'File XXIX/2 Slavery in Kuwait' [‎136r] (271/296)

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It will be remembered tbat in 1925 two of tbe Cousins of tbe Sultan of Muscat
were kidnapped in the Sultan’s own territories and sold. They were in addition
well beaten for having, with their negroid appearance, the impertinence to say
that they were near relatives of the Sultan, who, however, for his comfort, recalled
the fact that even Joseph was sold into slavery.
That there is a small but regular stream of Baluchis from Persian Balu
chistan for sale is obvious and that there are regular Baluch dealers who in addition
to other business run a small but lucrative business in Baluch slaves is also certain.
The name Abdullah Muhammad Dawwar occurs with regularity, and I have
only been awaiting the freedom of the Navy from Kuwait affairs to ask the Senior
Naval Officer to consult with 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 Muscat regarding making an
arrest of this man, who it is stated has the protection of Saiyyid Hamad, the
brother of the Sultan and Wall of Sohar.
That slavery is common on the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. is undeniable and I propose
tightening up the reading of our treaties with the Sheikhs to the most favourable
understanding possible in order to reduce it, but as is also the case in Ibn Saud’s
country it will not be easy to put an end to the custom of house-born slaves.
Under Muhammedan law moslems cannot be made slaves, and a “ Fatwa ”
from Mecca on this subject would materially help.
It will be noted that we have no treaty with Kuwait on the subject of the
slave trade.
In the accompanying memorandum Case No. 13 is interesting both on account
of the magnitude of the dealing and the methods by which it was carried out. I
accordingly quote it in detail.
In this instance one Salahuddin was sent to India as a prisoner in connection,
with a gun-running case and then went to Charbar with his son-in-law, Muhammad
to earn a living. On their return to their home they found that twenty-one of their
relatives had been sold into slavery by Mir Hoti Khan, one of the Persian Baluch
chiefs who receives a subsidy from the Indo-European Telegraph Department for
guarding the line between Jask and Charbar.
In 1924 Salahuddin, his borther Ali Baksh and the former’s son-in-law,
Muhammad, began to come to the various British Consulates and Agencies in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. attempting to trace their relatives.
They found that twelve of these had been sold into Persian Baluchistan and for
these there was no help from us. I am informing the Legation at Tehran of the
whereabouts of these people. At the time the Persian writ did not run anywhere
in Persian Baluchistan and I doubt if they can do anything now but on the coast
they are beginning to move a little.
Nine persons, however, were taken to the Batineh Coast of Oman by a Persian
Baluch and thence were carried to Baraimi in the interior where they were beyond
the power of Muscat and from that place distributed over the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. . In
cluded in these nine were the wife and three sons 'of Muhammad, who has spent
the last five years attempting to trace them. I am glad to say that after five years
we have in the last month been able to obtain the manumission of the party and to
give the woman back to her husband, though in the interval one child has died and
the woman was given to a slave of her owner by whom she had a child. In the
course of the five years three others have been recovered and of the remainder
two, who were once traced but were made to disappear, are still being searched for.
The details of this case have been particularly useful since it has put us in
direct touch with the methods used for the disposal of slaves and has enabled us
to get the names of certain regular dealers in this traffic.
I have kept the man Muhammad and his wife in Muscat as witnesses in the
matter and I hope, with the aid of the Muscat Government and the Senior Naval
Officer whose arrival at Bushire I am now awaiting, to make some .immediate
arrests.
As, however, I reported in my letter No. 5, dated the 12th January 1928, to
the address of His Majesty’s Minister, Tehran, this traffic in Persian Baluchistan
will continue until the Persian Government are able to control that district.
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