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'File 9/5 Vol. 1 Naval & Shipping: A. British Navy: (5) Khor Kuwai' [‎10v] (25/384)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (187 folios). It was created in 1 Dec 1934-4 Jul 1941. It was written in English and Arabic. 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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F. 4262/21,
P. 1682/22.
Tel. from
P.A., Mus
cat, to G. of
I., 28.2.99.
G .of 1.
Desp. 39,
of 2.3.99,
P. 345/89.
P.Z. 4963/
34.
42. 0
(a)
The French Coal Shed at Muscat, 1900-20.
38. The French maintained their coal shed until December 1920-21, when t
abandoned it, H.M. Government taking a lease for one year of their interest in i
Later in 1921 H.M. Government informed the French Government that t[
proposed to advise the Sultan to resume the site, for which they had themselves
use, and with the concurrence of France they took action accordingly. In Deceml (b)
1921 the Muscat Council of Ministers, after acknowledging the abandonment of
French coal depot, added: “ We will be honoured if you inform your High Gove;. ^
ment that we return that portion to her according to the past gift to her fromI iS P nva
Highness the Sultan.” 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. in reporting this offer, which \ e as a ]
accepted by H M. Government, stated that while the word used by the Council v reaty
“gift,” the intention was “use of the site.
History and Position of the British Coal Depot at Muscat, 1874-1934.
lat the
cquisitic
r as reje<
r ou!d no
Me re nee
39. Up to the year 1875 the Government of India used to stock their coal 1 ai W ev
three godowns in Muscat, and the British-India Steam Navigation Company had[ a p^i ce
small coal shed in the Makalla cove in Muscat harbour, for which no rent was p a idividua
An annual rent of Rs. 174 was paid by Government for one godown, the oth 44 ]
having been given rent free by the Sultan. Two fires, which endangered the safe v a Dr } v
of the town of Muscat, having broken out in the coal godowns in 1875, Saiyid Tuw^.j.q
offered to allow H.M. Government to build a godown at Makalla next to the Britia|$9_l9(
India coal shed, and the Government coal was accordingly stored there. In 18 0 nsisteij
the British-India Steam Navigation Company broke up their coal depot at Musc 0 actioi
and sold the materials of the shed by auction, the site being resumed by the Sultfoe Suita
who handed it over to 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. for the use of Government. As stated parent
paragraphs 31 and 33 above, a portion of the British site was in 1900 made over 0 acqui
France, by whom it was held till 1920. Its use was regranted to H.M. Governm^ fl v tb
by the Sultan in 1921. dotation
4(1 The ground on which the Makalla coal sheds stand was not purchased iav . e
Government, nor was it rented, and 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. reported in February 18 iat i. ona !
that there was nothing in the records of the Muscat Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. to show whethert err \ tona
Sultan made a gift to the British Government of the site or whether he mer^ ^ ran(
allowed the British coal sheds to be built there out of courtesy. The Politie >re ® ent ,
Agent added that the whole cove was not taken up by H.M. Government, a porti lt ^ ' va(i
of it being occupied by fishermen, whose houses adjoined the British coal she' eturn ’’
that the cove was open to all; and that no British flag has ever been hoisted.® unc .
Makalla. So far as is known the British flag has not subsequently been hoisted l , he P^ )S1
the Muscat coal sheds, nor has rent been paid for them. They have not ber at . e
actively used for many years, and in June 1934 they were transferred to the R.A.P ies ^ lc j a
for use as an oil depot with the written concurrence of the Sultan. erected.j
45. I
Maced c
Conclusion. ’ecognis
41 Prom the note above it will be seen that the French interest in Muscat is lorres PO
long standing and dates back to the eighteenth century ; that it is based essential- elt unal
on the Commercial Treaty of 1844 and the Anglo-French Declaration of 1862; fthat Ag
that it has been of active importance only between 1890 and 1914, although t^overnu
Treaty provisions referred to still remain in force. Any sentimental attachni6^ ec ^ ara ^
based on long historical association apart, the French have in the past, even duriP-^-
the period of the Entente Cordiale and immediately prior to the Great War, sho'" 0 ail y P
themselves fully alive to the “ nuisance value ” of their position in Muscat; a: rile P oi f
oetween 1908 and 1912 they declined offers made by H.M. Government of a ptesti
ungenerous territorial compensation elsewhere in return for an abrogation of thf^^anc 1 '
treaty rights. AVhile Trance might be expected not to raise difficulties so lor? 6
as the importance of any anchorage or rights acquired is minimised, and
long as H.M. Government are in a position to claim that no infringement of t 46. 1
Declaration of 1862 is involved, it is pnma facie unlikely, even now, when (claim tc
many years her active interest in Muscat has been slight, that her consent to tto acqui:
abrogation of the Declaration of 1862 or of the Commercial Treaty of 1814 coirights v
be secured without long discussion and a quid pro -quo which might territori;
disproportionately large. ^ or the ei

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Content

Correspondence and other papers relating to the establishment of British naval facilities at Khor Kuwai (also written Khor Quwai) in Muscat territory. The papers cover several related matters, including: the evacuation of naval stations at Henjam and Basidu; the inter-departmental discussion of the proposals to transfer to Khor Kuwai; plans for recreational facilities, navigational aids and marking, lighting ashore, sanitation, buildings, personnel, tenure of land, defence, landing structures, supplies of water, oil, coal, etc., furniture, and communications; the efforts of 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. in Muscat to obtain permission from the Sultan, Said bin Taimur [Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd] for the station at Khor Kuwai and, during the Second World War, signal posts at Ras Sharaita and Little Quoin Island; and the death of the station caretaker and one of his assistants in July 1940.

The correspondence comes from: 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; 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. , Muscat; the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; officials at the Foreign Office; 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. ; the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station; the Government of India, Foreign and Political Department; officials at the Admiralty; and the Sultan of Muscat and his representatives.

A memorandum by John Gilbert Laithwaite entitled 'Question whether a Naval Station could be established for use by His Majesty's Ships at Khor Quwai or elsewhere in Muscat Territory compatibly with the existing International Engagements of His Majesty's Government', 2 November 1934, is included in the volume (folios 6-11).

Extent and format
1 volume (187 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arranged in chronological order, from the front to the rear.

At the back of the volume are internal office notes (ff 183-185).

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 188; 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 10-185; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'File 9/5 Vol. 1 Naval & Shipping: A. British Navy: (5) Khor Kuwai' [‎10v] (25/384), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/6/308, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100075216451.0x00001a> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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