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‘Masqat Arms Traffic. 1908–1909.’ [26r] (56/128)
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.
15
had been unable to collect sufficient men
and camels, went back to Karachi to get
help from Dost Muhammad. The big
dealers usually visit him on their way
through Karachi.
At Bandar Abbas .—There is a man Jan
Muhammad, Sulaiman Khel, a
broker
Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation.
, who
lives there with his family, helps them in
collecting camels, changing their money and
hundis, gives information re routes, boats,
etc., receives money on deposit. Does
a large business.
At Qishm Island .—There is a man Abdul
Ghafur, an Afghan, who helps them in
getting boats, guides, etc. His assistance
is sought by the men who go from Bandar
Abbas to Dibai.
At Dibai —There is one Saiyid Umar, who
keeps a langar there. Afghans going for
arms make the excuse of going to visit
him as a holy man. He helps them in
every way.
At Masqat .—All the gun merchants help
the Afghans to procure boats and get their
arms away. Ali Khan bin Musa Khan and
Haroun bin Khamas were especially pro
minent in this respect.
The Sultan of Masqat’s Inspector of
Customs, Abdul Ghafur Khan, a native of
Poona. This man helps the Arabs in ship
ping their arms by British India boats to
the Upper Gulf ports.
One of our men got to know him well.
He offered to procure him any arms he want
ed, and said that he had 250 rifles and a
large number of cartridges of his own wdiich
he was prepared to sell at cheaper rates than
the merchants. He offered to arrange for
sailing boats at Matrah, and he also said
that he could get our man’s arms landed at-
some small post on the Persian side—not at
one of the regular points of call—by the Bri
tish India S.S. Dwarka. He gave our man a
letter of introduction to the Police Jemadar
at Gwadar. His uncle, Abdul Karim, is Col
lector of Customs at Masqat, and between
the two there are doubtless many schemes
for smuggling, etc.
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.’ [26r] (56/128), 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_100049315702.0x000039> [accessed 12 May 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