‘Administration report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1888-89.’ [60r] (28/60)
The record is made up of 1 volume (29 folios). It was created in 1889. 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
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EESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL
AGENCY
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
FOR 1888.
27
P ART III.-EEPORT ON THE TRADE OP" SOUTH PERSIA AND
PERSIAN GOLF FOR THE YEAR 1888.
The hopes of an abundant harvest entertained at the early part of 1888
were realized, and, on the whole, there was an undonbted improvement oh-
servable ia trade at the Persian ports.
JProduce.
Large shipments of wheat and barley were made up to October, when the
Grab
Shallow vessel with a projecting bow.
. Persian Government re-imposed an embargo, which,
however, was imperfectly maintained. The Persian
wheatraised was of good quality, but the quantity of barley mixed with it
before reaching the market was often excessive, amounting in some cases to
50 per cent. The export trade in wheat was unusually profitable owing to a
certain degree of failure of English and European crops which caused a rapid
advance of prices in the Home markets,—10 to 13 per quarter. As this rise
was more slowly felt in Persian markets, early shipments realized handsome
profits. Wheat was chiefly shipped to London, but a portion went to India
and the Red Sea. The English and other merchants in Bushire engaged in
the grain exportation trade consider that the imposition of embargo in October
was unnecessary, and complained that this measure unduly crippled and ham
pered trade, generally to the advantage of the few, who evaded the prohibition
or reaped a profit therefrom in other ways. This alleged evil of constant re
currence, is, however, a most difficult one to deal with, and it cannot be advan
tageously discussed in a public report.
At the commencement of 1889 the prospects for the current year as re
gards the grain trade were good; a considerable portion of the last crop
remained in the country, and there was every hope of a good harvest in 1889.
Unfortunately later on, the rainfall was so scanty as to cause a partial failure
of crops, and in April the Persian Government announced a prohibition on the
export of grain owing to scarcity.
The opium crop of Central Persia was an average one. The London
0i);um market being stagnant throughout the year, the
bulk of the 1888 crop was shipped to Hong-Kong,
where in July and August a marked advance in prices occurred, and the early
shipments returned good profits. Later in the year large shipments of the
drug from India lowered prices in China.
The export trade of tobacco seems to suffer check
Tobacco ' from fall in prices in Syria.
It is well known how the recent wars in the Soudan and isolation of those
tracts have affected the supply of gum. The
effects of this are now being felt in Persia, where
gum is now being extensively collected from the wild almond, "gavan," and
other shrubs and trees, and measures are being taken to prevent the whole
sale destruction of such woods. Pirewood and charcoal are consequently
expected to become scarcer and dearer in Persia, and Bushire has receiyed some
supplies of the latter article from Karachi of late.
E ^
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. (no 265, Foreign Department serial no 25) for the year 1888-89, published by Authority and printed by the Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta [Kolkata]. A copy of a letter from 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. and Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General for Fars, to Henry Mortimer Durand, Secretary to the Government of India (Foreign Department), dated 21 June 1889, is included in the report (folio 48), the original of which submitted the report to Government, under the following headings:
Part 1 ( General Summary ), submitted by Ross and dated 21 June 1889 (folios 49-57), containing numbered summaries of local political affairs, and incidents or events of particular note for: 1) Oman and Muscat state; 2) Oman pirate coast, including Ras-el-Khaimah [Ra’s al-Khaymah], Umm-el-Kawain [Umm al-Qaywayn], ’Ajman, Shargah, Debaye [Dubai], and Abu-Dhabbi [Abu Dhabi]; 3) El-Bahrain; 4) El-Katr [Qatar]; 5) Nejd and El-Hasa [Al-Hasa]; 6) Fars and the Persian Coast; 7) Persian Arabistan; and 8) Persian Baluchistan. Summaries of official appointments, naval movements, slave trade activity and climatic observations taken at the observatory at Bushire conclude the report. Appendix A is entitled ‘Notes on the “Ibn Rasheed” family of Jebel Shammer, and present position of Mohammed “Ibn Rasheed”’, with a genealogical table of the Rasheed dynasty. Appendix B is a translation of the Shah of Persia’s proclamation of 1888. Appendix C is a copy of the regulations for the navigation of the river Karun. Appendix D contains tabulated meteorological data for the year, supplied by the Bushire observatory.
Part 2 ( Annual Report of the Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and Consulate for the Year 1888-89 ), submitted by Lieutenant Wallace Stratton, 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, containing a summary of affairs at Muscat (folios 58-59), under the headings: political affairs, official changes, and slave trade.
Part 3 ( Report on the Trade of South Persia and Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. for the Year 1888 ), submitted by Ross (folios 60-69). The report comprises a short summary of the year’s trade, with notes on: produce, including grain, opium, tobacco, gum and wool; steamers and freights; imports, including cotton goods, copper, loaf sugar, and petroleum; banking agencies; the opening of the river Karun to navigation; and the pearl fisheries. Appendix A comprises tabulated data on import, exports and revenue, in the Gulf ports and towns of Bushire, Shiraz, Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh], Bunder Abbass [Bandar-e ʻAbbās], Bahrain and the Arab coast. An index to the trade tables can be found at folio 61v.
Part 4 ( Muscat trade report for the year 1888-89 ), submitted by Stratton and dated 17 May 1889 (folios 70-75), comprising a brief summary of the year’s trade at Muscat, and also 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 (29 folios)
- Arrangement
The report is arranged into four numbered parts, with lettered appendices containing further reports and statistical data following each part. The General Summary is further organised into numbered sections, and further divided into paragraphs which are also numbered, from 1 to 102.
- 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 48, and ends on the last folio, on number 75.
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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- Reference
- IOR/V/23/56, No 259
- Title
- ‘Administration report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1888-89.’
- Pages
- 46v:76r
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence