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'Government of Bahrain Annual Report for Year 1363 (January 1944 - December 1944)' [‎318r] (13/76)

The record is made up of 1 volume (37 folios). It was created in 1945. 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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11
THE DIVING INDUSTRY.
In 1363 the diving industry suffered a severe setback. Only 188 boats went out from Bahrain
to the pearl banks which was the lowest number on record in 19 years. In other states in the Gulf
the diving fleets were even more reduced than in Bahrain.
From 1344 till 1350,1925—1931, between 504 and 538 boats were registered each year for diving.
No written records exist before 1342 but there is every reason to believe that the fleet before this
year was considerably larger and amounted to not less than 600 vessels. The Dawasir tribe who
used to live at Budeya had 130 diving dhows, in the year under review only four dhows went diving
from Budeya. When the Bahrain diving fleet numbered five or six hundred boats at least 20,000
men earned their livelihood from diving so almost the whole population was supported by this
industry.
In later years there was a decline in the number of diving boats with slight revivals after good
seasons. The number of men who were employed decreased but not in strict ratio to the number of
boats because these varied greatly in size and in the number of the crew. In 1363 the number of
men employed in diving fell to about 5,000.
Year.
No. of
Year.
No. of
Year.
No. of
boats.
boats.
boats.
i35i
456
1356
271
1360
222
1352
436
1357
252
1361
298
1353
340
1358
219
1362
277
1354
316
1359
191
1363
188
1355
264
• .
. #
, ,
The decrease in the number of men diving was not because the Nakhudas could not offer
employment to divers. Though the war closed all markets except India there was still a demand for
pearls and people engaged in the trade did well during the last two or three seasons. The high cost
of provisioning boats did not make the financing of them an uneconomic venture and when supplies
are cheaper, after the war, diving should become a more profitable affair. It can reasonably be hoped
that when conditions return to normal there will be a demand for pearls in those countries to which
no pearls have been sent during the war years.
The chief causes for the decrease in the number of Bahrain divers were ; the lucrative employ
ment which for the time being was available on shore, the demand for boats to be used in trading
or for carrying stone which produced bigger profits than diving and also, to a less extent, the changing
outlook of the younger generation of Arabs, not the Bahama in the villages but especially those
living in Muharraq and Hedd where in the past most of the divers were recruited. Youths with
even a slender degree of education do not readily take to pearl diving though they may be sons of
divers or Nakhudas or of pearl merchants who started life as ordinary divers and eventually became
well-to-do men. Most of the leading Nakhudas and the older generation of pearl merchants were
once divers themselves and the majority of them are illiterate though none the less capable of
conducting their business.
Bahrain has been dependent on the pearl industry for centuries and until recent times it provided
work for many more men than those who are now employed or likely to be employed in future in the
local oil industry. It would be regrettable and a misfortune for Bahrain were this very ancient indus
try to die out and there seems some danger of this happening. Possibly when the war is over there
will be a revival in diving which will offset the unemployment which is likely to exist when various
war works are completed. A year or two ago there was unemployment in Bahrain and though
permanent channels of employment are now greater than before, the population has undoubtedly
increased, by an influx of foreign Arabs, and when the building schemes which are now being carried
out are completed many thousands of people will be thrown out of work.

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Content

This volume is the Annual Report of the Government of Bahrain for the year 1363 AH (1944) and gives te details of the Revenue and Expenditure of the Bahrain State and contains notes on the activities of the various Government departments, as well as the budget 1364 and some particulars of importance which took place in Bahrain during the year. It includes text, graphs and tables. The report appears to be compiled from reports from various Government departments and officials. An Index appears on on folio 314r, followed by a General Review by Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (folios 314v-315r).

The contents are divided into the following sections and sub-sections:

  • Budget 1363 (folio 316r);
  • Revenue and Expenditure (folios 315v, 317r-317v);
  • The Diving Industry (folio 318r-318v);
  • Police and Public Security (folios 319r-320v): State Police, Special Police, Naturs, Police Pay, Duties and Administration, Jail, Promotions, Law and Order, List of Police Prosecutions in the Bahrain Courts 1363, and List of Prosecutions in the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. Courts 1363;
  • Public Health (folios 321r-326r): 'Bahrain Government Public Health Report, 1363-1944' by Dr R H B Snow, Senior Medical Officer (Bahrain Government Hospital, Short Notes on the Statistics, Predominating Male-Out Patient Diseases, Predominating Police Out-Patient Diseases, Male In-Patients, Isolation Hospital, Major Operations, Minor Operations, Injections, Laboratory, X-Rays, Bahrain Government Dispensaries, and The Future of Dispensaries and Public Health), Female Statistics, report by Dr I M A Doeg, Lady Medical Officer (Out-Patients, Female In-Patients, and Notes);
  • Land Registration Department, from the report of Khan Sahib Mohammed Khalil Memon, Superintendent, Land Registration Department (folio 326);
  • Judicial (folio 326v): Bahrain Courts;
  • Municipalities (folios 327r-328v): Manama Municipality, from the report of the Municipal Secretary, Mr Mohamed Saleh Shater, (Manama Municipality Budget 1364), Muharraq Municipality, from the report of the Municipal Secretary, Mr Ahmed Al Omran (Finance, Municipal Activities, and Muharraq Municipality Budget 1364);
  • Education (folios 329-332): Report on Boys' Education in Bahrain by Mr F J Wakelin, Director of Education (School Statistics, Staff, The Secondary School, The Hostel, The Primary Schools, The Village Schools, Medical, Equipment, Extra-Mural Activities, and Grants and Donations), Government Girls' Schools, report by Mrs [Marjorie] Belgrave, Directress of Female Education, The Technical School, report by Mr G E Hitchings (Students, Staff, Finance, and General);
  • Minors Department, from report by the Superintendent of the Minors' Department, Mr Mohamed Dowaicer (folios 332v-333r).
  • Agriculture (folios 333r-333v);
  • Passport Department, from the report of Mr Ibrahim Khalfan, Passport Officer (folios 333v-334r);
  • Food Control, report by Mr G W R Smith, Director of Customs and Food Controller, Bahrain (folios 334r-335v, 338r);
  • State Engineer's Department, report by Group Captain H P G Leigh, State Engineer (folios 336r-337r, 338v-340v);
  • Customs, report by Mr G W R Smith, Director of Customs and Port Officer (folios 342v-344v);
  • Oil Gauging, report by Mr G E Hutchings (folios 344v-345v): Oil Royalty Quantities 1944, Bahrain and Arabian Crude Oil 1944, Annual Production of Crude Oil, and Inspection of Petroleum Cargoes 1944;
  • Local Industries (folio 346r): Boat Building, Weaving, and Metal Workers;
  • General (folio 346v): Presentation of Sword to His Highness, Muharram Celebrations, British Officials, "Al Bahrain" [ al-Baḥrayn newspaper], Superintendent of Public Works Department, Floods, Zubara, Obituary (Haj Sulman Matar);
  • Budget, 1364 (folios 347r-348r).

On folio 348r there is an inscription that reads 'The Times of India Press, Bombay'. Handwritten annotations and corrections are present (for example, folio 314v).

Extent and format
1 volume (37 folios)
Arrangement

This file contains an index (folio 314r) which references pages of the report.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: Folios 312-349.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'Government of Bahrain Annual Report for Year 1363 (January 1944 - December 1944)' [‎318r] (13/76), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/750/9, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100024140829.0x000022> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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