![‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’ [‎187v] (22/72)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000358.0x00030d/IOR_V_23_81_ No 404_0023.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’ [‎187v] (22/72)")
‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’ [187v] (22/72)
The record is made up of 1 volume (34 folios). It was created in 1903. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
10
Paet II.— ANNUAL ADMINISTRATION EEPOr.T OF THE MASKAT
POLITICAL
AGENCY
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
FOR THE YEAR, 1902-1903.
Internal
Politics.
Saeb.
Awabi.
1. The internal politics of Oman during the past year have displayed little
or no divergence from the prevailing type. In the spring, and again in the
autumn, the usual rumours were rife regarding a supposed intention on the
part of the tribes of the Sharkiyeh to raid the small coast-ports near Maskat,
but no developments ensued and it is doubtful if the rumours had any serious
foundation. At the same two seasons there were signs of unrest among the
tribes of the Upper Semail Valley, the outcome, in a great measure, of the
drought which has been prevalent for the last three seasons and has reduced
some of the tribes to sore straits.
2. Beyond the foregoing little has transpired calling for special remark
except that, on two occasions, when incidents have occurred calculated to lead
to further trouble if not specially dealt with. His Highness the Sultan has found
it advisable to proceed in person to the scene.
The small coast town of Seeb, 30 miles from the capital, where rnanv
of the well-to-do inhabitants of Maskat own date-groves, to which they migrate
in the hot weather, afforded the first occasion calling for his presence. ^The
town is inhabited by a motley assortment of Arabs and Baluchis, but the tribes
most strongly represented are the Beni Hina, Beni Hadid and Beni Awamir,
who, in a desultory way, are perennially at feud with one another. In recent
years these three communities, partly for self-protection and partly with a view
to being in a better position to annoy their neighbours when any quarrel is in
progress, have, as opportunity offered, quietly built themselves 'fortified towers
in their respective parishes, if I may use such a term, and when any incident
occurs affording sufficient pretext for a rupture of the peace they are in the
habit of taking cover in their towers and exchanging random shots with their
adversaries or picking off individuals among them who expose themselves
unwarily. As their tribal settlements are a considerable distance apart promis
cuous long range practice of this kind naturally disturbs the general tranquillitv
of the place and endangers the lives of unoffending inhabitants and on this
account the tribal Sheikhs have been repeatedly ordered by the Sultan through
his local Wali, to vacate or dismantle their fortifications. The Sheikhs
however, were contumacious, owing to the orders not being backed by anv show
of force and continued from time to time to break the peace and paralvse the
trade of the port. Accordingly His Highness the Sultan taking advantage
ot an occasion when hostilities of the nature described were in progress owino-
to the murder of an Awamir man by a negro belonging to the Beni'Hadad
set out for Seeb m the month of April for the purpose of demolishing the
objectionable towers Accompanied by a small force taken from the Maskat
garrison, he carried out his plan without any opposition to speak of and
returned to Maskat on 14th idem after ]0 days' absence. The murderer w s
captured and put to death and a heavy fine imposed upon the Sheikh primarilv
responsible for the outbreak of hostilities. maruy
.. 3. The Sultan had hardly settled down when he was caUed awav a second
time. In this case Awabi was his objectire, an inland town about 70 miles awav
to the south-west, near Bostak, one of the aneient capitals of Oman Sri
much bad blood appears to hare arisen between the Wahabi garrison of His
Highness s fort and the male population owing, it is believed, to the intri °uefof
some of the former with women of the village; and eventuallv local feelin? ran
so high that some specific disagreement over the hire of a donkev having
given tne villagers a pretext for open hostiUty the garrison wore set noon 3
jasja; Tjsf, s iM
Awabi three davs later tho % re P resenta ^ ve s . report, and arriving at
i J ' r , Sultan proceeded to incarcerate thrpp nf fhp
principal greybeards of the town pending production by them ofThe actual
culprits. After some procrastination one man was produced, and together whh
About this item
- Content
Administration Report on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. 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 [Muscat] Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1902-1903, published by the Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India (Calcutta), forming part of the Selections from the Records of the Government of India, Foreign Department, and based on reports sent to Government 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. and other Agents in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Folios 181 and 168 are copies of notes, dated 15 and 21 May 1903 respectively. Both notes were sent by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Arnold Kemball, Officiating 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to Louis William Dane, Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department. The first note (no.82) enclosed 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 Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. reports. The second note (no.87) enclosed statistical tables of trade at Ahwaz and Shuster for 1902, drawn up by His Britannic Majesty’s Consul at Mohammerah [Khorramshahr] from returns supplied by Messrs Lynch and Brothers.
