'Report on the Arms Traffic, 1st July 1911 to 30th June 1913 (including a note on the operations of the Makran Field Force in April and May 1911)' [‎12r] (23/44)

discovered to contain arms through the accidental breaking of a case in Kuwait
harbour, anl was condscatel by the Captain. Another attempt at smuggling
was discovered at Bombay. Both consignments came from Antwerp. (See
Appendix C.)
The imports of arms and ammunition into Kuwait, in 1912-13, by steamer,
increased in v. lue by one lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. . These large amounts were imported
by the Shaikh and others on special permits. The Shaikh had agreed to receive
no arms except such as had passed through the Masqat warehouse, and were
stamped with the official mark.
The imports into Kuwait for the last 3 years were as follows :>
Year.
1910-11
Value.
f Rs. 5,810
lbs. 1,55,
55,200
Country of origin.
United Kingdom
Rs. 1,03,470 United Kingdom
.Rs. 51,730 France
Remarks.
by steamer
by baghaleh.
1911-12 Rs. 42,000 France
by steamer
1912-13 Rs. 1,47,500
Rs. 1,500 .. United Kingdom
Rs. 1,46,000 .. France
by steamer
Exports .*—By baghaleh.
1910-11, Rs. 30,750 to the Persian coast. f *
There is no export by steamer, and there has been no import or export by
baghaleh since 1911.
(6) Qatar.
Qatar was the centre of a large arms traffic. Apart from the wholesale trade,
rifles were said to be more or less openly on sale in some dozen and a half shops in
Do hah bazaar. In October 1911 Shaikh Jasim bin Thani, when being asked to
assist in the suppression of the trade, declined, saying the trade did not exist.
Qatar is the only territory on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. of which the ruler has not
notified a prohibition on the import of arms: it is therefore a dangerous place.
According to the agreement with Turkey, drafted at the beginning of 1913, Turkey
renounces any claims to suzerainty. This will enable the British Government
to treat direct with the Shaikh, who is now Abdullah, lately governor of Dohah,
his father having died in May 1913.
In March 1913, in spite of the fact that large numbers of arms had been
imported the previous year, there were no large stocks of arms remaining unsold.
It was said that in Qatar there was an annual demand for 2,000 rifles.
(c) Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. .
The attitude of the Shaikhs with regard to the trade is apathetic, due no doubt
to their fear of retribution from arms-traders. Early in August a consignment of
arms was captured from a Tangistani dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. when in the act of loading near Dibai,
but the crew, who escaped, wreaked its vengeance on a pearling boat from Dibai,
and got off scot free. The Shaikh was suitably rewarded for capturing these 400
odd rifles with ammunition. It was on account of this piracy that the Tangistan
villages were punished in June 1913, by the Itoyal Navy.
In 1912, reports were received that arms-traders were bringing their caravans
actually into the towns of Dibai, Sharjah, and Ajman, though the chiefs of these
places professedly forbade it. In September 1912, a clever capture of an arms
caravan was made by the son of the British Residenc Agent near Sharjah. He
secured 839 arms and 134,000 rounds of ammunition. These arms were later on
reported to have been destined for the Shaikh of Qatar. They were all confiscated,
and the caravan men were imprisoned. The Shaikh of Sharjah received a rebuke
and a warning for having failed to assist.
S5GSB