Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎50v] (105/602)

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Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05

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Ref: IOR/R/15/1/709

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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24
ADMINISTRATION EE PORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. POLITICAL
Manh did not wear quite so fair a dress at the time o£ my visit, but tlie district is
undoubtedly a well-watered and fertile one. All the springs here, as they are at Adam and
Bahilah, and indeed at most places in Oman proper, are hot; the temperature varying from
102 to 112 degrees Fahrenheit. There is no Wali here on behalf of the Sultan; the leading
man and dispenser of justice is the Metowwa Muhammad-bin-Mesud, who is reputed to be
the most learned man in Oman.
decided to move on to Bahilah to-day, because though it would have saved
us a day's journey to visit Nezwa first, as my Arab companions did not fail to represent to me,
I was desirous of exploring the country between Manh and Bahila. We left at 8 a.m . and
at 9 reached Karsha, a small hamlet of seventy houses. At 9-30 we crossed the W.
Kalbuh, and at 10-45 halted for coffee at Timsa, a picturesque village under a hill with
a large date grove. An hour later we came to Khamaili, a mystic pool of water famed
throughout Oman as the source of all magic and sorcery. The fable is that a man lies im
prisoned by enchantment deep down under the water, which has become red from his blood.
Any one venturing to drink it becomes enchanted immediately and falls under the magi
cian's spell. I drank some nevertheless and found it very sweet and good. After a long
ride over a stony plain covered with low black hills we came to Fut, a small hamlet to
our left, and soon after the singularly situated town of Bahilah comes into sight.
The first view presents a long white wall with bastions at intervals enclosing a large
extent of cultivated ground with a huge white fort and lofty tower standing on an eminence
in the centre, picturesquely overlooking and commanding the town beneath. Its appearance
indeed is more striking than that of any other town I have seen in Oman. From the time
we had been sighted on the road, the garrison had continued to fire guns at intervals from
the walls as we approached, and as we drew nearer the Shaikh with a party of horsemen, and
followed by an immense concourse of people, issued from the gate and rode down the bed of the
Wady to meet us. We then halted while the Shaikh and his followers exhibited their skill
in horsemanship, galloping round in a circle and firing off their matchlocks at full speed,
running races with each other, &c. After this was over we formed procession and rode slowly
on through the gate into the town, where we were lodged in a pleasant house and garden.
After receiving a visit from Shaikh Nasir-bin-Hameyed I occupied the rest of the day i u
examining the space within the walls and the town.
On the following morning I paid a visit to the Shaikh at his fort, where he received me
very courteously. He is a heavy-featured, unprepossessing looking young man of 22, with
much decision of character and evidently complete master of the position. He has obtained some
notoriety lately by his murder of his two elder brothers, Barghash and Rashid, the circumstances
of which have been reported. I learned here that Shaikh Barghash had long suspected Nasirof
sinister designs against him and had prohibited his entering the fort. Nasir, however, managed
to persuade Rashid to join in a plot for killing Barghash, and having by the help of three slaves
concealed himself one night in Barghash's apartments, he shot the latter dead while asleep.
Nasir then proclaimed Rashid Shaikh of the tribe, in place of Barghash; but Rashid was
incompetent and soon allowed all matters to fall into the hands of Nasir, who, some months later,
becoming tired of the situation, quietly shot his brother through the back one day while they
were riding out to Yabrin together. No disturbance ensued, and Shaikh Nasir has since re
tained possession, but, though undisputed ruler of Bahilah and nominal Wali on behalf of the
Sultan, he has not yet been recognised as Temimeh of the Beni Ghafir in place of Barghash.
The fort is a very large building with two towers, one of which is named the " Burj-el-Rih,"
is very lofty, and commands a'splendid view of the whole valley. Our guide. Shaikh Nasir-el-
Kelbani, who is the Wazir Minister. of Bahilah, told me that the fort was named Hisn Tamah from the
Nabhani who built it. I was allowed to photograph the fort from different positions. The
upper part, or Alaya, of Bahilah is chiefly occupied by the Beni Ghafir; the lower town,
or Sifala, being inhabited by the Beni Shekeyl, Ibriyeen, Beni Ghafir, and others. The whole
town is divided into 20 separate enclosed haras or quarters, and contains a population of 6,000
souls. The outer wall embracing the town and cultivation is an irregular parallelogram cover
ing an area of about two square miles. I observed no cultivation outside of this wall, which
is traditioned to have been built by a woman named Gheitha 600 years ago. Inside were
fields of wheat, jowari, barley, lucerne, sugar-cane and cotton, besides extensive date groves and
orchards of other fruit. The manufactures here are brown cotton cloth, loongies, goats'-hair
cloaks, matting, and hulwa. Bahilah is believed to be a very ancient town, and it was the capital
of Oman under the Nebhani dynasty in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It is the
" Barler " of Wellsted, who has somewhat misplaced it on his map. The people here have good

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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 :

Report on the Administration 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. 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 (Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1884);
Report on the Administration 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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1884-85 (Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1885);
Report on the Administration 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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1885-86 (Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1886);
Report on the Administration 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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1886-87 (Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1887);
Report on the Administration 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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1887-88 (Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1888);
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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1888-89 (Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1889);
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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1889-90 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1890);
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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1890-91 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1891);
Administration Report on 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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1891-92 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1892);
Administration Report on 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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1892-93 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1893);
Administration Report on 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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1893-94 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1894);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1894-95 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1895);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1895-96 (Simla: Government Central Printing Office, 1896);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1896-97 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1897);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1897-98 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1898);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1898-99 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1899);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1899-1900 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1900);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1900-1901 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1901);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1901-1902 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1902);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1902-1903 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1903);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1903-1904 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1904);
Administration Report on 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. and Maskat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1904-1905 (Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1906).

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 [‎50v] (105/602), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/709, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023373225.0x00006a> [accessed 16 June 2026]

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Reference: IOR/R/15/1/709
Title: Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05
Pages: front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 3r:298v, back-i
Author: East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
Usage terms: Open Government Licence

Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎50v] (105/602)

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