of his possessions in the Gulf, seeing in
his absence a good opportunity to make another move for the supreme power, set out for
Bombay to solicit the neutrality of Government in the forthcoming struggle. Though
accorded a courteous reception in Bombay, the reply he received appears to have effectually
discouraged him from further hostilities againt Sa'eed, and soon after his return to 'Oman he
retired from public life and assumed the garb of religion, appointing, at the suggestion of the
lady Moza, his son Seyf Governor of Sohar, and the since famous priest El Khalelee Governor
of Rostak. Hamud^s ascetic life and patronage of the learned Khalelee led to an intrigue
among the Batineh tribes to elect him Imam, but it was not generally supported and fell
through. It was a mere proposal.
The situation of affairs at Bahrein in ] 843, where civil war had broken out, revived
Sa'eed's long-cherished hopes of including that island in his dominions, and Howejnee began
to make preparations at Muscat for an expedition. Before embarking on the enterprise, however,
Sa'eed had the prudence to refer to Government for an expression of their views in the matter;
and, as it was considered desirable that Sa'eed should, for fear of bringing on complications with
the Wahabees and Persians, preserve an attitude of neutrality, the scheme was abandoned by
him.
'Oman was at this time again threatened by its old enemies the Wahabees. The Ameer
Feysal, having made terms with Mohammed Ali and returned to Reyadh, announced his
intention of undertaking the reconquest of 'Oman. Sa'eed-bin-Mutlak was despatched to
Bereymee with a large force, and a demand was at the same time made upon Thoweynee for
$^5,000. On receipt of this news the Resident at Bushire advised Thoweynee to maintain a
friendly understanding with the Wahabees, and to accept any terms compatible with his
father's dignity. Thoweynee at once requested a truce desiring time to refer to Zanzibar for
orders. Sa'eed-bin-Mutlak, however, notwithstanding his compliance with the request, im
mediately after marched into the Batineh and commenced hostilities. Remonstrances against
this action were sent by the Resident to Feysal and to Sa'eed-bin-Mutlak, and this in
tervention, coupled with the fact that the 'Oman tribes were gathering in formidable numbers
to oppose him, induced Sa'eed-bin-Mutlak to accept terms, and he eventually withdrew his forces
for an annual tribute of $5,000, the authorization for which Thoweynee had received from
Zanzibar. The invasion thus terminated in a manner more favourable to Sa'eed than might
have been expected. The increasing indifference to home affairs on Sa'eed's part was exem
plified on' this occasion by his not returning to guide his people in their defence against
aggression. He was, moreover, exhausting his resources at this time in his foolish campaign
against the town of Siwi in East Africa. For this enterprise he had made extensive and costly
preparations, and his force of 2,000 men was despatched in March 1844 under the command of
Hamud-bin-Ahmed El Samar. It ended in a terrible disaster. The attack was badly
planned, and the natives routed and almost annihilated the Arab army, killing many of the
leading Shaikhs, including the commander, and capturing the whole of the artillery and stores.
It was in this year that Sa'eed had the felicity to conclude his 'bird treaty with a great power.
5

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Content

The volume contains printed copies of Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Administration Reports. The Reports are incomplete (according to the introductory letters and lists of contents). Some of the Reports bear manuscript corrections. The following Reports are represented :

The Reports include a general summary 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. (covering the constituent agencies and consulates that made up 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. , and topics such as the slave trade, piracy, the movements of Royal Navy ships, official appointments, and the weather); meteorological tables; separate reports on Muscat (also referred to as Maskat); reports on trade and commerce; and a number of appendices on special topics, such as supplementary notes on the care and culture of date trees and fruit (Report, 1883-84), historical sketch of the Portuguese in eastern Arabia (Report, 1884-85), notes on a tour through Oman and El-Dhahireh [Al Dhahirah] by Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Barrett Miles (Report, 1885-86), notes on cholera in Persia (Report, 1889-90), report on the cholera epidemic in Maskat, Matrah, and Oman (Report, 1899-1900), and information on individuals and tribes.

Extent and format
1 volume (299 folios)
Arrangement

The Reports are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume. There is an introductory letter/table of contents at the front of each Report, but these show that the Reports are not complete.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation system in use commences at 3 on the second folio after the front cover, and continues through to 299 on the back cover. The sequence is written in pencil, enclosed in a circle, and appears 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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Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎18r] (40/602), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/709, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023373225.0x000029> [accessed 4 May 2024]

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