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'86/21 - III B.65. Trucial Hinterland Exploration' [‎113v] (226/256)

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The record is made up of 1 file (126 folios). It was created in 3 Jan 1939-24 Jul 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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they- are
novelties. 01
'hey
no attempt at dressing up as Arabs, and
accustoming the inhabitants to tries©
hnv- also cleared tracts in certain parts.
Cne example is the motor track which Glynn Jones and
Itollowed from Shariah to Dhaid, and thence south to
the foot of Jabal Rodha, (vide map G.R.77-1)'. this
now passable through the Oman mountains way
oi the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. al ^or to halba. These locust hunters
have also driven from Sharjah to the Has a province
oi ^ waudi Arabia via Abu Dhabi and Sabkhat Matti.
xxxx ihe r olitical people suggest that it is perhaps
r tner rly to begin tying up the Beni Ohittib with
i ormidabla documents such as concessions. They suggest
that bneikn of Sharjah be given tjie chance to pake
some imancial agreement with them,* so as to
^nclude their territory in the Sharjaii concession.
-hen as it seems most unlikely that Sharjah will be
pfirsuaaed to disburse enough money for this, we
would then go direct to the Beni Ghittib and
say that we want to run a survey over the whole Trucial
^cas i rorip the mountains to Abu Dhabi irrespective of
wnose territory m pass through. We car then offer
a lu^ip sum to allow^ us to ihcluae their land
wnai.Hver may be it limits, in this survey. Later, when
moharrr.'iod All has'handled some of our monev a concession
agreement can be introduced as a means of*'lettihg hi'k
. navo some more, without an agreement he. would juttdaubtddlv
xxxxxxxxxxxxkxxa^txHK', try to export more money out of
us ir tiie iirst season, out as all the other Sheikhs
seam to do this even with them, it would not a .pear
th« b w OI L d f fe £ 0nt ' 1 my ‘ qe g l 601 that this might be
the oest means of approach. It is virtually what
i hacf t,o do with shaikh Saqr at Biraimi in 1938.
Jeapit,e all ttie payments made by Muscat to him.
presumably to cover our survey, he would not bud-e
T r fnh°y o S G° do, any.work until I paid up. while •
r 1 u -^g laalise tnat there is a desire in London to
nave nne boundaries clearly marked on a mao, and the
signed, and witness agreement all filed, I venture to
Tpy that some elastricty must be allowed when
dealing v.^th nheikha oi tne interior. They themselves
are qui 06 illitarate and a-a much less accustomed to
°l apal - n p than the Sheikhs on the coast.
-ii„y are therefore most suspicious of any document which
taey cannot understand, and are quite liable to give
o. categorical no and retire to the mountains if any
attempt is made to coerce them into ,X '
^tiusoht. .They are however friendly with
wlth^Sharjah" i ^ laims > out. not on very good terms
in geneial, therefore the Political authorities
5 e SJ 0 y^S^n.why : .e should not get as far Suth as
di>aimi. -ne. Abu nhamis arid Naim would-have to be
approached through the Sultan of Muscat to let us
SG - U th as Dnank and Yanqul. The Imam at Ibri is
l C0 LYj and it is suggested that an a j: roach
northwestwards from^the Has al Hadd Masirali direction
mi^ght 00 possible, .nus the unsurveyed area under
Futc ffrn n C H nt ^° ls (ha ebiU at variance with
iiuscat; would oe comparatively small. Local public
influenced sufficiently by the
oi accunng to neighbours, to over some
tne -cruples against allowing us through, ^his is* a
g what I “rote on page S of my
ve?r b 1 ,? U |'+ t a+Mi ,g 00 « ce ?sions on 12th October last
making Tadual Lh em i ,haais,,s the desirability of
• • • s '•^ rddudl advances to these remoter sheikhs."

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Content

The file comprises correspondence between 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. (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Charles Geoffrey Prior), 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 Bahrain (Hugh Weightman), 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 (Ralph Ponsonby Watts, Tom Hickinbotham), 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. (John Percival Gibson, Roland Tennyson Peel) and Petroleum Concessions Limited, later Petroleum Development ( Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ) Limited (Basil Henry Lermitte, Stephen Hemsley Longrigg, Thomas Fulton Williamson) regarding geological exploration of the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and Muscat, and its subsequent postponement owing to World War Two.

The correspondence discusses initial plans for the exploration of the Trucial coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and Muscat during the winter of 1939 – 1940 and the intention that the Sultan of Muscat (Sayyid Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd ) would provide access to areas under the control of the Naim [Na‘īm] and Al Bu Shamis [Āl Bū Shāmis] tribes. Also discussed is the possibility of the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi (Shaikh Shakhbūt bin Sulṭān bin Zāyid Āl Nahyān) providing access to Baraimi [Al Buraymī ] now that a concession has been signed for his territory; and other work that might be undertaken in both Muscat and Abu Dhabi. This survey work was ultimately postponed owing to concerns over access to, and protection whilst in the relevant territory, as well as the outbreak of War in Europe.

Later correspondence discusses the decision to postpone geological surveying owing to wartime conditions, and consideration of a resumption of work in 1945 with proposals for a small geological survey party working in the Baraimi and Jebel Hafit [Jabal Ḩafīt] area’s with geophysical surveys commencing in 1946. Included in the file are reports from a geologist for Petroleum Concessions Limited, Thomas Fulton Williamson, which discuss the potential problems of supplies, labour, transport, and accommodation that would have to be overcome.

Other matters discussed in the volume include:

  • news of the death of Shaikh Muhammad bin Sultan An-Nu’aimi [Sheikh Muḥammad bin Sulṭān Al-Nu`aimī] of Dhank who had been succeeded by his brother Shaikh Saqr bin Sultan [Sheikh Saqr bin Sulṭān Al-Nu`aimī] of Baraimi;
  • the need to attempt to define the boundaries of the various Trucial Shaikh’s territories and proposing that initially each Shaikh be asked to state what they considered to be under their control so that areas of joint or disputed ownership could be identified;
  • a meeting in Sharjah with 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 Bahrain, Shaikh Mohammed bin Saqr al-Jawassim [Sheikh Muḥammad bin Saqr Āl Qasimī] brother of the Shaikh of Sharjah, Shaikh Saqr bin Sultan of the Naim at Dhank, Shaikh Rashid bin Hamad [Rāshid Bin Ḥumaid] of Al Bu Shamis at Baraimi) and Shaikh Mohammed bin Ali bin Huweidin of the Beni Qitab (also written as Beni Chittab). That this was the first time in ten years that the Chief of the Beni Qitab had been persuaded to come to Sharjah and was considered a positive sign that could benefit Petroleum Concessions Limited in gaining access to territory under the Beni Qitab’s control;
  • concerns in 1939 over Petroleum Concessions Limited’s intentions with regard to their concessions in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and whether they actually intended exploiting them or had merely acquired them to prevent other companies from doing so.
Extent and format
1 file (126 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 128; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-127; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'86/21 - III B.65. Trucial Hinterland Exploration' [‎113v] (226/256), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/695, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025313713.0x00001b> [accessed 25 April 2024]

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