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'Egyptian Claims to Sovereignty over the Somali Coast.' [15r] (29/62)
The record is made up of 31 folios. It was created in 1876-1879. 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.
5
to having a port on the east of Africa, not only for
opening and developing the commerce of the lake
districts, but for effectually checking the export of
slaves.
“ Cherif
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
, having been summoned by the
Khedive to attend, was present at the greater part
of this conversation, and subsequently, on the same
day, I pursued the subject with him. Among
other things, he observed generally on the whole
question that the conditions on which Her Ma
jesty’s Government proposed to recognize Egyptian
sovereignty as far as Cape Guardafui were, he
thought, sufficiently onerous to justify the Govern
ment of the Khedive in asking as an equivalent
that the boundary should be extended to the river
Juba, as far as Her Majesty’s Government are in
a position to fix that limit.
“On the whole, I think I am justified in ex-
pressing a confident hope that, if this concession
can be made consistently with the general policy
of Her Majesty’s Government in this part of Africa,
there w ill not be much difficulty in arranging other
points in accordance with the views entertained by
your Lordship.” J
* From Foreign Office, 27th October 1876,
No. 612.
t To Foreign Office, 13th November 1876,
No. 612.
On the 15th October 1876, Mr. Vivian, who had
just been appointed to the post of Agent and
Consul General in Egypt, reported (Despatch,
No. 145)* an unofficial conversation with Cherif
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
, in which the Egyptian Minister for Eoreign
Affairs again expressed himself much in the above
sense.
These despatches from Mr. Cookson and Mr.
Vivian were communicated by the Eoreign Office
to this Office without remark. They indicated,
however, considerable risk that the comparatively
simple question of Egyptian rights over the Somali
coast up to Guardafui would become complicated
v ith the more difficult one of an extension of those
lights south of that point along the cast coast of
Africa as far as the Zanzibar boundary. The first
question from an Indian point of view was of real
importance, and urgent; in the second, India had
no great interest; if Egypt and Zanzibar could come
to terms upon it, neither Indian nor Imperial
interests would be likely to be adversely affected,
and the good offices of Her Majesty’s Government
might very well be offered to effect a solution
agreeable to both parties; but it seemed very inex
pedient that the Somali coast settlement should
remain in abeyance pending such solution.
Accordingly, receipt of the papers was acknow r -
ledged, with the following remarks :—f
^ “ Jp rd Salisbury gathers from these papers that
the Khedive is willing to assent to all the condi
tions which Her Majesty’s Government have
attached to their recognition of the incorporation
of the Somali coast in the Ottoman dominions
under the rule of His Highness, with the exception
of the one requiring that Zeyla and Tajourrah shall
be deciared free ports; but that it will be found
difficult to induce His Highness to accept Cape
11516. b
About this item
- Content
A historical memorandum relating to Egyptian claims to sovereignty over the Somali coast, written by A W Moore, Assistant Secretary to 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. , in two parts, submitted 26 February 1876 and 11 October 1879.
The first part of the memorandum provides a historical narrative of events leading from the discovery in June 1870 of an Egyptian warship at Berbera on the Somali coast, with consequent suspicions that the Egyptian Government wished to occupy that place, up to the production of a draft Somali Coast Convention in 1876. The memorandum reproduces correspondence between the Resident at Aden, the Secretary of State for India, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in which the authors consider the impact of Egyptian and Turkish influence at Berbera on British trade interests at Aden; on the independence of local Somali tribes; and on British efforts to suppress the slave trade. The memorandum also includes the terms by which HM Government agree to recognise Egyptian sovereignty.
Appendices to the first part of the memorandum reproduce several 'Treaty Relations with Tribes on the African Coast' and 'Geographical Notes'.
The second part of the memorandum opens with an account of events which preceded the signing in 1877 of the Somali Coast Convention by the British Government and by the Egyptian Khedive, describing the Khedive's attempts to extend the limit of proposed Egyptian sovereignty as far south as the Juba River, and subsequent British threats to enter into agreements with Somali chiefs independently of the Khedive.
The memorandum goes on to describe renewed discussions in connection with the procedure in Constantinople necessary to give validity to the Convention after it was signed by the Khedive, and reproduces a note issued by the Ottoman Porte, which asserts Turkish sovereignty over the territory covered by the Convention, but falls short of providing assurances against ceding any of that territory to other foreign powers.
The memorandum closes with the reproduction of correspondence discussing the text of a proposed firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). , to be issued by the Ottoman Porte, which would give validity to the Convention signed by the Khedive.
Appendices to the second part of the memorandum reproduce the text of the 'Somali Coast Convention' and an 'Agreement in regard to the Island of Socotra'.
- Extent and format
- 31 folios
- Arrangement
This file is in two parts - the first part consists of a historical narrative (ff 1-9), followed by two appendices (ff 10-12); the second part consists of a historical narrative (ff 13-29), followed by two appendices at the end (ff 30-31).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 31; 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. Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/18/B3
- Title
- 'Egyptian Claims to Sovereignty over the Somali Coast.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:27r, 28r:30v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence