'Slavery in the Persian Gulf' [‎65v] (2/4)

* P. 4481.
t Tel. from Pol. Res.
to G. of L, July 31
1928, P. 4780
Lr. from Pol. Res. to
G. of I., June 10
1928, P. 4481.
Tel. from Viceroy,
April 20 1928,
P. 2971.
X P. 4904/28.
§ Tel. from Viceroy,
800 S., April 20 1928,
P. 1971.
Lr. from G. of I. to
Pol. Res., A up. 22
1928, P. 5036.
Teh. tel. to F.O.,
April 1 1928, P.1622.
respectively, and the course of the discussions which have taken place-
consequent on the recent intimation by Persia that she regards as derogatory
to her dignity the Anglo-Persian Slavery Convention of 1882.
Present position on the Arab Littoral of the Gulf.
5. The effect of the engagements referred to in para. 2 above, of the
degree of control exercised by His Majesty’s Government in Koweit, and of
the energetic and unremitting activity of successive political officers and
of His Alajesty’s ships, has been to reduce the slave traffic on the Arab
littoral of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to relatively unimportant dimensions. From a
Report submitted by 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 Gulf on 10th June 1928, 0
it appears that all the slave trade which now exists, other than such as may
emanate from Nejd, is from Persian Buluchistan to the Trucial Arab coast,
on which slavery is still common—the Batineh coast of Muscat (portions of
which are not under the effective control of the Muscat authorities) being
frequently used as a pied d terre, and the small Trucial Sheikhdom of Dabai
playing a prominent part. On a broad view, however, though the Political
Resident can report that “at Koweit, and on the Arab coast, there are many
thousands of slaves who have been brought from the interior at some time,”!
the problem, so far as the Arab States of the Gulf are concerned, may be
regarded as one of relatively small importance; the treaty engagements and
the special relations which exist between His Majesty’s Government and
the rulers of those States are, so far as can be judged, adequate, if
strictly interpreted, to secure that no recrudescence of the slave traffic shall
take place on the Arabian shore of the Gulf; the hold exercised by Hindu
merchants over the pearl fishing industry affords a guarantee of some value
that the presence of Indian slaves in the Gulf cannot long pass unnoticed,
and, in the light of Sir Lionel Haworth’s Report referred to above, the
Government of India, who are fully alive to the importance of the question,
have recently approved the Resident’s proposal “ to tighten up the reading
of our Treaties with the Sheikhs to the most favourable interpretation
to which it is possible to bring them in this connection,” and have
instructed him to devote his special attention to Dabai, and to “consider the
advisability of making it quite clear to the Sheikh that any connivance
by him in the traffic, or indeed any slackness on his part to suppress it, will
bring him within their displeasure, which they will not hesitate to manifest.’’
Present position on the Persian Littoral.
6. It is equally the case that the measures taken under the Anglo-
Persian Convention of 1882 (and, in so far as Gwadur is concerned, under
the treaty engagements of the Sultan of Muscat with His Majesty’s Govern
ment) have resulted in the reduction to relatively unimportant dimensions
of the slave trade on the Persian littoral. The extent, however, to which,
despite the endeavours of His Majesty’s Government, the slave traffic
between Persia and the Arab coast continues to persist is described by the
Government of India as disquieting, and the danger of its revival on a larger
scale is one which cannot be overlooked.J The absence of effective control
by Persia of Persian Baluchistan has resulted in a small but regular traffic
from that area, in which§ slavery is stated to be rife. In Sir L. Haworth’s
view this traffic is likely to continue until Persia is in a position to establish
such control. Active steps are, however, being taken by Sir L. Haworth
locally to put a stop to it, while the Government of India, as the result of his
report, have taken action to improve co-ordination in preventive measures
between the authorities in Sind and British Baluchistan and the British
officials in the Gulf.
Persian representations regarding abrogation of Slavery Convention of 1882
with Great Britain.
7. The Persian Government in x\pril of this year indicated, in the first
stage in their general negotiations with His Majesty’s Government, that they
regarded the Slavery Convention of 1882 as one derogatory to Persian
dignity, and, while it is not yet clear whether they intend to press for its
abrogation, the question of the attitude to be adopted in face of such a