Skip to item: of 353
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

File 395/1908 Pt 1 'Persian Gulf: Katif; British-Indian commercial interests at Katif ' [‎119r] (87/195)

The record is made up of 1 item (98 folios). It was created in Mar 1904-Nov 1910. It was written in English and French. 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.

Apply page layout

[Confidential.]
No. 191, dated Bushire, the 16th (received 28th) January 1908.
From— Major P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., Political Besident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
To The Secretary to the Government o£ India in the Foreign Department.
I have the honour to submit the further report promised in my letter
No. 464, dated 28th September 1905, to
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. to Resident, No. 564, dated YOUr address, OU the Sllbiect of excess
loth November 1907. % .• t r -r» •x* i t i- , i
duties levied Irom British Indian traders
at Katif.
I regret that owing to the difficulty experienced in procuring the atten
dance at Bahrein, with their account hooks, of the parties interested, several
of whom have terminated their trading connection with Katif, it has not
been possible forme to address Government until now.
2 . Captain Prideaux’s present communication explains the position
clearly. It will be seen, in the first place, from the figures given in State
ment A accompanying his letter, that the total amount of excess duty levied
now works out to Bs. 3,157 as compared with the Rs. 2,821 quoted by
Mr. Gaskin in September 1904 and communicated to the Porte at the time
by flis Aiajesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople.
It will also be noted that for 19,748 Katif maunds shipped to Karachi,
representing excess duty amountinsr approximately to Ks. 1,017, certificates
of import granted by the Karachi Customs have been duly produced before
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 Bahrein ; but that in respect of 61890 maunds
consigned to Kathiawar ports, especially Mandvi and Yerawal, the claimants
express their inability to obtain certificates from the Administration of the
Native States concerned.
It is true that certificates endorsed by a Turkish Consular official are
not forthcoming, but on the other hand, the statements of Tekchand and five
out of the other ten Hindus concerned have been recorded on oath, and as
their original claims have been corroborated in regard to the Karachi shipments
by the Karachi Customs, they seem entitled to credence in respect or the rest.
Furthermore, His Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople in the despatch
-n t j ocj. 1 . k l mn- ti- m. • marginally cited, of which I enclose a
Dated 28th August 190o, to His Britannic ixiai-giixiixy
Majesty’s Consul, Basrah, from whom a copy COpV, has expressed tue V16W tliat tile
was received. production of certificates of a Turkish
Consular Officer “ is now immaterial to our case as the Acting Vali of Basrah
has admitted the justice of the claims by instructing the Mutessarif of El
Hassa to recover the money.”
In these circumstances, there seems no reason why we should not finally
press for the refund of the Rs. 3,187 now shown to have been illegally levied,
unless perhaps it be considered more convenient in order not to introduce any
new element of discussion, to adhere to the amount, Rs. 2,821, originally quoted
to the Turkish authorities. This if recovered might be divided rateably.
3. As regards the last paragraph of the Secretary of State’s despatch
No. 61, dated the 23rd December 1904, I have the honour to state that 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. , Bahrein, informs me that up to date : “ the Customs farmers
at Katif have in no way relaxed their opposition to the British Indian traders
doing business in that district in spite of the orders of the Sublime Porte.
The export trade of Katif is practical y entirely in the hands of two merchants,
Mansur bin Juma Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and Ali bin Paras. The latter has been farmer
of the Customs for some twelve years past. There is bitter rivalry and
enmity between these two Katif merchants, and whenever the Customs
farmers are in favour with the constantly changing Governors of the Province
and districts, they are as ready to levy illegal rates of duty from Mansur bin
Juma as from every other trader. At the same time both Mansur and All bin
Paras are both at one in their determination to keep the Buniahs out of Katif,
and as every successive Kaimakam makes friends with one or the other local

About this item

Content

Part 1 contains correspondence relating to the treatment of British-Indian traders at the port of Katif [Al-Qaṭīf]. The correspondence is mostly between the Foreign Department of the Government of India, the Foreign Office, and 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. . Further correspondence, included as enclosures, is from the Political 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. at Bahrain, British Consul at Basrah, British Embassy at Constantinople, British-Indian Merchants in Bahrain, and Turkish officials in Basrah.

The papers cover the discussion over the reported mistreatment and overcharging of Indian merchants at Katif including proposals to establish a vice-consular presence at the port and to install a graded Political Officer as 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, and the Turkish response to British complaints.

Folios 119-122 are 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. 's, Percy Zachariah Cox, report into the excess customs charges.

Extent and format
1 item (98 folios)
Written in
English and French in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

File 395/1908 Pt 1 'Persian Gulf: Katif; British-Indian commercial interests at Katif ' [‎119r] (87/195), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/134/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100027922548.0x00002b> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

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_100027922548.0x00002b">File 395/1908 Pt 1 'Persian Gulf: Katif; British-Indian commercial interests at Katif ' [&lrm;119r] (87/195)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100027922548.0x00002b">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00001b/IOR_L_PS_10_134_0242.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

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_100000000419.0x00001b/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image