‘Administration report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1888-89.’

Content

Administration Report on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. 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. and Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. (no 265, Foreign Department serial no 25) for the year 1888-89, published by Authority and printed by the Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta [Kolkata]. A copy of a letter from Colonel Edward Charles Ross, 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 Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General for Fars, to Henry Mortimer Durand, Secretary to the Government of India (Foreign Department), dated 21 June 1889, is included in the report (folio 48), the original of which submitted the report to Government, under the following headings:

Part 1 ( General Summary ), submitted by Ross and dated 21 June 1889 (folios 49-57), containing numbered summaries of local political affairs, and incidents or events of particular note for: 1) Oman and Muscat state; 2) Oman pirate coast, including Ras-el-Khaimah [Ra’s al-Khaymah], Umm-el-Kawain [Umm al-Qaywayn], ’Ajman, Shargah, Debaye [Dubai], and Abu-Dhabbi [Abu Dhabi]; 3) El-Bahrain; 4) El-Katr [Qatar]; 5) Nejd and El-Hasa [Al-Hasa]; 6) Fars and the Persian Coast; 7) Persian Arabistan; and 8) Persian Baluchistan. Summaries of official appointments, naval movements, slave trade activity and climatic observations taken at the observatory at Bushire conclude the report. Appendix A is entitled ‘Notes on the “Ibn Rasheed” family of Jebel Shammer, and present position of Mohammed “Ibn Rasheed”’, with a genealogical table of the Rasheed dynasty. Appendix B is a translation of the Shah of Persia’s proclamation of 1888. Appendix C is a copy of the regulations for the navigation of the river Karun. Appendix D contains tabulated meteorological data for the year, supplied by the Bushire observatory.

Part 2 ( Annual Report of the Muscat Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and Consulate for the Year 1888-89 ), submitted by Lieutenant Wallace Stratton, Her Britannic Majesty’s 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. and Consul at Muscat, containing a summary of affairs at Muscat (folios 58-59), under the headings: political affairs, official changes, and slave trade.

Part 3 ( Report on the Trade of South Persia and Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. for the Year 1888 ), submitted by Ross (folios 60-69). The report comprises a short summary of the year’s trade, with notes on: produce, including grain, opium, tobacco, gum and wool; steamers and freights; imports, including cotton goods, copper, loaf sugar, and petroleum; banking agencies; the opening of the river Karun to navigation; and the pearl fisheries. Appendix A comprises tabulated data on import, exports and revenue, in the Gulf ports and towns of Bushire, Shiraz, Lingah [Bandar-e Lengeh], Bunder Abbass [Bandar-e ʻAbbās], Bahrain and the Arab coast. An index to the trade tables can be found at folio 61v.

Part 4 ( Muscat trade report for the year 1888-89 ), submitted by Stratton and dated 17 May 1889 (folios 70-75), comprising a brief summary of the year’s trade at Muscat, and also containing tabulated data on imports and exports at Muscat (listed by commodity), and the nationality and average tonnage of vessels visiting Muscat.

Extent and format

1 volume (29 folios)

Arrangement

The report is arranged into four numbered parts, with lettered appendices containing further reports and statistical data following each part. The General Summary is further organised into numbered sections, and further divided into paragraphs which are also numbered, from 1 to 102.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the first folio, on number 48, and ends on the last folio, on number 75.

Pagination: The volume contains an original typed pagination sequence.

Written in

English in Latin script

Type

Archival file

Access & Reference

Original held at

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.

Access conditions

Available in surrogate form only

Archive reference

IOR/V/23/56, No 259

Former external reference(s)

No 259 Foreign Department serial no 25

History of this record

Date(s)

1889 (CE, Gregorian)

Subjects

AgricultureTrade (practice)Meteorological data

Places

Persian GulfMuscat

People & organisations

Political Resident, Persian GulfPolitical Agent and Consul, MuscatĀl Rashīd (Family)

Share this record

• Share on twitter
• Share on facebook

Cite this record in your research

‘Administration report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1888-89.’, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/V/23/56, No 259, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100000000358.0x00027c> [accessed 26 November 2024]

Link to this record

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100000000358.0x00027c

IIIF details

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_100000000358.0x00027c/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Copyright: How to use this content