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Coll 34/12 'Slavery and Slave Trading: Measures to prevent slavery on the Trucial Coast' [‎33v] (66/473)

The record is made up of 1 file (235 folios). It was created in 25 Nov 1936-20 Dec 1945. 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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There has recently been some cence of the traffic in
slaves from the Persian to the .arab coat Persian G-ulf and the
Gulf of Oman* This is probably due ir the decline in
security in South-east Persia which has |^?) the dethronement of Reza
Shah;and in part to the fact that in waryC/ > Navy is unable to
exercise so much vigilance as usual over /si9£ in these waters. On
the Persian cc^t the principal centre of—one w’ade in slaves seems to be
the district round JasK and Ras-al-Kuh in Persian Baluchistan, where the
chief offender is said to be Mirza Bin Barkat. Prom there kidnapped
Baluchis are shipped to villages bn Batinah coast which are in Muscat territory
but not under the effective control of the Sultan; or to Fujairah, a small
independent Sheikhdom which is not in treaty relations with H.M.G. It
appears that the slaves are eventually taken to Saudi Arabia where they
may be exchanged for arms (compare the Political Resident’s letter of
April 5th last at Ext. 2920/42). A report, dated December 5th, A941,
by 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 Bahrein of a visit to the Sheikh of Fujairah
in connection with this traffic will be found at Ext. 1566/42.
The Political Resident’s letter below forwards a report from
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 describing this traffic. Colonel Hay is
inclined to think that it has somewhat increased in recent months, and
that it may develop sti ll fu rther if steps are not taken to suppress it.
He then discusses what^step^ythes^/should be. We may agree with him
that in present circumstances action by the Persian authorities in so
remote a region cannot be expected. With regard to action at sea, it
is not clear why the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. makes a proviso about the search
of Persian dhows; the correspondence at Ext. 2046/42 shows that both
H.M. Minister at Tehran and the F.O. have agreed to the Political Resident’s
proposal (which specifically mention^the slave trade) that such ships
may be searched even inside Persian territorial waters. as regards
action in Muscat and Fujiah, the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. implies that he is
doing or will do everything possible (Colonel Prior's letter of July 51st
I 94 J 0 at PZ. 486A/40 gives a colourful account of the difficulties of
taking effective action on the Batinah coast).
There remains the question of action in Saudi Arabia. Here
Colonel Hay refers to the most recent despatch on this subject from H.M.
Minister at Jedda - dated November 14th, 1939 (see PZ.7839/39)* At
that time the Minister was hopeful that the traffic had been checked.
He recommended, however, that if it should revive "it might be advisable
to give Ibn. Baud a friendly v/arning about Baluchis, on the ground that
their enslavement, which we should assume to be unknown to him, is
contrary to his own laws, and that if the facts came to the knowledge
of the Persian Government the effect might be as wounding to the dignity
of His Majesty as it would be regMtted by His Majesty's friends, the
British Government.”
It is proposed to ask the F.O. to take action on the lines
recommended by the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , and a draft for this purpose is
submitted.
b/t rLo £:eU O^JL
* ^ hJ: l t-
/IhU
Jl
There has recently been some recrudescence of the traffic in
slaves from the Persian to the iirab coast of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and the
Gulf of Oman, This is probably due in part to the decline in
security in South-east Persia which has followed the dethronement of Reza
Shah;and in part to the fact that in war time the Navy is unable to
exercise so much vigilance as usual over shipping in these waters* On
the Persian cdjst the principal centre of the trade in slaves seems to be
the district round JasK and Ras-al-Kuh in Persian Baluchistan, where the
chief offender is said to be Mirza Bin Barkat* Prom there kidnapped
Baluchis are shipped to villages on Batinah coast which are in Muscat territory
but not under the effective control of the Sultan; or to Fujdrah, a small
independent Sheikhdom which is not in treaty relations with H.M.G. It
appears that the slaves are eventually taken to Saudi Arabia where they
may be exchanged for arms (compare the Political Residents letter of
April 5th last at Ext. 2920/42). A report, dated December 5th, A941,
by the Political *gent at Bahrein of a visit to the Sheikh of Pujatrah
in connection with this traffic will be found at Ext. 1566/42.
The Political Residents letter below forwards a report from
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 describing this traffic. Colonel Hay is
inclined to think that it has somewhat increased in recent months, and
that it may develop sti ll fu rther if steps are not taken to suppress it.
He then discusses what^stepj^vthese/should be. vVe may agree with him
that in present circumstances action by the Persian authorities in so
remote a region cannot be expected. V/ith regard to action at sea, it
is not clear why the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. makes a proviso about the search
of Persian dhows; the correspondence at Ext. 2046/42 shows that both
H.M. Minister at Tehran and the P.0, have agreed to the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. 's
proposal (which specifically mention^the slave trade) that such ships
may be searched even inside Persian territorial waters. -as regards
action in Muscat and PujeTah, the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. implies that he is
doing or will do everything possible (Colonel Prior's letter of July 51st
I 94 J 0 at PZ. h86l*/UQ gives a colourful account of the difficulties of
taking effective action on the Batinah coast).
There remains the question of action in Saudi arabia. Here
Colonel Hay refers to the most recent despatch on this subject from H.M.
Minister at Jedda - dated November 14th, 1939 (see PZ.7839/39)* At
that time the Minister was hopeful that the traffic had been checked.
He recommended, however, that if it should revive "it might be advisable
to give Ibn. Saud a friendly warning about Baluchis, on the ground that
their enslavement, which we should assume to be unknown to him, is
contrary to his own laws, and that if the facts came to the knowledge
of the Persian Government the effect might be as wounding to the dignity
of His Majesty as it would be regdffted by His Majesty's friends, the
British Government."
It is proposed to ask the P.0. to take action on the lines
recommended by the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , and a draft for this purpose is
submitted.
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is ^jjt' ^ cjx 6 v-c
(j. JuaCctAc £ ifbAtc
Ajv/. b k {1^- Lz h>J:
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o—r £
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Content

Correspondence and minute papers concerning the slave trade in Saudi Arabia and the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. . The papers consist of intelligence reports, parliamentary notices, memoranda, letters, and telegrams. Matters covered by the file include:

  • Concern over a lack of application of anti-slavery legislation in Saudi Arabia, especially in the east
  • British threats of bombardment and withdrawal of good offices given to the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi
  • Slave traffic coming from the Mekran [Makran] Coast
  • A suspected slave market at Buraimi.

Principal correspondents include officials at the 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. , Foreign Office, Admiralty, and Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Additional correspondence, usually included as enclosures, comes from: Amir Feisal, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia; the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Agent, Sharjah; Commander-in-Chief, East Indies; 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. , Bahrain; British Vice Consulate, Zahidan, East Iran; British Consulate, Kerman; and Sultan Said bin Taimur [Sa‘īd ibn Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd] of Muscat.

Folio 40 is an article on the slave trade in the Gulf taken from The Times , 18 July 1942.

Extent and format
1 file (235 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged in chronological order from the back to the front.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 237; 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.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 34/12 'Slavery and Slave Trading: Measures to prevent slavery on the Trucial Coast' [‎33v] (66/473), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/4099, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100060491863.0x000045> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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