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‘Masqat Arms Traffic. 1908–1909.’ [20r] (44/128)
The record is made up of 1 volume (60 folios). It was created in 1909. 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.
by sailing boat from Karachi. They do
not even arrange for their men with
caravans to meet them on the Persian coast.
There is, however, a considerable trade
in fruit and cloth between Afghanistan and
Bandar Abbas, and Afghan traders, after
selling their goods at Bandar Abbas,
sometimes go on to Masqat and purchase
arms.
The arms traders who come by sea usually
send the greater number of their party
to Bandar Abbas to purchase camels there,
as they prefer the Afghan camel to the
weak animals of Makran.
The majority of the arms traders were
well-known Ghilzai merhants whose nor
mal trade is with Calcutta, Bombay and
Central India in the winter. These men
come from Kabul, Ghazni, etc., by the
ordinary Peshawar or Dera Ismail Khan
routes.
Being merchants on a big scale, with
business connections of many years’ stand
ing, they have either the money or the credit
to finance their operations, and for the last
two years these men have been engaging
in the arms trade, finding it more profitable
than this ordinary business.
They generally embark in small parties
of from 4 to 10 men at Bombay or Karachi,
and in most cases they book to Bandar
Abbas or Basrah—no Afghans being allow
ed to book direct for Masqat. They make
their purchases and other arrangements
independently and only collect to form a
big caravan when they have completed
their purchases.
When buying their steamer tickets they
frequently describe themselves as pilgrims
going to Baghdad or Kerbala and book to
Basrah to avoid suspicion, but, if oppor
tunity offers, they will leave the ship at some
nearer port. By bribing minor officials they
can sometimes disembark at Masqat. If
they have had to go straight through to
Basrah they return by steamer to Bandar
Abbas or Jashk—but mostly to Bandar Ab
bas whence they proceed by land to Jashk,
A certain number also book direct to Jashk,
About this item
- Content
Bound volume containing two secret reports, both authored by Colonel Wilfrid Malleson (referred to as Division of the Chief of the Staff in the first report, and Assistant Quarter Master General for Intelligence in the second), and both issued by the Division of the Chief of the Staff in 1909.
The first report is entitled Statistics regarding the Masqat [Muscat] Arms Traffic (Revised.) (ff 4-16), and contains several appendices and fold-out tables giving details of: caravan routes along which arms trafficking is carried out on the Makran coast; total values of arms and ammunition imported into Muscat and other Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ports; importers and (European) exports of arms.
The second report is entitled Special Reports on the Masqat Arms Traffic, Season 1908-09 (ff 17-60), and comprises a number of reports on the arms trade through Muscat, submitted by ‘secret agents’, and a map illustrating the arms traffic from Muscat to Persia, Baluchistan and Afghanistan (f 59). The report also includes two appendices, lettered G and H. Appendix G is a letter (in French) dated 28 October 1907, from M Pick to Messieurs Malcom and Company of Muscate [Muscat]. Appendix H comprises lists (in French) of arms for sale, with prices given in French francs.
The voluime includes a map illustrating the Muscat arms traffic, dated 1909, indicating routes taken by the Muscat arms trade from the Persian (Makran) coast and inland, into Persia, Baluchistan and Afghanistan (f 59).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (60 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 62; 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: this part 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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‘Masqat Arms Traffic. 1908–1909.’ [20r] (44/128), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/289/A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100049315702.0x00002d> [accessed 24 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/20/289/A
- Title
- ‘Masqat Arms Traffic. 1908–1909.’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:35v, 38v:61v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence