File 14/1 'Piracies & Irregularities at Sea' [‎168r] (337/610)

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Content

The file contains correspondence relating to the investigation and prosecution of nine cases of piracy 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. These cases concern attacks by Arab, Persian and Somali pirates, mainly on Kuwaiti cargo and passenger boats, their passengers and crew, in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and off the coast of Somalia in East Africa, in breach of maritime regulations and peace treaties between Great Britain and her Protectorates which prohibited piracy. The main correspondents are all British officials: 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 Kuwait, 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. at Bushire and the British Vice-Consul at Lingah. The correspondence includes numerous witness statements made orally at the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Kuwait and written down in English. The majority of the witnesses are surviving crew members and the owners of the attacked boats, as well as merchants and passengers who lost goods and possessions in the raids at sea. There are several Arabic documents in the file: notes, lists of suspects and stolen goods, receipts and correspondence, including a few letters exchanged 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. at Kuwait and the Ruler of Kuwait.

Extent and format

1 file (301 folios)

Arrangement

At the front of the file is a table of contents entitled ‘Index’. It lists each case of piracy according to the nature of the offence and where it took place, together with the folio reference on which the case papers begin. The folio reference given in the table of contents belongs to a superseded foliation sequence, which is written in pencil, but not circled. Each set of case papers appear in the file in chronological order, based on the month and year in which the act of piracy took place and the investigation began. Within each individual case record, the claim papers are arranged in approximate chronological order.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 303; 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 2-300; these numbers are also written in pencil, 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

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