Skip to item: of 602
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎240v] (485/602)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (299 folios). It was created in 1884-1906. 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.

Apply page layout

V
18
ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. POLITICAL
General
existed and which only time and the gradual strengthening of the ruler's
administration and influence will effectively eliminate.
12. Customs. —An interesting feature of the year under review has been
the administration of the Customs by the Sultan's own arrangements.
Erom time immemorial it had been the habit of the rulers of Maskat to
sell annually to one of the Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. traders the right to collect <c Customs " at
Maskat and Muttra, and this individual practically became banker to the local
Government for the current year. This was a convenient arrangement from
some points of view, but on the expiry of the last contract His Highness, being
in a prosperous financial position at the time, determined to try the experiment of
levying the Customs dues himself, and it is satisfactory to know that after
a complete year's experience he finds his revenue increased, after paying
expenses, by about 20,000 dollars. Considering that this is the first year of
a new organisation, the levy has been carried on with reasonable efficiency and
consideration by the Sultan's Hindustani officials, but there can be no doubt
that the Customs revenue of the port would still reach higher figures if His
Highness were to appoint a fully qualified official of some standing to the
charge of its administration.
13. Indemnity tax, —The balance of the indemnity due to British subjects
for losses suffered in the rebellion of 1895 s has been at length liquidated by the
Sultan, and almost all the parties concerned have appeared to claim the balances
due to them.
14. Pearl dispute. —A remarkable dispute, in which the Sultan was in
terested, connected with the discovery and sale of a pearl of extraordinary value,
which had been going on for more than a year and from time to time threatened to
assume very serious proportions, has at last been amicably settled by a committee
consisting of certain of the Trucial Chiefs assisted by experienced Muslims. The
case seems to have been a test" one, and difficult questions were involved
affecting the rights of the owner of soil and the sovereign, one of whose subjects
was the fortunate finder, to a share in the profits on the sale of the gem. The
latter was a Kumzar subject of the Sultan of Maskat, and His Highness was, it
is understood, awarded a third share in the value of the pearl. It is said, how
ever, to be still deposited with some banker in Bombay and unsold though
mortgaged, so that it is not impossible that the last has still to be heard of it.
15. Arms traffic, —As the trade returns demonstrate, not only does the traffic
in arms show no signs of abatement, but the value of it has more than doubled
itself during the past year (the direct London-Maskat steamers calling much
more frequently than heretofore) and has returned practically to the same
figure at which it stood in 1897-98, previous to the Baluchistan seiTAJiVQ.
This year's figures received from the Sultan may be considered reliable,
as the Customs collection having been in His Highness's own hands his official
has taken pains to make sure of the exact contents of each case with a view
to the correct levy of duty.
It is doubtful if the traffic has even yet reached its culminating point, for
the demand seems to grow with the supply. The import is still mostly in the
hands of British traders, but foreign subjects have embarked in it during the
year and others are expected to follow.
The following details in round figures give some idea of the destination of
the weapons:—
T otal imported from Europe during the year
(a)
Arms.
25,000
Ammunition.
3,225,000
(5)
Numbers for which the Sultan has been asked to issue
passes for re-export by sea to the ports of Batineh
Coast up to Has Mussendim . . , •
Proportion which has left Maskat by sea without
passes or gone into the interior by land from
Maskat
13,000
1,059,000
12,000
2,166,000
25,000
3,225,000
With regard to («), it is known that the demand for arms at the Batinen
Coast and Northern Oman Ports is very small indeed, and it follows from this

About this item

Content

The volume contains printed copies of Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Administration Reports. The Reports are incomplete (according to the introductory letters and lists of contents). Some of the Reports bear manuscript corrections. The following Reports are represented :

The Reports include a general summary 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. (covering the constituent agencies and consulates that made up 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. , and topics such as the slave trade, piracy, the movements of Royal Navy ships, official appointments, and the weather); meteorological tables; separate reports on Muscat (also referred to as Maskat); reports on trade and commerce; and a number of appendices on special topics, such as supplementary notes on the care and culture of date trees and fruit (Report, 1883-84), historical sketch of the Portuguese in eastern Arabia (Report, 1884-85), notes on a tour through Oman and El-Dhahireh [Al Dhahirah] by Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Barrett Miles (Report, 1885-86), notes on cholera in Persia (Report, 1889-90), report on the cholera epidemic in Maskat, Matrah, and Oman (Report, 1899-1900), and information on individuals and tribes.

Extent and format
1 volume (299 folios)
Arrangement

The Reports are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume. There is an introductory letter/table of contents at the front of each Report, but these show that the Reports are not complete.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation system in use commences at 3 on the second folio after the front cover, and continues through to 299 on the back cover. The sequence is written in pencil, enclosed in a circle, and appears in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎240v] (485/602), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/709, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023373227.0x000056> [accessed 7 April 2025]

Link to this item
Embed this item

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_100023373227.0x000056">Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [&lrm;240v] (485/602)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023373227.0x000056">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x0002ab/IOR_R_15_1_709_0487.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
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_100000000193.0x0002ab/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image