![Coll 30/200 ‘Persian Gulf. Tour of Political Resident from Bahrein to Muscat in L. T. Nearchus.’ [‎11r] (22/133)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000648.0x0001fe/IOR_L_PS_12_3940_0022.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Coll 30/200 ‘Persian Gulf. Tour of Political Resident from Bahrein to Muscat in L. T. Nearchus.’ [‎11r] (22/133)")
Coll 30/200 ‘Persian Gulf. Tour of Political Resident from Bahrein to Muscat in L. T. Nearchus.’ [11r] (22/133)
The record is made up of 1 file (64 folios). It was created in 29 Apr 1940-1 Oct 1946. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
5nd caused untold misery to thousands, in fact there can be few areas,
apart from Central Europe, which will have paid so great a price for the
ultimate Allied triumph* In 1941 I met many colonies of Persian emigres
on the Batinah, and numbers have sold themselves into slavery in order
to eat. Last Spring 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.
Bahrain saw hundreds of
destitute Persians who were crovdlng into the
Trucial Coast
A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates.
, and counted
ten corpses on the beach at Sharjah in a single morning.
18. The attitude of the Persian Government could not be more
lous. They take no interest whatever in these areas that they
adk^'nister so badly, and the sole oeject appeal's to be to extract the
maximum revenue in return for* the minimum service. Every fresh law or
decree is slnply an excuse for further extortion and another nail in the
coffin of this coast. These tecritodes are too remote from the Gapttal
to attract attention or secure redress, and the Garrasiri is a shabby
relation whom the plateau Persian likes to forget except at election time#
A travelling inspector occasionally makes a quick swoop to relieve
some lesser >ird of prey of a portion of his ill-gotten gains, but for
the most part as£ the local officials are left to themselves. In fact, it
is very probable that mere is known about this area by ourselves than
the fernIan Government, and any effort at improvement has certainly
emanated from us and not from them.
19. It may be said that these areas should have had their own
shipping and fended for themselves# At one time they did so, but the
bulk of their carrying trade was ruined by the cu^t-throat competition
of the British India Steam navigation Company, and I well remember the
late Sir Hugh Biscoe describing their monopolistic activities in Bandar
Abbas in the early years of this century. The decay of their economy
is now viciole and our share in it plain, but it is not so easy to
prescribe a remedy and impossible to do so in a brief compass. One thing
however is clear, namely that until shipping restrictions are lightened
and import and export trade facilitated little can be done. There is
no life because there is no trade, no trade because there are no ships,
and no ships because there is no trade that will benefit us.
I am sending a copy of this despatch to the Government of India
and His ^lajasty's Consul at iBandax* tbbas, and the Secretary ol of,ate xor
India.
I have the honour to be.
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
GEOFFREY PRIOR.
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.
in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
and H.3. M#Consul-General, Bushire.
About this item
- Content
The file contains papers, mostly correspondence, relating to: a tour of Muscat by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior, 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and HM Consul-General, Bushire, in February 1940; his journey from Muscat to Bahrein [Bahrain] in the ship LT [Lighthouse Tender] Nearchus ; and a later tour of Bandar Abbas, Jask and Chahbar [Chabahar] in Iran by Prior in November and December 1943.
The correspondence includes the following letters from Prior to the Secretary to the Government of India External Affairs Department: a letter dated 26 April 1940, which consists of a detailed account of his trip to Muscat, including the day he spent at Kuwait with Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson, and a stop to refuel and meet the Senior Naval Officer at Khor Kuwai [Khawr al Quway‘] on the way to Muscat, with twelve enclosed photographs [IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 22; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 23; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 24; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 25; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 26; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 27; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 28; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 29; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 30; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 31; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 32; IOR/L/PS/12/3940, f 63]; and a letter dated 29 April 1940, recounting Prior’s cruise from Muscat to Bahrain, with stops at Qais [Kish] Island and Ras Tanura. Copies of these letters were sent from Prior to Roland Tennyson Peel 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. .
The file also includes: a copy (sent from Prior to the Secretary of State for India) of a letter from Prior to Sir Reader William Bullard, HM Minister, Tehran, dated 28 January 1944, which contains a report of his tour of Bandar Abbas, Jask and Chabahar; a letter in response from Bullard to Prior dated 22 February 1944; and a letter from the Foreign Office to Bullard, dated 23 March 1944, regarding Prior’s report.
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 (64 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 front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 66, 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 View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
Coll 30/200 ‘Persian Gulf. Tour of Political Resident from Bahrein to Muscat in L. T. Nearchus.’ [11r] (22/133), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3940, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100069985478.0x000017> [accessed 24 April 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100069985478.0x000017
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100069985478.0x000017">Coll 30/200 ‘Persian Gulf. Tour of Political Resident from Bahrein to Muscat in L. T. Nearchus.’ [‎11r] (22/133)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100069985478.0x000017"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000648.0x0001fe/IOR_L_PS_12_3940_0022.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000648.0x0001fe/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3940
- Title
- Coll 30/200 ‘Persian Gulf. Tour of Political Resident from Bahrein to Muscat in L. T. Nearchus.’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 1ar, 2r:21v, 33r:62v, 64r:66r, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence