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'The Trade in Arms with the Persian Gulf' [‎54r] (1/4)

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The record is made up of 1 file (2 folios). It was created in 3 Jun 1898. It was written in English. 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. .

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This document is the property of Her Majesty's Secretary of State for India.
Confidential.
“18987
The Trade in Arms with the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
Persian Prohibitions. —On the 3rd of July 1881, the Persian Government
notified to the British and other Foreign Governments that the trade in arms
and ammunition with Persian ports was prohibited. “ Importers,’ writes
Colonel Meade on 22nd March 1898, “were well aware of this.” The
British Minister observed that we had at times applied to the Persian
authorities to prevent Afghanistan obtaining munitions of war through
Persia, and therefore he had raised no objection to the prohibition. Never
theless, owing to the weakness of the central authority, and to the sale of
the offices of Governor and Customs Collector, the traffic continued, and
importers made secret arrangements with the local officials to evade the law.
In 1895 the Persian authorities seized a large consignment of arms in
Bushire, and in the following year a special preventive officer was appointed
by the Persian Government to enforce the prohibition against the traffic.
On the other hand certain British traders, who had landed in 1895 at Bushire
some arms from the S.S. “ Zulu,” alleged to have been over-carried by
mistake, appealed to the British Government against their confiscation by the
Persians, and obtained the restitution of their goods. The Consular reports
also, year by year, noticed the increasing trade in arms with Persia in terms
which, if they referred to the prohibition, seemed to treat it as nominal only.
In 1897, however, events occurred which brought to the front the danger to
Persia and the Government of India arising from the neglect to enforce the
law, and on the 1st of December 1897, the British Besident at Bushire
was informed that the Persian Government had already authorised the
Malik-ut-Tajir to seize any arms he could find at Bushire which had been
illicitly imported. On the 18th December 1897 the Sadr Azam addressed the
British Legation referring to the prohibitive laws and expressing satisfaction
at the prospect of concerted action. The Persian Government announced
its determination to enforce the law rigidly, and caused a communication to
be made to the Sultan of Muscat inviting his co-operation. It also accepted
an offer of the British Government to assist it by searching British vessels
believed to be engaged in the illicit traffic, and by seizing any arms or
ammunition found on them in Persian waters which might be on their way
to Persian ports, and be owned by British or Persian subjects. ^ The Sultan
of Muscat readily promised his aid, and extended the prohibition against
importation into Persia or British India to Muscat territory and its waters;
and on the 13th of January 1898 His Highness issued a notification declaring
that arms or ammunition destined for Persia or British India and found in
Muscat w'aters would be confiscated. At various dates in December the
premises of certain merchants in Bushire were visited by Persian officers in
the presence of British consular officers, and stores of arms, &c., were seized.
The steamship “ Tresco ” arrived at Bushire on the 25th of December 1897, and
a few arms were also seized on board her, and the same operation was repeated
on the arrival of the “ Baluchistan ” in that port on the 1st of February 1898.
Previously to this the “ Baluchistan ” had been stopped on January 21th in
Muscat waters bv H.M.S. “ Lapwing,” which acted under the proclamation
of the 13th of January 1898, and on the 15th of April 1898, a Court appointed
by the Sultan found that the arms and ammunition seized on board were
intended for Persian ports, although the marks on the cases had been
fraudulently altered at Port Said on or about the 6th of January 1898, and
it decreed that they were therefore justly confiscated.
The owners of the S.S. “ Baluchistan ” must have expected the fate which
they provoked. They also owned the S.S. “ Turkistan ” which had carried
S. 19.

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Content

This file consists of a memorandum written by William Lee-Warner, Secretary to the Political and Secret Department of 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. , it concerns the arms trade in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. from 1881-98.

The following topics are covered:

  • Persian prohibition of the trade in arms and ammunition with Persian ports;
  • the enforcement of the law;
  • the seizure of arms;
  • British interests in coming to agreement with the Persian Government and assisting in enforcing Persian regulations;
  • methods of trade – secrecy;
  • policy for the future.
Extent and format
1 file (2 folios)
Arrangement

This file consists of a single memorandum.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 54, and terminates at f 55, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, 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 file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'The Trade in Arms with the Persian Gulf' [‎54r] (1/4), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/C88, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100036314180.0x000002> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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