!['File 1/A/5 III ADMINISTRATION. QATAR AFFAIRS.' [‎29r] (62/440)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x00036e/IOR_R_15_2_143_0062.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'File 1/A/5 III ADMINISTRATION. QATAR AFFAIRS.' [‎29r] (62/440)")
'File 1/A/5 III ADMINISTRATION. QATAR AFFAIRS.' [29r] (62/440)
The record is made up of 1 volume (216 folios). It was created in 10 Jun 1944-6 Jan 1946. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
fieport on situation in $atar«
1 . SLAVSHY.
Slaves are being sold and purchased freely in Qatar*
Owing to the poor condition of the people nearly three fourths
of Qatar*s slaves were sold to Sa*udi Arabia. Shaikh Hamad bin
♦Abdullah al Than! takes active part in this traffic* One ♦Abdullah
bin Ghanim al Hajri is being financed by him. He purchases
slaves from different parts of Qatar and according to r^orts
goes as far as Buraimi to buy slaves. He takes these slaves to
Sa*udi Arabia and sells them there. With the slaves* money he buys
gold which he smuggles into Qatar. This gold is sent to Kuwait
or ’Iraq via Kuwait. The profit is ‘fcbing shared equally by Haisd
and * Abdullah bin Ghanim.
According to reliable infosmation Shaikh *Ali bin
♦Abdullah, elder son of the Ruler, left for pilgrimage about
five weeks ago. He took with him six female and ten male salves.
At the time he left, he did not make up his mind what to to do
with these slaves. It Is certain however that he would either
present them to H.M.King Bin Sa*ud antfd his relatives or sell them.
Nasir bin Jasim al Thani, half brother of the Ruler
of Qatar, who has been living in Hasa for the last fen years/ is
reported! to have purchased a female slave from his brother
Muhammad for Rs.1500/- He was asked by a friend in Hasa to buy
her for him. He also purchased three xiaxw female slaves(one
old and two young) for Rs.5500/-. Nothing is known as to what he
Intends to do with them.
2. GOODS IMPORTED FROM INDIA.
According to arrangements made with Kuwaiti and other
merchants, goods consigned to Qatar need not be landed. They pay
5 ^ as export duty and take new manifests for any port they want.
Large quantities of piece goods, cotton raw etc, arrived and left
Qatar in accordance with the above arrangements, feople with whom
♦Abdullah bin Darwish has direct trade connection*are reported to
have been given blank manifests which they could fill in as they
desired without even calling at Qatar.
3. QUOTA GOODS.
Rice / The price has been fixed by Shaikh Hamad at
Rs.150/*.. Most of the rice is ebing exported to Qatif in return
for which they export dates. ’Abdullah bin Darwish is doing the
sale for Hamad. Yuusf Ibrahim Jaida and Hajji Nasrullah are also
selling rice at this price but Hamad is reported to be getting
a share in the profit.
Sugar. Before the reduction, Hamad used to take 50 bags
for the Shaikh*s use but he reduced this to 25 bags. The
inhabitants are beingfeiven one pondd per month. The Shaikh does
not consume more than three bags. The rest are being exported to
Kuwait or Persia. Shaikh Hamad is also smuggling sugar from Hasa.
PIECE GOODS. Only the black and grey inferior qualities were
being distributed among the inhabitants at a fair price. The rest
and best is being either exported given to shop keepers for
sale at very high prices at Doha. Piece goods are also smuggled
from Sa*udi Arabia into Qatar. About a week ago a Persian shop
keepers by/Ibrahim Hasan imported from Kuwait 200 pieces for sale
in Doha. I* saw the Kuwait jmMs. manifest for this consignment.
GRAINS. The Inhabitants are given half barley and half
wheat at Rs.lS/- per maund of 56 lbs. This rpice has been fixed
by Shaikh Hamad after his recent visit to Bahrain. Pure wheat
cannot be obtained at less then Rs.20/- per maund.
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence concerning Qatar affairs, particularly the issues of smuggling, and rationing.
The principal correspondents are 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. , Bahrain (Tom Hickinbotham); the Head Munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. of the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Bahrain (Jassim bin Mohamed [Jasim ibn Muhammad Kadmari]); the 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. Agent, Sharjah (Abdur Razzaq [Khan Sahib Saiyid ‘Abd al-Razzaq]); 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. ; and Shaikh Abdullah bin Qasim al Thani, the Ruler of Qatar [‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī].
The papers cover: correspondence and reports by British officials concerning the issues of slave trading, arms traffic, and the smuggling of goods at Qatar; the involvement of individual Qataris; the British decision to impose rationing on quota goods (including a discussion paper entitled 'Rationing in Qatar', folio 56); the question of the appointment of a food controller; correspondence on these subjects from Shaikh Abdullah; information on members of the Ruling family (e.g. descriptive chart entitled 'Qatar Ruling Family' on folios 130-131); and some information on general conditions in Qatar.
The Arabic language content of the papers consists of approximately thirty folios of correspondence, mainly between British officials and the Ruler of Qatar.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (216 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are filed in chronological order from the front to the back of the file, except where enclosures of an earlier date are filed after their relevant covering letter, and terminate in a set of notes (folios 209-215). Circled serial numbers in crayon and ink (red for incoming, blue/black for outgoing correspondence), which occur occasionally in the correspondence, refer to entries in the notes.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 218; 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 4-208; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'File 1/A/5 III ADMINISTRATION. QATAR AFFAIRS.' [29r] (62/440), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/143, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100026539728.0x00003f> [accessed 24 April 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100026539728.0x00003f
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_100026539728.0x00003f">'File 1/A/5 III ADMINISTRATION. QATAR AFFAIRS.' [‎29r] (62/440)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100026539728.0x00003f"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x00036e/IOR_R_15_2_143_0062.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
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_100000000193.0x00036e/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/143
- Title
- 'File 1/A/5 III ADMINISTRATION. QATAR AFFAIRS.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:46v, 48r:58v, 60r:61v, 64r:93v, 95r:97v, 99r:106v, 108r:131v, 134r:134v, 136r:136v, 138r:152v, 154r:164v, 166r:176v, 178r:188v, 190r:194v, 196r:196v, 198r:200v, 202r:204v, 207r:217v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence