"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎٢‎٤‎٤‎٨] (١٢٦٢/٩٦٥)

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availed themselves of the insurance system for the despatch abroad of
large quantities of valuable pearls. By this practice the British India
Steam Navigation Company were the principal losers, and they too
protested against the competition of the Post Office with their legitimate
carrying trade. As the contentions of the two companies appeared to the
Government of India to be reasonable and as there was considerable risk
of loss of specie, especially in transhipment at Basrah or while deposited
there in the unprotected post office, the faculty of insurance was abolished,
with effect from the 1st of July 1885, in regard to articles despatched to,
from or between the post offices of the Persian Gulf division. The aboli
tion of insurance stimulated the demand for money orders ; but there was
a loss of revenue to the post office which was estimated in the years
immediately following the change at over Rs. 18,001) per annum and
something like consternation at first prevailed among the native merch
ants of Baghdad, whose established method of doing business was
totally upset.
Indian Cas- I n 1894, in consequence of the passing of the Indian Tariff Act, it
m^ts^TsQl" Was or ^ ere( ^ ^hat all parcels despatched from the post offices of the Gulf
I9Q7 # *' division should thenceforward be accompanied by customs declarations.
Histories, in brief, of the various Indian post offices and postal
stations in the Persian Gulf, 1864-1907.
Before we pass on to consider political questions that have arisen
in connection with British Indian post offices in Persia and Turkish ^Iraq
it will be convenient to summarise separately the history of each of the
Gulf offices.*
Masqat, The post office at Masqat was opened on the 1st of May 1864, and
1864-1907. the duties of Postmaster were at first carried on, under the supervision or
the Political Agent, by a subordinate of the Indian Medical Department,
who was in medical charge of the British Agency ; the postal work was
then transacted at a rented building in the town. In 1866,
the disturbances which accompanied the accession of Salim to the Sult
anate of ; Oman, no steamers called at iMasqat between March and July ;
and the post office was temporarily closed.
In 1869 it was found necessary, in consequence of the increase oi
postal business, to appoint a, regular postmaster from India ; but the
change gave rise to trouble which continued until 187a. The first Post
master under the new system assumed independent powers vis a vts o
the Political Agent and in 187^ accepted the local agency of the Oman
Ottoman line of steamers—a Turkish interest; he was ultiinaey
removed from the Masqat appointment and dismissed from the Posta
Department. His successor proved corrupt and disrespectful and w aS
transferred to another post. In 1871, during the struggle between
Turki and 'Azzan in the neighbourhood of Masqat, the post office was
# A fable of the exiating officeg in the Gulf, with particulars of staff, etc.,
tormi Annexure No. 3 to this Appendix.