Skip to item: of 130
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1884-85.’ [‎17r] (29/130)

The record is made up of 1 volume (63 folios). It was created in 1885. 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

EESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. FOE 1884-85.
27
reinforced by a powerful Sheikh from the interior^ and felt strong enough to withdraw their
submission and defy the Portuguese. Albuquerque therefore resolved on reducing the town
without delay, and having ordered his ships to take up positions, commenced to bombard the
stockade and batteries. The fire of the guns, however, had little effect, owing probably to the
distance of the ships, and Albuquerque thought it best to call a council of war to decide on what
was to be done. The captains, who had already begun to get restive under the iron rule of
their commander, seeing that Albuquerque had made up his mind as to the course he would
pursue, and dreading perhaps the strength of the place, declined to discuss the plan of operations,
or express an opinion, and informed him simply that they were ready to obey his orders. Being
now free to act, Albuquerque no longer hesitated, and gave directions for an assault on the morrow.
He divided his force into two, giving command of the right division against the stockade to
Captains deTavora and daCosta, while he himself took charge of the left. The landing was
effected under the fortifications j and although an obstinate defence was made, the walls were
stormed and carried at both points. A junction was then effected in the streets between the
two attacking parties, according to previous arrangement, and the enemy was then gradually
driven through and out of the town.
The Sheikh, whose arrival had caused such rejoicing and had inspired the people to oppose
their invaders, escaped after a long pursuit, but the slaughter of the Arabs was very great, and
included the Persian Governor of the town and a number of women and children. In the
slaughter of the women, the two captains who subsequently mutinied and deserted their leader,
^., & AntaodoCampo and Joa6 daNova, seem to have particularly distinguished themselves ;
but'Albuquerque's conduct is equally deserving of reprobation, for after the rout of the Arabs
was complete and the scattered Portuguese soldiers were collected in the town,^ he proceeded to
massacre most of the remaining inhabitants, men, women, and children, without distinction.
After guarding against surprise, the town was occupied and pillaged, and the men were allowed
to retain their loot and remove it on board, as some compensation for the hardships they had
undergone. Among the spoil were thirty guns, bows and arrows, lances and other weapons
used by the Arabs. Albuquerque spent eight days here, and took the opportunity to refit his fleet
and victual it with provisions and water. Having done this he was preparing to evacuate the
town and set it on fire, when the inhabitants, who had taken refuge on the heights above,
guessin- his intention, despatched an Arab with a flag of truce to beseech him to be content
with having slain the women and children, and to spare the town and ships from the flames.
Albuquerque replied to the envoy that he regretted the destruction of the city, but that the
inhabitants had broken faith with him, and he could not consequently admit their cla "n to
forbearance. He consented, however, to hold the city to ransom, which he fixed at 10 000
Ashrafis in gold, to be paid the next day at noon. This amount the Arabs were unable or
unwilling to pay by the time appointed, and the town was therefore destroyed by fire together
with 34 dows and many fishing boats. The mosque, described as a very large and beautihil
edifice constructed of wood elaborately carved, also fell a prey to the flames; and it is related
that three Portuguese engaged in hacking at the carved wooden pi lars were crushed and
buried by the sudden collapse of the building: all believed they had perished; but as Uiey
emerged unhurt, the commander at once returned thanks to the Holy Virgin for her miraculous
interposition in their behalf during their pious labour. Albuquerque gives tne following
curious description of Muscat at that time . _ _ ^ „
"Musc-at is a large and wy populous town (knkod oa both sides with high mountains, and the frout .s
, „ . ,, watcr - s e age; behind, towards the Interior, there is a plain as large as the square ot Lisbon, all eovend
with salt pans Not that the tide reaches there, but the springs are salt and salt forms there. Hard by aie
with salt-pans inhabitants make use, and there are orchards, gardens, and palm groves
many pools of fresh water of bv means of swipes and other engines. The harbour is small, shaped like a horse.
T r^hTltertrfrom every 'lind. It is the principal entrepbt of the kingdom of Hormuz, into which all the
shoe, aud sheltered J necessity enter to avoid the opposite coast, which contains many shallows.
S; "rln LCsr;!"^ and dates. It is a P Ly fine town with many good heuses, and
r^frnm the interior with much wheat, millet, barley, and dates for lading as many vessels as come for
supplied from the i of the kmt:d(jril 0 £ Hormuz, and the interior belongs to a king called
them. This J - brothers Between these brothers was divided the country which extends as far as
the Benjaber. who had an (i £ rol „ thence it stretches as far as the vicinity of Mecca.
Aden. On the north .t is washed h^be^ imvard5j ite t0 the Red
The Arabs call this conntry ^^ is almost surrounded b y water, that is, by the Ked and
Sea, m such a ^ called on tha t account the Island of Arabia. It bad formerly
Persian Seas. y ' ^ Benjaber, and this man had three sons, to whom, at his death, he left the
been all reigned ovei by a k- pi,w afterwards retained the name of Henjaber as the father had done,
land to be divided amon °. . a n^^? Beniaber has dominions ovet Fartak. Dhofar, Kilhat, and
The other two acknowledged him ^ ' he r ^ sLikb of Aden; the other two dwell on the eoast of the
Persian Sea, and one o/them had taken from the King of Hormn Z the Island of Bahrein, where there is a pearl

