Skip to item: of 72
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’ [‎188v] (24/72)

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.

Apply page layout

12
ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. POLITICAL
Jourrey from
Abu Thabi to
Maskat.
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). .
8. After leaying Fujeyrah the Redbreast cruised round to Abu Thabi on
the Pirate coast where the 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. was landed on 30th April and
journeyed to Maskat by land, a distance a little over 400 miles.
The utmost assistance and hospitality was afforded to him by Sheikli Zaeed-
bin-Khalifa, Chief of Abu Thabi, without whose cordial co-operation the first
portion of the journey could not have been performed; and on disembarking
the 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. , H. M. S. Bedhreast returned to Maskat with a despatch
requesting the Sultan to be so good as to send his trusted Lieutenant Sheikh
Eashidbin-Uzaiz, Governor of Semail, or some other influential Sheikh, to meet
the 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 Ibri in the Dahireh. His Highness cordially and
promptly responded and Sheikh llashid duly kept tryst at Ibri on 14th May.
Some portion of the country passed through in the Dahireh district had not
been visited before by a European, so far as is known, and of the remainder of
the route much had not been traversed for many years.
The principal places visited were Abu Thabi, Bereymee, Hafit, Hthank,
Ibri, Nejd-ul-Makharim Gabrin, Bahla, Nezwa, Tanoof, the villages of the
Jebel Akhdar range, Semail, Saroor, Bidbid, Pinjah and so on to Maskat which
was reached on 29th May.
No serious opposition was offered to the 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. 's progress and when
the difficulties and occasional risks of first contact had been got over, and his
identity and credentials made known, the villagers and Bedouins met with were
uniformly friendly. The chief impediment to the security of travel in Oman,
as in other parts of Arabia, is the suspicious nature of the bucolic Arab, who is
ever ready to believe any exaggerated or lying story that may happen to get
abroad regarding the identity and motives of the stranger sojourning in bis country.
The peasants were found to be much better armed in this, the Northern
half of Oman, than they are in the South ; in fact obsolete rifles were altogether
at a discount.
9. (&) On 8th June His Majesty's 1st class Cruiser Amphitrite, 11,000
tons. Captain 0. Windham C.V.O., arrived at Maskat fromEngland and, in the
absence of the B)esident at Shiraz, the 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. accompanied her on
her cruise in these waters, returning to Maskat on 25th June.
{c) On 11th July he proceeded to Simla on duty and returned on 13th
August.
{d) On 13th December he left for India to attend the 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).
at Delhi with the deputation of His Highness the Sultan.
10. The latter was cordially invited by the Government of India to attend
this great pageant himself as the guest of Government, or to send a deputation
in the event of his own inability to avail himself of the invitation. Unfor
tunately His Highness did not feel able to absent himself from Maskat for the
period which his presence at Delhi in person would have necessitated, and there
fore sent his eldest son Saiyid Taimoor to represent him, attended by Saiyid
Yusuf Zowawi, a close friend and adviser of the Sultan, and Saiyid Miiharamad
bin Ahmed bin Nasir, Governor of Muttra.
The 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. accompanied the deputation as Political officer.
On arrival at Karachi Saiyid Taimoor was received with his father's salute
of 21 guns and was escorted on shore by the Port Officer. He was accorded
similar honors on arrival at and departure from Delhi, and was in all matters
treated as representing His Highness the Sultan.
In spite of the severe cold the party kept good health and were able to
attend all the preordained functions and to enter heartily into other pleasures
during theprogress of the festivities, which they thoroughly appreciated and
eil 3 0 3 During the fortnight Saiyid Taimoor and his companions had an
mterview with His Excellency the Viceroy, taking with them a set of handsome
gold chased articles of local pattern and workmanship which the Sultan had had
ma e tor His Majesty the King and which His Excellency the Viceroy had
kmdly undeitaken to have forwarded to their destination. During the interview
w aiyid aimoor delivered messages of congratulation and friendship from his
a icy, and His Excellency expressed his pleasure at being able to honour the
occasion y t le presentation to His Highness the Sultan of 2 guns as an arma-
ment for the steamer which he has lately purchased, through the good offices of
the Government of Incua, for his own use.

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
Cite this item in your research

‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’ [‎188v] (24/72), 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_100023551198.0x00001a> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

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_100023551198.0x00001a">‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’ [&lrm;188v] (24/72)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023551198.0x00001a">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000358.0x00030d/IOR_V_23_81_ No 404_0025.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

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

Use and reuse
Download this image