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'Egyptian Claims to Sovereignty over the Somali Coast.' [28r] (55/62)
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.
31
had sent to Mr. Lascelles, the Acting Consul General
* From Foreign Office, 28th August 1879, in hgypt :—*
^°‘ 646 ’ “ In consequence of request of Her Majesty’s
Government that Porte should issue a
firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
, or
send a note to me, declaring that it will not permit
any foreign authority to establish itself on the
Egyptian coast of the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean,
a
firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
to that effect [has], I am told by the
Minister for Eoreign Affairs, been sent to the
Viceroy of Egypt for his opinion. I should be glad
if you would get His Highness to send an answer to
the Porte as soon as possible, as the matter presses.
“ When
firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
is issued, it will be communicated
to me in an official note.”
| No. 664. On the 3rd Septemberf the Eoreign Office for-
. warded for Lord Cranbrook’s concurrence the draft
of an instruction which Lord Salisbury proposed to
address to Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Constanti
nople with regard to the claim of the Porte to
regard the Somali territory as having always formed
part of the Sultan’s dominions.
After referring to the letters from this Office of
the 12th July and 20th August, the draft went
on :—
“ I understand from your Excellency’s telegram.
No. 636, of the 27th ult., that the Porte proposes
to issue a
firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
to the Khedive containing: a
declaration that no foreign authority shall be per
mitted to establish itself upon the coast in question,
and that this
firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
will be communicated to you
in an official note. I trust, therefore, that owing
to your Excellency’s exertions the question will
shortlv be settled in a satisfactory manner.
* v
“ In case, however, that the terms of the
firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
or note should prove to be insufficient, or that other
difficulties should arise, it would be your Excel
lency’s duty to point out to the Porte, in courteous
but decided language, that the claim made to these
territories as having always formed a part of the
Ottoman dominions is one which Her Majesty’s
Government have felt compelled to reject, as incon
sistent with well known facts, and with the treaties
concluded between Great Britain and the Chiefs on
the coast, and to state that Her Majesty’s Govern-
ment can only consent to recognize the extension
of Egyptian jurisdiction over the coast on the con
ditions mentioned in the Convention of the 7th of
September 1877.”
Lord Cranbrook’s entire concurrence in the above
instructions was intimated to the Eoreign Office on
X No. 664. the 5th September.^
§ From Foreign Office, 29th September On the 15th September, § the Acting Consul
1879, No. 752. General in Egypt (Despatch, No. 571) reported as
follows:—
“The Khedive informed me a few days ag:o that
he had received a telegram from the Porte, instruct
ing him to send a force to the Somali coast to take
possession of the territory between Zeyla and Ras
Hafoun in the name of the Sultan, to hoist the
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