Letter No. 15: Ephraim Gerrish Stannus, Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire, to William Newnham, Chief Secretary to Government, Bombay [‎32v] (14/19)

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In this letter Ephraim Gerrish Stannus, Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire, provides details of his recent tour of the Arabian coast, which included visits to Bahrein [Bahrain], Raselkhyma [Ra's al-Khaymah], Debaye [Dubai] and Sharga [Sharjah]. The letter recounts meetings with various Arab chiefs, including Shaikh Abdoola Bin Ahmad [Shaikh Abdullah ibn Aḥmad Āl Khalīfah, co-ruler of Bahrain] and Sooltan Bin Suggur [Sulṭān bin Saqr Āl Qāsimī One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. , ruler of Ra's al-Khaymah and Sharjah]. Subjects discussed include: the ongoing feud between Shaikh Tahnoon bin Shakhboot [Tahnun bin Shakhbut, Shaikh of Abu Dhabi] and his brother, Mahomed bin Shakhboot [Muhammad bin Shakhbut Al Nahayan, former Shaikh of Abu Dhabi]; reports from various quarters that Sooltan Bin Suggur plans to resume his piratical activities; relations between the Arab chiefs following the recent treaty [the General Treaty with the Arab Tribes of the Persian Gulf An agreement made in 1820 between Britain and ten tribal rulers of the eastern Arabian coast, often seen as marking the start of 150 years of British hegemony in the region. ]. Stannus concludes his letter by remarking that there has been a decided improvement in the habits of the various Arab chiefs. He states that the main obstacle to permanent tranquility will probably proceed from Sharga. On the reported ambitions of Sooltan Bin Suggur, Stannus argues that his ability is far below his inclination to do mischief. Stannus expresses his opinion that British ascendancy appears to be firmly established and that in a few years it may be possible for the British to relax their vigilance without lessening their influence.

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10 folios

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English in Latin script

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