The Administration Report is organised as follows:
1. General Summary , submitted by Kemball (folios 183-87), including reports on: the year’s rainfall and harvest; the governorship of Bushire and Gulf ports; public health, with details of outbreaks of cholera and smallpox; customs administration in the Gulf; settlement of claims against the Persian Government; and the coronation of King Edward VII. The General Summary also includes summaries for towns and regions, chiefly comprising accounts of local politics: Oman and Muscat; Oman and the Pirate Coast, including an assessment of the pearling season; Bahrain, including news from El Katr [Qatar]; El Hassa [Al-Hasa] and El Katif [Al-Qaṭīf]; Koweit [Kuwait] and Nejd, with an update on the fighting taking place between Abdul Rahman bin Feysul el Saood [Ibn Sa‘ūd] and the Emir of Nejd, Ibn Rashīd; Persian Arabistan; Fars and the Persian Coast, with separate reports from Shiraz, Lār, Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh], and Bunder Abbas [Bandar-e ʻAbbās]; Persian Baluchistan. Further reports are included on: the slave trade, including numbers of slaves manumitted by British officials in the region; incidents of piracy; naval movements, chiefly British but also Russian, French and Persian vessels; changes in British official personnel; and movements and changes in foreign representatives. An appendix to part 1 comprises statistical tables with meteorological data for the region.
2. Administration Report of the Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , 1902-03 , submitted by Major Percy Zachariah Cox, His Britannic Majesty’s Consul and Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Muscat (folios 187-92), including: an account of the tribal politics of Oman; reports from Seeb, Awabi, Nezwa [Nizwa], and Gwadur [Gwadar]; the Political Muscat Agent’s tour, including Fujeyrah [Fujairah], a Persian flag flying on Sirrī Island, and the journey from Abu Thabi [Abu Dhabi] to Muscat; a report of Cox’s attendance of the Delhi coronation durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). ; customs; the arms trade; public health; slave trade activity; telegraph rates; Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. buildings; naval movements at Muscat, chiefly British but also Russian, French and U.S. vessels; official changes and the Resident’s visit. A trade report for Muscat is appended to the administration report, summarising imports and exports, itself followed by an appendix of tabulated trade statistics.
3. Report on the Trade and Commerce of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. for the Year 1902 , submitted by Kemball (folios 192-99), including: general remarks on trade; imports and exports; exchange; mule hire rates; freight and shipping rates. An appendix follows with trade data of the principal imports and exports, and number, tonnage and nationality of vessels.
4. Report on the Trade of the Bahrein Islands for the Year 1902 , submitted by John Calcott Gaskin, Assistant Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. (folios 200-02), with details of: coffee imports; pearling season; shell exports; exchange; port improvements. An appendix follows the report, containing tabular data on the principal imports and export at Bahrain.
5. Report on the Trade of Mohammerah [Khorramshahr] for the Year 1902 , submitted by William McDouall, His Britannic Majesty’s Vice-Consul, Mohammerah (folios 203-08), with summaries on: exchange; shipping; river trade; caravan routes; and agriculture. An appendix follows the report, containing trade data in tabular format.
6. Trade Report of Bundar Abbas [Bandar-e ʻAbbās] for the Year 1902 , submitted by Captain William George Grey, His Britannic Majesty’s Vice-Consul, Bandar-e ʻAbbās (folios 208-11), with summaries on: openings for British trade; mistakes made by British traders; the progress or decline of rival trade; obstacles to trade; communication between traders and the Consular Officer; legislative and tariff regulations; shipping. An appendix follows the report, containing trade data in tabular format.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (34 folios)
- Arrangement
The report is arranged into a number of parts and subsections, with statistic data in tabular format directly following written sections. There is a contents page at the front of the report (folio 180) which lists the report’s contents, and refers to the report’s own pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’ [187v] (22/72), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/V/23/81, No 404, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023551198.0x000018> [accessed 23 April 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023551198.0x000018
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023551198.0x000018">‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’ [‎187v] (22/72)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023551198.0x000018"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000358.0x00030d/IOR_V_23_81_ No 404_0023.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000358.0x00030d/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/V/23/81, No 404
- Title
- ‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 178r:211v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence