‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muskat Political Agency for the year 1879-80’ [300v] (31/161)
The record is made up of 1 volume (80 folios). It was created in 1880. 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.
20 administration report of the
persian gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
political
' attacked generally die quickly, in twenty days or so, though some are
known to linger on for a long time. No remedy is attempted; the
mules attacked are simply separated from the others and allowed to die.
Serrajak, Sore-hacks. —Serrajah is a malady which breaks out occa
sionally in the cold weather. It corresponds to the Indian " barsauti/'
and shows itself as running sores on the legs. It is not dangerous or
contagious, nor is it of frequent occurrence. The remedy resorted to in
Persia is firing.
Sore-backs and girthfalls are very common among the caravans, but
little notice is taken of them. The mule with a sore-back is generally
worked just the same as a sound mule. When the sore is small, the
muleteer sometimes sews some padding on the saddle to prevent the
latter pressing on the sore part, but when the wound is spread over a
large surface, this remedy is impossible. When the sore is very bad
indeed, the mule is laid up and not worked until the wound is healed, but
it is very seldom that a Persian considers a sore bad enough to require
this extreme (!) measure. The best application for sore-backs is said to
be hen-eggs and wheaten flour beaten up together and made into a paste.
This should be applied twice a day, the wound being previously carefully
washed. I have never, however, seen this used.
Miscellaneous. —The female mule is preferred to the male by the
Persians, being considered stronger and more enduring. The Persians
are probably correct in this estimation, castration accouuting for the
deficiency of the males, making them more leggy, and endued with less
stamina. There is no doubt that, as a rule, the chest measurement of
the female is greater in proportion to her height than that of the male.
Major Probyn, late on special duty in Persia purchasing mules, informed
me that passing any mule under the standard, and then taking its chest
measurement he could, latterly, almost invariably tell without further
examination, whether it was a male or a female, from the greater propor
tional chest measurement of the latter.
Among the articles of a mule's equipment, previously described, I
omitted to mention one, that from its universal use among the mules in
every caravan would seem to be almost as essential as a saddle or a
headstall, I mean a bell. The reason for the use of the bell is not quite
clear; whether it is meant to enliven the monotony of the march for
the mules (like the band for troops) and make them forget their fatigue,
or on dark nights to indicate if the mules stop or stray; but it probably
answers both these purposes. A considerable number of the mules in
every caravan are decked with bells, generally one or more little merry
tinkling ones round the neck and sometimes larger and deeper toned ones
hanging down beside the saddle. Another institution in every mule
caravan is the yahoo, a strong pony or galloway, which leads the cara
van and is followed by all the mules. This leading yahoo carries a load
just like the mules, and has, hung round his neck, a large bell of much
deeper tone than the mule bells. It is remarkable how the mules follow
this yahoo and show no disposition to stray, whereas, when there is no
yaboo, I believe they frequently stray away and get lost or stolen.
The explanation of this no doubt is that mules from following their
mothers, and the herds of mares in their youth, get accustomed to rely
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 Muskat [Muscat] Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1879-80, published by Authority at the Foreign Department Press, India (Calcutta), and forming part of the Selections from the Records of the Government of India, Foreign Department (No. 171) 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 preceded by a copy of a letter sent by Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Charles Ross, 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 A. C. Lyall, Secretary to the Government of India, dated 30 June 1880, which enclosed the submission of the original reports to the Government of India (folios 290-91).
The report is divided up into a number of sections and subsections, as follows:
1. General Report for 1879-80 , prepared by Ross (folios 291-308), which is divided a number of small reports, organised by region, as follows: 1. ’Omán or Muskat State; 2. Pirate Coast; 3. El-Bahrain; 4. Nejd, El-Hasá [Al-Hasa] and El-Katr [Qatar]; 5. Southern Persia; and 6. Bassidore [Bāsa‘īdū]. The reports detail the state of local affairs in each region, including relations between tribes and rulers, disease, incidents of piracy, migrations. The report for Southern Persia contains a separate report for Fars. The report for Bassidore includes reports on: political appointments; royal naval activity, postal affairs; observatory activity; and administration of the trade in mules in Persia. Four appendices follow the report: A. List of Guttur (or El-Katr) [Qatar] ports and names of chiefs and main tribes; B. Terms of a mutual agreement entered into by the Trucial Chiefs of the Oman Coast through the medium of Hajee Abul Kassim, Moonshee, specially deputed on this service, and Hajee Abdur Rahman, Government Agent, Arab coast, dated 24 June 1879; C. tabulated meteorological data from the Bushire 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; D. Notes upon the breeding, treatment, etc., of the Persian mule, and upon Persia as a source of supply for mules, written by Lieutenant I MacIvor, Assistant 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. .
2. A Memoir on Nejd , prepared by Ross (folios 308-21), comprising an outline history of the Wahábees [ Wahhābī A follower of the Islamic reform movement known as Wahhabism; also used to refer to the people and territories ruled by the Al-Saud family. ] of Nejd and the Ál-Su’ood [Āl Sa‘ūd] Amirs, from 1691 to the present day, and a number of appendices: A. Genealogical of the Āl Sa‘ūd; B. List of principal districts and towns of Nejd; C. Tribes of Nejd; D. List of authorities and sources of information availed of in preparing Memoir of Nejd .
3. Report on trade for 1879, prepared by Ross, dated 26 May 1880 (folios 321-56), comprising a summary of the year’s harvest and trade; the Commercial Treaty; customs duty; assistance to vessels in distress; prohibition export of specie exceptions; notice of prohibition of export of produce; mercantile tribunals; protection of British subjects; introduction of industrial machinery and agricultural implements. Three appendices follow: A. Report on the salt caves and mines and the trade in salt in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , written by the Assistant Surgeon, Abder Raheem, Bassidore, 20 March 1880; B. Tabulated list of productions [summer and winter agricultural planting) of Fars; C. Tabulated trade statistics, indicating the quantity and values of imports and exports in the region, lists of goods traded, and nationality and tonnage of trading vessels.
4. Administration report of the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Muskat, for the year 1879-80 , prepared by Major Charles Grant, His Britannic Majesty’s 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, Muscat (folios 357-65), comprising: an overview of the political situation in Muscat, changes in British personnel at the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ; the slave trade; marine events; and trade. An appendix of tabulated trade statistics follows the report, detailing nationality and tonnage of vessels visiting Muscat, and lists of imports and exports.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (80 folios)
- Arrangement
The report is arranged into a number of parts and sections, with tabulated statistical data directly following written sections. There is a contents page at the front of the report (folios 288-89), which refers to the report’s internal pagination sequence.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the first folio, on number 285 and ends on the last folio, on number 364.
Pagination: The volume contains an original typed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muskat Political Agency for the year 1879-80’ [300v] (31/161), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/V/23/37, No 171, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023580190.0x000021> [accessed 1 September 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/V/23/37, No 171
- Title
- ‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muskat Political Agency for the year 1879-80’
- Pages
- front, 286r:365r, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence