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'File 8/3 Pearling industry' [‎67r] (156/182)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (89 folios). It was created in 18 Jun 1912-18 Sep 1931. It was written in English and Arabic. 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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Dee oatcia iTo» 1304-E ,A» (Caxjfidential), dated Simla
the 18th June 1912, from a, H ,Grant,Eaq,,C,I.E., i^puty
secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Deptt•,
to Lt• uOl« Sir ♦!»E«,G«S»I♦, 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. ,Buahire*
*****
With reference to correspondence ending with Mr,
Bill's letter No.1037, dated the 26th May 1912, I am
directed to forward, for disposal by you and report, a copy
of the petition addressed by Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab,
Miohari, to the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. , together with a copy
of the latter* s forwarding letter to the Government of
India, No,4636, dated the 7th June 1912, on the subject of
the scientific pearl fishing organized by the petitioner
I
at Lingah,
%
2# I am to suggest that the petitioner might be
informed, as was done in the case of Tikchand Duara {vide
our letter Ho* 1451 *K.A,,dated 15th July 1902), that since
^ 1
the pearling banks are regarded as the common property of
the Arab divers, no Chief can grant a concession to any
individual to employ modern diving apparatus in the pearl-
ing operations in the Gulf, A fortiori, tne government of
India can grant to such permission. In the interests of
the peace and order Of the littoral tiie petitioner must
therefore abandon his project, which he should not have
embarked upon without first ascertaining the facts#

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Content

The contents of the volume relate to Bahrain's pearl diving economy, and fall under two major concerns:

1) The industry's declining profitability, and the impact this has had upon pearl divers. A large portion of the file is occupied by handwritten balance sheets (all undated) of saibs (pullers) and ghais (divers) showing the payments, loans and debts for individuals (ff 5-36). Also included is a report, written in 1930 by Britain's Advisor to the Government, Charles Belgrave, entitled 'Slavery and the Bahrain Pearl Industry' (ff 49-52);

2) The threat posed by modern innovations to the traditional nature of the pearling industry in Bahrain and the wider Gulf coast. Of chief concern are the modern diving technologies that commercial enterprises wish to use, and the introduction to the Gulf of cultured pearls. Included in the file is a translation of a proclamation from 1930, which bans the import of cultured or tinted pearls, the sale of unbleached, drilled pearls, and the import or use of diving apparatus (f 62). A letter from a Glasgow-based company to the 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. in London, dated 15 May 1931, seeks advice on obtaining a license to use its modern diving apparatus to dive for pearls in the Gulf (f 65). A return letter dated 21 August 1931 rejects the possibility of obtaining a permit to dive in the Gulf (f 74).

Extent and format
1 volume (89 folios)
Arrangement

The correspondence in the volume is arranged in chronological order, from the earliest item at the front of the volume, to the most recent at the end.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation starts with 1a on first page with writing (3rd page on volume), and runs to 74 on the last page of text. The front cover and two blank sheets at the the front of the volume are unfoliated, as are the five blank pages and the inside back cover at the end of the volume. With the exception of a few pages where foliation anomalies were corrected in pencil, the foliation is the original, in blue crayon in top-right corner of recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. pages. The following foliation anomalies occur: ff 1A-1D; ff 5-5A; ff 23-23A; ff 43-43A.

Condition: Many of the pearl divers' balance sheets included in the file are fold-outs, and are in fragile condition.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'File 8/3 Pearling industry' [‎67r] (156/182), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/122, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023799069.0x00009d> [accessed 8 May 2024]

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