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‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1902-03’ [189v] (26/72)
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.
ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL
as mentioned earlier in this report, has been acquired by him primarily for use
in facilitating the Customs Administration of his smaller Oman ports and will,
it is hoped, serve its purpose and indirectly recoup its owner for its cost and
upkeep. It is at present undergoing alterations in the Government Dockyard
at Bombay, but is shortly expected at Maskat. Apart, however, from questions
of revenue, the power which the possession of the vessel will put in the Sultan's
hands, and which he does not now possess, of appearing at short notice, and
with force at his back, at any given point on the coast line and consequently in
the hinterland, of his territory, should prove of very material assistance to him
in keeping a tight hand upon his more distant possessions.
Arms Trade. 12. There has been a further decline in this trade, the value of which is
about 1,70,000 dollars less than that of last year and 50 per cent, less than it
was in 1897-1898.
The foundering of Messrs. Bucknall's " Cam " en route to Maskat contri
buted to some extent to this result but a similar catastrophe occurred last year
in the case of the " Basuto" so it must be presumed that the decline in the
imports represents a falling off in the demand. It may also be in a measure
due to the fact that British merchants have for one reason or another been less
energetic in this branch of trade; and it was noticed too that probably by
reason of the scarcity of money in Persia owing to drought, fewer persons than
usual hailing from Persian territory appeared at Maskat.
In this connection it is to be noted that while the value of arms imported
from the United Kingdom has decreased 40 per cent., that from Marseilles or
other foreign ports has increased 30 per cent., which means that the trade is
quickly passing into the hands of persons over whose operations we can exercise
no check or supervision. The reception of the arms on arrival accentuates this
aspect of the question, as the following figures will show. Of the total number
of cases of arras and ammunition landed at Maskat during the course of the
year 22 per cent, were taken delivery of by British subjects, 10J per cent, by
Arab subjects and 67^ per cent, by foreign subjects.
Other details of the trade are furnished in the separate Trade Heport.
Health- 13- Maskat has been quite free from epidemic disease of any sort and this
must be regarded as a matter for much congratulation, considering its proximity
to Karachi and Bombay by sea. The duties of Health Officer continue to be per
formed for the Sultan by the
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
Surgeon, and without the slightest friction.
Slave Trade. 14. Owing to His Majesty's Ships being employed elsewhere there was no
slave cruising during the recognised slave running seasons, and no dhows were
captured in these waters, but if any contirmation were wanted to the reports of
this
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
as to the lively survival of the traffic it is furnished by the
i olio wing items of information which came to hand during the current year.
(«) In January 1902 the Portuguese authorities at Mozambique having
been informed that several Arab dhows had entered the small
rivers in the Angoche district for the purpose of capturing slaves,
the Governor-General of Mozambique organised an expedition
v composed of 180 men, detached from Portuguese men-of-war in
those seas and proceeded to a spot where the slave dealers were
leported to have constructed a fortified position for themselves.
After a severe conflict two dhows were captured and two burnt
and a number of the Arabs are believed to have been killed. It
-i\ a 1S - nC ^ known how many slaves were released.
( ) & ain in Maich 1902 further information of a similar nature having
reached the local authorities the Portuguese cruiser San Rafael
en ered the Port of Simoco in the same neighbourhood and
ere, alter a sharp fight, captured a slaving fleet of 12 Arab
clnows, liberating 725 slaves and making prisoners of about 150 of
e Aiab slave runners. The Arabs are still in confinement
awamng trial; but meanwhile it is known from the statements of
individuals who were present and escaped capture and have
since itturned to Sur that most if not all the Arabs were Oman
subjects and hailed from Sur and the vicinity,
fw ^r^5 0in £ incidents seem^ to constitute sufficiently incontrovertible
c Ye rumnn S flourishes in an organised form and on a large scale
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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.
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- 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