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'File 1/A/5 III ADMINISTRATION. QATAR AFFAIRS.' [‎179r] (362/440)

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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. .

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- 2 -
O'
o
proof. Otherwise it will become clear to Your Honour that
everything circulated about me is untrue. I believe that Your
Honour’s, nobility and high position will forbid you to rely on
sayings without foundation and not supported by facts and I would
ask Your Honour to demand from those circulating rumours to prove
them otherwise you will come to find out that all you mention is
far a T . ay from the truth. As far as the smuggling of goods
which Your Honour has mentioned I do not know to which smuggling
you are referring. As if there were no smuggling in the world
except from Qatari There is of course a great deal of smuggling
indulged in by all countries like India, Persia, Iraq, Kuwait,
Bahrain, Oman, Muscat and Africa and from which many goods are
exported to all countries in the Gulf and elsewhere. It has not
given-a bad reputation to those countries which are exporting
them, yet Qatar' being a weak country and not having her own
products or'an extensive trade, the smugglers find scope in which
to carry on their trade which has given her the bad reputation of
smuggling. Indeed this is a strange thing, but what is being said
about those countries -which I have mentioned ? Hor, if it is
permitted to them under present circumstances, and conditions to
indulge in smuggling - .countries whose .governments are wide awake
(to such practices) and who have a detailed organization to check
them, then how can it be supposed that Qatpr which is a weak
country and very small compared with the others, should not have
smugglers? Hoes not what we have supposed and outlined deserve
Your Honour’s just and fair consideration? In Your letter Your
- Honour says ”If there is nothing to conceal you would have not
objected to the supervision”. I had formally explained to Your
Honour the reasons which led me to that (decision) ana I had
thought that Your Honour would 'appreciate the position which I

explained to Your Honour in this connection. What am I expected
to do if Your Honour pays ho attention to my explanations? I uo
not object to supervision initiated by Your honour in Bahrain or
in any other place where there is no scandal rnongering. I told
' Your Honour that any form of arrangement which you suggest and

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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
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'File 1/A/5 III ADMINISTRATION. QATAR AFFAIRS.' [‎179r] (362/440), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/143, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100026539729.0x0000a3> [accessed 25 April 2024]

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