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‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1897-98’ [‎324r] (17/108)

The record is made up of 1 volume (52 folios). It was created in 1898. 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. .

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eesidency and maskat political agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the year 1897-98.
P art IL—ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE MASKAT
POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. EOR THE YEAR 1897-98.
The past year has not been productive of any evpnts of import
ance in the political history of Oman
Political. and there are fewer inter-tribal disturb
ances than usual to record. The gen
eral quiet has been brought about by the excessive price in food-stuffs which
has had the effect of engendering a general desire for peace and a fuller
appreciation of the advantages of free gifts of food-stuffs from the Suitan.
In May rumours were current of unrest amongst the Beni Ruwaheh and
Beni Jabir fomented by Sheikh Rashid, the Sultan's Wali at Semail, who, for
purposes of his own, was endeavouring to set these tribes against one another.
Quiet was, however, restored.
In June a disturbance occurred at Nakhl, Sheikh Khalfan bin Thenayan,
a very troublesome personage, being the aggressor. Eifty men were despatched
with the Wali of Barka to restore order and to arrest Khalfan bin Thenayan,
but the latter evaded capture by flight and has hitherto succeeded in retain
ing his liberty, notwithstanding several attempts to effect his capture.
In December the Beni Ruwaheh attacked Seyma, a place belonging to
the Beni Hadram and took it with a loss to the defenders of three men killed
and six taken prisoners. On hearing the news Sheikh Rashid bin Ilzaiz, Wali
of the Semail, interceded between the parties and succeeded in effecting the
restoration of Seyma to the Beni Hadram.
Suleiman bin Suweilim, the Governor of Dhofar, arrived at that place on
the 15th April and took over charge of
Dhofiir - his duties.
In April and May, two bodies of men belonging to His Highness's gar
rison at Dhofar, numbering in all about 45 men, deserted and returned to
Maskat.
Shortly after Suleiman bin Suweilim's arrival at Dhofar in April 1897,
the inhabitants of Hafa attacked those of Salala with the result that one
of the Al Kathir was killed. In this affair Suleiman favoured the inhabitants
of Hafa, and was strongly suspected of being the instigator of the quarrel
between the parties. On the matter being reported to the Sultan, His High
ness sent letters via Bombay and Aden recalling Suleiman and appointing
Seyyid Seif bin Yarab as Governor in his place.
Suleiman did not obey the order of recall till the end of Eebruary,
and when he did so, he brought back with him the Sultan's nominee, Seyyid
Seif bin Yarab, and left his Nubian slave, Noobie, an illiterate and abso
lutely worthless individual, to act as Wali in his place.
In November 1897j the Wali's nephew and an Arab who accompanied
him, were attacked and killed by the Kara hillmen.
In May 1897, an attempt was made by the Sultan to insist that all bags
of rice imported into Maskat should be
GeDeral< of one uniform weight. As such an
order was calculated to hamper trade
and to benefit nobody, the matter was represented to His Highness who
revoked this order.
On the 21st June, the Jubilee, in commemoration of the completion of
the 60th year of the reign of Her Majesty the Queen-Empress, was duly
celebrated. All the foreign representatives offered their congratulations on
the occasion, and the heads of the Khoja and Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. communities testified
their loyalty to Her Majesty.
In August 1897, the Officer in Political Charge of the Makran Coast for
warded a petition from the British Indian traders at Gwadur, representing
\

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Administration Report of 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 1897-98, published by the Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India (Calcutta), forming part of 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and 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 Muscat.

The report is divided up into a number of sections and subsections, as follows:

Part 1 , is a general summary of events in the region during the previous year (folios 319-322) written by Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm John Meade, 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. , Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The summary is divided up as follows:

1. General

2. Oman-Maskat Coast

3. Oman-Pirate Coast

4. Bahrein [Bahrain]

5. Nejd.

6. Kowait [Kuwait]

7. Persian Arabistan

8. Fars and the Persian Coast

9. Persian Baluchistan

10. Slave Trade

11. Piracy

12. Royal Navy

13. Official Changes

14. Observatory

Appendix A (folio 323) that follows Part 1 contains the following tables:

Table No. 1 - Table Showing the force and prevailing directions of the wind and recorded rainfall at Bushire for the year 1897-98.

Table No. 2 - Abstract of Meteorological Observations for the year ending 31st March 1898, taken at 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. Observatory, Bushire.

Part 2 , is an Administration Report 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 1897-98 (folios 324-325) written by Major Christopher George Forbes Fagan, 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. and Consul, Maskat. The report provides a summary of political and military developments in Muscat throughout the previous year.

Part 3 , is a Trade Report of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , for 1897 (folios 325v-327) written by Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm John Meade, 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. , Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Appendix A to part 3 (folios 327v-362) contains a series of 27 tabular statistics charts concerning several aspects of trade throughout the region.

Part 4 , is a Trade Report for Maskat for 1897-98 (folio 362) written by Major Christopher George Forbes Fagan, 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. and Consul, Maskat. Appendix A to part 4 (folios 363-364) contains the following tables:

Table No. 1 - Imports into Maskat.

Table No. 2 - Exports from Maskat.

Table No. 3 - Showing total number and tonnage of vessels of each nation that entered the Port of Maskat.

Table No. 4 - Showing total number and tonnage of vessels of each nation that cleared from the Port of Maskat.

Part 5 , is a Report on the Trade of Mohammerah [Khorramshahr] and the Karun River for the Year 1897 (folios 364v-365). Appendix A that follows part 5 (folios 365v-368) contains a series of tables related to trade to/from Mohammerah and Karun river ports.

Extent and format
1 volume (52 folios)
Arrangement

The report is arranged into a number of sections and subsections, with statistic data in tabular format directly following written sections. There is a contents page at the front of the report (folio 317) which list the report's contents.

Written in
English in Latin script
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‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1897-98’ [‎324r] (17/108), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/V/23/73, No 359, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023559675.0x000013> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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