Skip to item: of 560
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'File 1/A/48 III FOOD CONTROL.' [‎164r] (327/560)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file (278 folios). It was created in 31 Jan 1942-8 Aug 1942. 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.

Apply page layout

India* s internal supply by 10 per cent while heavy demands for
rice are now being made upon India from Africa, Aden and other
places which were formerly dependfn£ on Burma. Apart from the
much reduced quantity of rice now available in India for export
to the Gulf a further difficulty is created by problems of trans
port. Hice is grown in the eastern parts of India but Bahrain
imports it from Bombay or Karachi. The problem is to transport
rice in the necessary quantities from the east of India to the
western p#rts at a time when (a) the use of ports on the east
coast ol India is restricted and (b) rolling stock on railways
is diverted almost entirely to meeting military and para—military
demands*
4. 1 have not been informed of the reasons for the present
shortage of wheat in India. Possibly it is due to a poor harvest,
possibly to the necessity of feeding large numbers of troops.
Whatever the reason may be for the shortage of wheat and rice in
India, that shortage does exist and it will not be possible for
Bahrain to obtain supplies of these commodities on the sa r ce scale
as heretofore. In India supplies of rice and wheat made available
to the public are being reduced by 10 per cent. A similar reduc
tion is likely to be made In aupolioa of these two commodities
for the Gulf. Quotas for Gulf Ports including Bahrain are now
being fixed. 1 had hoped that Bahrain’s monthly quota would be
6500 bags of rice and 1700 bags of wheat flour. It is likely,
however, in view of what I have said above, that the amounts of
wheat and rice made available for Bahrain will be 1C per cent
less than the figures mentioned above. These quantities of course
are for local consumption only and are irrespective of re-exports.
5. What has been said above concerns solely the quantity
of supplies available for Bahrain from India. I have not In this
reference mentioned shipping difficulties* It cannot be over
looked that the shipping position may deteriorate and that v/e may
be unable to secure transport for the quantum of supplies
/ earmarked

About this item

Content

The file concerns the effects of the implementation of controls on the import and export of food and other commodities in Bahrain and the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. during the Second World War (1939-45).

The main 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 (Edward Birkbeck Wakefield); the Government of India; 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. ; 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; the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave); the Food Controller, Bahrain (Claud Cranbrook Lewis deGrenier); and the Director of Customs and Port Officer, Bahrain (also deGrenier).

The papers include: Food Controller's report for the year 1941 (folios 2-9); correspondence between Petroleum Concessions (Qatar) Limited, and 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 concerning difficulties caused by the curtailment of the company's supplies by the Food Controller, Bahrain (folios 10-29); the legal implications of hoarding, and related matters (folios 31-33); report by the Food Controller on stocks of food in Bahrain (folio 42); report on control of exports from Bahrain (folios 51-52); statistics of average monthly consumption of staple commodities in Bahrain, and minimum annual requirements of foodstuffs and textiles (folios 61-63); copy of regulation making all exports dependent on the permission of the Food Controller (folios 68-70); the support of 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 for a petition from a group of merchants to allow the re-export of piece goods (folios 75-77); correspondence from 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 detailing commodities required for consumption on the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ; correspondence concerning acute shortages of wheat and flour in Bahrain; correspondence concerning 'famine' conditions on the coast of Persia (e.g. folios 96-98); an estimate of the wartime increase in the cost of living in Bahrain (folio 107); the difficulties faced by Bahrain merchants in exporting goods to India, including an allegation that they needed to give bribes to customs officials at Karachi (folios 158-159, 163-165); a confidential memorandum critical of the Food Controller, Bahrain (folio 169); the use of Bahrein Petroleum Company (BAPCO) tankers for the transportation of foodstuffs (e.g. folios 185-186); and the effect on Bahrain of food shortages in India (folio 220).

The Arabic language content of the volume consists of a single letter (with English translation) on folio 90.

The date range gives the covering dates of the correspondence; the last addition to the file is an entry in the notes on folio 279 dated 9 August 1942.

Extent and format
1 file (278 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear 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 249-279). Circled serial numbers in red crayon 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 280; 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 present in parallel between ff 1-279; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

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
Cite this item in your research

'File 1/A/48 III FOOD CONTROL.' [‎164r] (327/560), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/171, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100028495404.0x000080> [accessed 24 April 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_100028495404.0x000080">'File 1/A/48 III FOOD CONTROL.' [&lrm;164r] (327/560)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100028495404.0x000080">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x00038a/IOR_R_15_2_171_0327.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_100000000193.0x00038a/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image