'File 27/1 Koweit Trade Reports' [215r] (434/522)
The record is made up of 1 volume (257 folios). It was created in 3 Aug 1912-27 Dec 1918. 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.
Tr
/
Report on the Trade of Kuwait Tor the Year 1916r-17 (April
1916
Ist/to 31st Maroh 1917) by Lieutenp.nt-Jolonel R-E*A.Hamilton.
I:iT.jODUvriOh . Kuwait 1 r a prinjipality on tne Arabian side of
the rersian dulf, 60 miles from the mouth of the Hhatt-al-Arab
/po
and 13d miles by sea and 90 miles by lanci from basrah. Tile
JijC, e* ^
population, whijh is estimated to be over 40 t 0GG t is larger th r -n
any other port on the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
. Kuwait is also an entrepot
of goods for Nejd ana some of the important towns of central
Arabia and in a lesser degree for Aaahur, llindiyan, and other
neighbouring minor ports on the Persian toast. Its trade is not
therefore influenced by local conditions only, but also by cli-
-matic and economic conditions of those countries and by the
safety of the caravan routes to the interior.
The trade of the port has, lihe that of other countries,
suffered during the last three yearn, but in spite of the con-
-tinuance of the war, shortage of tonnage, blockade, and other
reatrijtions it has appreciably recovered during the year under
review. -Shis is due to three causes via speculation on the
part of the local merchants, general ^ise in the px'ice of almost
every article, and to the safety of the caravan routes which
were, with the exception of a few spasmodi c,raids, comparatively
safe throughout the year and facilitated the transportation of
merchandise under permits to non-blo msaded towns of -entral
Arabia and ITeju.
The pearling season, an industry on which 5u per cent of
the inhabitants chiefly depend, wan also a succersful one,
though a lesser number of boats participated in the fishery ow-
-ing to the shortage of men. The catch was up to the average
of past years and good prices wei'e also realised.
TOTAL fdADB . The import* amounted to £471,713 and the exports
to £162,630, the former shewing an increase of 61.42 per cenc
and the latter of 35.27 per cen- or a total of 54.14 per cent
as compared with 1916-16. The chief items which have contri
buted
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About this item
- Content
This volume primarily concerns the preparation and submission of annual trade reports. Most of the volume consists of copies of trade reports for Kuwait (for each financial year from 1912-1913 up to and including 1916-1917), which are submitted by 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. , Kuwait (Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear; Lieutenant-Colonel William George Grey; Major Robert Edward Archibald Hamilton). Imports include arms and ammunition, rice, specie [coins], and sugar; exports include pearls, specie and tea. Each report records the total value (initially in rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. but later in sterling) of the trade for the year and discusses in detail the increase and decrease in trade of specific goods. Further items of discussion in later reports include public health, shipping and navigation, and transport.
Each report also includes in its tables of statistics the corresponding data (i.e. quantities and values of goods) for the two preceding financial years, as well as the countries from/to which the principal articles were imported/exported. The rear of the volume contains some trade statistics for the financial year of 1917-1918.
In addition to trade reports, the volume includes correspondence between 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. and the British 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. at Bushire regarding occurrences of 'double entry' in the shipping returns of Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ports. 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. is instructed to include in his returns only those vessels that either bring cargo to Kuwait from outside the Gulf or depart with cargo taken from Kuwait which is destined for somewhere outside the Gulf.
Also included are the following:
- a letter, dated 22 July 1913, from the Foreign Office to 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. , Kuwait, informing him that his trade report for the year 1912-1913 will not be published at present because of political reasons;
- a request, dated 20 January 1917, from the Chief Political Officer, Basrah (Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Zachariah Cox), for 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. to provide information regarding British and foreign trade at Kuwait, in order to assist a commission that has been appointed to enquire into the condition of British trade with Mesopotamia and the Gulf ports (the file includes a copy of instructions for the commission).
The Arabic material in this volume consists of three items of correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (257 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- 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 259; 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. Additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 3-258; these numbers are also written in pencil, are sometimes crossed out, but are not circled. 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
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'File 27/1 Koweit Trade Reports' [215r] (434/522), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/5/73, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100028921458.0x000023> [accessed 24 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/5/73
- Title
- 'File 27/1 Koweit Trade Reports'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:55v, 58r:203v, 208r:258v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence