‘File 5/201 Manumission of slaves and rules relating to cases arising out of the pearling industry’ [‎7r] (20/50)

MANUMISSION OF SLAVES.
Part I.
NQtes for guidance on Persian shore of Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
Authority.
rer S i!nVoast 0 are •- 0r ^ manu1nission of slaves <>« which we work on the
(i) The Slave Agreement with Persia o£ 1882 (Aitohison, volume XII.
page 97).
(ii) The Brussels Act, 1890 (Hertslet, volume XIX, page 278).
lu regard to the former, it has been held that the engagements of the Persian
Government are not limited to the case of negroes, but also cover the case of
enslaved Mekranis or other indigenous persons.
Grounds for Manumission.
(!) Enslavement after March 1882, the date of execution of Slave Tradfl
Agreement with Persia.
(ii) Gross ill-treatment by master, in case of individual enslaved before
Treaty.
Procedure,
Slave cases fall under four categories:—
(i) Slaves of Persian masters domiciled in Persia.
These should be referred officially to the Local Government or Karsmzar
with a Consulate representative, if necessary, and a statement of the case and a
manumission certificate obtained from the Local Government, or the Kareuzar
on the strength of which a British manumission certificate is issued and the
Persian one filed.
We cannot ordinarily manumit without the consent of the Persian author
ities, but if the slave Is not entitled to his freedom or if his title to be manu
mitted is doubtful, His Majesty's Consular Officer should move the Local
Government, or the Karguzar- to obtain, or himself obtain, a guarantee for
good treatment from the slave's master and induce the slave to return to his
owner on the strength of it.
In instances of doubt or if the Local Government or the Karguzar make
unnecessary difficulty, the case should be referred to 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. .
(ii) Slaves from Maskat, Bahrain, Kuwait or Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. .
Political Officer should refer to 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. , giving the fullest possible
details and permitting the slave to remain in the Consulate meanwhile.
(iii) Slaves of masters who are domiciled in Persian territory, .but who
are under British protection.
Case should be enquired into and dealt with on its merits {but without the
intervention of the Persian authorities).
(iv) Slaves of masters who are domiciled in Persian territory i hut mho
are not under British protection.
Case should in the first instance be dealt with in communication with the
Consul of the owner of the slave if one is present, otherwise the local
authorities should be called upon to act as in the case of slaves of Persian
masters; vide (i), supra.
(v) Slaves taking refuge in British territories at Basidu, or at Jask,
Kan jam i 8fc.
There being no responsible political officer present this practice should not
he encouraged, but when slaves have so taken refuge, a manumission certificate
%