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Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎74r] (152/602)

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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 1887-88. 27
In this year Assistant Surgeon Bogle was succeeded by Captain David Seton, of the Bom
bay Army, who was appointed to act under the title of Resident at Muscat, and who assumed
charge of his duties towards the close of the year.
The expulsion from El Bahrein was a disappointment to Seyyid Sultan, whose ardour for
military enterprises appears to have been unquenchable, and who now resolved upon prosecut
ing the Uttoobee war in earnest. Saif bin Ali was again despatched with a strong naval
force to the island, which, in part, he succeeded in re-occupying. But, though he made good his
footing, Saif could not entirely expel the enemy, and Seyyid Sultan, feeling his strength
unequal to their subjugation, supported as they were at this time by the Wahhabees, now
determined to call in the aid of Persia. With this object he despatched as envoy one Shaikh
Ali, by way of Congoon to the Prince Grovernor of Shiraz, with costly presents, to procure the
cooperation of that Ruler in a great expedition against the Uttoobees. Seyyid Sultan wrote
also to Shaikh Nasir, the Wali of Bushire, requesting him to use his influence with the prince
in obtaining the required assistance, and enclosing a blank sheet of paper with his (Sultan's) seal
on it, to be filled up with any conditions the Persians might impose in return for the military
assistance they were to give. Seyyid Sultan, however, did not wait for these re-inforcements,
but early in June 1802, having determined on conducting operations in person, set sail with
a formidable fleet of ships and bughlas for El Bahrein. Landing in force, he attacked the
Uttoobees vigorously but without gaining much success, until two months later, his appeal to
Shiraz having been favourably received, a body of 200 horse and 2,000 foot embarked at
Bushire to join him.
The result of the combined forces acting against the tribe was that the latter were com
pelled to submit and acknowledge the supremacy of 'Oman; the aggressive attitude of the
Wahhabees at this time, and the consequent necessity of withdrawing a large portion of his
army for home defence, alone preventing Seyyid Sultan from prosecuting the war until he had
completely expelled the Uttoobees from the island. His navy, however, had the satisfaction
of so far destroying the Uttoobee war craft that by the end of October 1803 their piratical
depredations were entirely at an end.
In May 1802 Captain Seton was compelled by ill health to return to Bombay on twelve
months' leave, the Company's native broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. being left in charge of affairs. Captain Seton
returned to Muscat, and resumed charge as Resident in June 1803.
Though it was as much as he could do to protect his own country from the Wahhabees
Seyyid Sultan was too magnanimous to refuse an appeal which appears to have been made
about this time to him to aid in repelling the Nejdeans, who had invaded the Hejaz, and were
threatening the Holy Cities. Taking with him presents of money and munitions of war for
the Shereef, he embarked with Shaikh Muhenna El Yaareby and others on board one of his
ships in January 1803, and set sail for Jedda.
A small military contingent appears to have been also prepared and despatched to Jedda
at this time, but if so, it was not commanded by Seyyid Sultan, whose object in going himself
was to perform the pilgrimage at Mecca, which he duly accomplished. The Regency appointed
to act during his absence was composed of his elder son, Salim, his relative Muhammad Nasir
El Jabri, and Muhammad Khalfan.
Soon after his departure, his nephew, Seyyid Bedr, who was then residing at Hibra, a
village near Nakhl, proceeded to Muscat with a few followers and concealed himself in the
house of Seyyid Majid, the brother of the Wali of the town, and endeavoured therefrom to
seduce the commandant of Fort Jelali from his allegiance. In this intrigue Seyyid Majid,
who was disaffected, lent his aid, but the attempt failed, and Seyyid Bedr, having been
denounced, was barely able to effect his escape. Tradition relates that he was being smuggled
into Jelali in a large box, but was detected by one of the Hindu traders, who reported the matter
to Seyyid Salim.
At all events Bedr got clear off, and made his way, first to Ajman, from whence he pro
ceeded to Zobura in Katar, and sought protection from the Wahhabees, whose tenets he adopted.
With their help he subsequently, on two occasions, made an attempt on Muscat, but, failing
in this, he at length determined to mate a journey to Nejd, where, in 1804, he had an interview
with the Amir Saood, who gladly received him.
Though the small force despatched to the Hejaz could have done but little to help in
stemming the tide of Wahhabee invasion, the knowledge of Seyyid Sultan's act of hostility
and the presence of the 'Omanis in the ranks of his enemies so exasperated the Amir Abdul-
Azeez that on his return from the campaign he declared war against Muscat, and despatched
d 2

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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 [‎74r] (152/602), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/709, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023373225.0x000099> [accessed 4 May 2024]

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