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Coll 28/41 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Kerman 1924–’ [‎97v] (194/313)

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The record is made up of 1 file (154 folios). It was created in 14 Dec 1925-20 Apr 1943. 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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as the result, probably, of action taken by His
Majesty’s Legation at Tehran, and the military
authorities have been more tactful in settling the
hire.
34. (b) Extortions and interjerence with trade and
Industry. —The general conduct of the military has
greatly improved and very often complaints, of even
a trivial nature, by the inhabitants have received
attention. The justice authorities have also been
given more facilities in dealing with cases brought
against the military.
35. (c) Effect of Conscription. —The Conscription
authorities were not so strict in their dealings as
in the previous two years and enlistment in the
army, though still unpopular, is not dreaded as it
was before. The recruits have proved to be of a
more suitable type and are loath to return to their
former humble avocations on the expiry of their
term of service.
5. Agriculture.
36. (a) Area under cultivation, more or less. —The
area under cultivation appears to be the same as
before, i.e., between 300,000 and 400,000 acres.
More land was sown with cotton seed, but the area
sown with wheat and barley was proportionately
less than last year.
37. (b) The Harvests. —Wheat and barley, the two
main crops, suffered considerably from the depre
dations of locusts which visited the Province nine
times between the months of February 1929 and June
1930, the total damage being estimated at about
one-third of the total crops. The deficit was,
however, more than balanced by the importation
of corn from other Provinces, especially from
Khurasan, but -the price remained fairly high till
the end of the year.
The cotton crop was also damaged by these insects
to a -certain extent while henna as usual did not
suffer.
The production of pistachios was good and this
commodity commanded an unusually high price
owing to the big demand for its export.
Almonds were badly damaged by the frost at the
end of the prervious year.
38. (c) Introduction of New Crops and New
Methods. —The production of both American and
Egyptian cotton has been tried in the Province but
the result of the experiments is not definitely known
and so far the ;bulk of the cotton is raised from local
seed.
39. A sample of cotton grown from local seed in
the district of Rafsinjan was sent to India for trial,
by H. B. M’s Consul, earlyin the year and the result
■was satisfactory. It was proved that, in spite of
doubts tothe contrary, the cotton in question yielded
yarn df No. 20 count, which is the kind commonly
used in the mandfacturing of Kerman carpets.
40. The Tndigo plant is'cultivated in certain ef
the warmer districts or the Province. Tn olden
days extracts from the qilant were used by docal
dyers for obtaining various shades of blue. After
the introduction of foreign indigo the cultivation
of the indigo plant locally diminished, and only
a small amount was cultivated for dyeing hair. A
certain quantity of the dried leaves was exported
to India last year and attempts were made during
the year under review to extend the cultivation of
the plant. Unfortunately, however, the crops^were
much damaged by the locusts and the out-p^^Ws
considerably less than usual.
41. (d) Irrigation. —The old method prevails.
Representatives from the Ministry of National
Economy, who visited the district of Jiruft in the
latter part of the year, studied the possibility of an
irrigation scheme in connection with the Halil Rud
in Jiruft and prepared reports for presentation to
the Ministry.
42. The rainfall in the Province is scanty and
was less than usual during the year, as the result of
which the water in many ‘ Kanats ’ (the chief source
of irrigation) decreased.
43. (e) Extent of Hypothecation. —The condition
of the smaller land-owners has not improved and
more landed property has to be mortgaged by them
to raise money.
6. Opium.
44. The question of opium cultivation and the
proper management of its taxation remain chief
problems for the Persian Government. All the
attempts of the local Monopoly authorities to check
smuggling and encourage the use of taxed opium
have failed. The total fines collected on account
of contraband during the year amounted to only
Ts. 3,500. The Monopoly authorities made several
attempts, mostly unsuccessful, to induce the indi
vidual consumers of opium to buy a regular monthly
supply of taxed opium from the"Monopoly godown.
Searching of houses of all classes of the inhabitants
increased during the latter months of the year.
The income of the Finance Department from
opium, which in 1929 had fallen from Ts. 15,000 to
Ts. 5,000 decreased still further, to Ts. 4,000 (exclud
ing fines) during the year under review. The year’s
out-put of opium was also considerably less than
usual and there was a considerable deficit for local
iconsumption which had to be filled up by smueslina
from other Provinces.
Owing to the disturbance in Ears, however, the
amount of smuggling from the Province decreased
towards the end of the year and, consequently,
prices went up to an extent heretofore unknown.
The smokers of the drug, most of whom could
not afford to pay such high prices, had a very hard
time and there was a great outcry against the Mono
poly authorities. Early in the year the Finance
Ministry in Tehran were contemplating the intro
duction of a bill with theiview of changing the system
^of taxation by fixing a fixed rate on each square
xar of land. This would have settled the problem

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Content

Printed trade reports for the Kerman Consular District in Persia [Iran], submitted by a succession of British Consuls for Kerman (Henry Duncan Graves Law; John Hunter Davies; Edward William Charles Noel; Cecil Henning Lincoln; George Arthur Falconer).

The contents of the reports vary from one year to another, but usually feature summaries of: the district’s financial situation; foreign trade; taxation; military affairs (commandeering of equipment, conscription); agriculture; industry (including textiles and carpet manufacture); communications and transport; state undertakings and control of trade; public utilities; social conditions (standard of living, unemployment, public health); information for travellers. Most reports include appendices with statistical data on trade, including: imports and exports at the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. port of Bandar Abbas [Bandar-e ʻAbbās]; imports and exports of key commodities into and out of Kerman; prices of foodstuffs; imports of Russian and Japanese goods.

Each report is preceded by 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. minute papers containing handwritten comments on the enclosed report. Many of the reports have pencil annotations.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (154 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 156; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-156; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 28/41 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Kerman 1924–’ [‎97v] (194/313), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3444, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100055834077.0x0000c5> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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