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 Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the year 1884-85, published by Authority by the Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta [Kolkata]. A copy of a letter from 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 Henry Mortimer Durand, Secretary to the Government of India (Foreign Department), dated 18 May 1885, is included in the report (folio 5), the original of which submitted the report to Government, under the following headings:

Part 1 ( General Summary ), written by Ross, dated 30 April 1885 (folios 6-11), containing summaries of local political affairs, and incidents or events of particular note for: Oman and the Pirate Coast; Bahrain; Nejd, El-Hasa [Al-Hasa] and El-Katr [Qatar]; Fars; Persian Arabistan; Persian Baluchistan; and Bassidore. The report also records a marked increase in the slave trade to the Gulf from Africa; summaries of changes in official personnel; British naval movements in the Gulf; and a summary of meteorological events observed at the Bushire observatory. Appendix A contains tabulated and graphical meteorological data for the year, supplied by the Bushire observatory.

Part 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. for the year 1884-85 ), submitted by Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Barrett Miles, Her 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 at Muscat (folios 12-23), containing a summary of affairs at Muscat, and an additional short report on the revival of the slave trade between Muscat and Zanzibar, a likely result, suggests Miles, of the departure of HMS London from Zanzibar. Appendix A is a report of Miles’s visit to Ras Fartak. Appendix B is an historical sketch, also written by Miles, on the Portuguese in Eastern Arabia.

Part 3 ( Report on Trade for the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. for 1884 ), written by Ross and dated April 1885 (folios 24-59), comprising a short summary of the year’s trade, with notes on: grain; opium; cotton; tobacco; imported goods; the increase in piece goods; sugar; the activities of European firms in the Gulf; steamers; the Dutch Commercial Treaty; trade routes; naphtha springs; and pearl fishing. Appendix A comprises tabulated data on import, exports and revenue, in the Gulf ports of Bushire, Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh], Bunder Abbass [Bandar-e ʻAbbās], Bahrain and the Arab (Oman) coast. An index to the trade tables can be found at folios 25-26.

Part 4 (Trade [at Muscat]), submitted by Miles (folios 59-66), comprising a short summary of the year’s trade at Muscat, and an appendix containing tabulated data on imports and exports at Muscat (listed by commodity), and the nationality and average tonnage of vessels visiting Muscat.

Extent and format
1 volume (63 folios)
Arrangement

The report is arranged into four numbered parts, with lettered appendices containing further reports and statistical data after each part.

Physical characteristics

Condition: Some tears and holes in the paper, but not sufficient to impair legibility. Fold-out at f 10.

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 4, and ends on the last folio, on number 66.

Pagination: The volume contains an original typed 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

‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1884-85.’ [‎17r] (29/130), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/V/23/47, No 207, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023600941.0x00001f> [accessed 28 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_100023600941.0x00001f">‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1884-85.’ [&lrm;17r] (29/130)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023600941.0x00001f">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000358.0x000248/IOR_V_23_47_ No 207_0032.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_100000000358.0x000248/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image