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Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎247v] (499/602)

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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. .

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8
ADMINISTEATION EEPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. POLITICAL
This incident, regrettable as it was, seems to have had the effect of bringing
the parties to their senses, for hostilities practically ceased from that time, and
on 4th March, the welcome news was received of the conclusion of peace. As
the hot weather and the date season are fast approaching, there are some grounds
for hoping that this present settlement will be more lasting than its predecessors.
What seems to be wanted under such a set of circumstances, is that the
Ruler should make the quarrel his own when once a truce, negotiated by his
intervention, has been violated, and that he should come down with a heavy hand
on the offending party. This, however, in practice entails a costly expedition,
and hence it is, no doubt, that the Sultan prefers within limitations to leave the
tribes to tilt at one another until they tire of the game, and to hold aloof him
self until circumstances force him to interfere. On the score of temporary con
venience and economy, such a policy may have its advantages, but it cannot
ultimately be for the best interests of the country, the commercial prosperity of
which must naturally bear a direct ratio to the degree of 'tranquillity prevalent
in the interior.
3. Sohar. —Towards the end of the hot weather, Suleiman-bin-Suweilim,
the Sultan's "Wali at Sohar, created a little diversion by a small expedition on
his own account, his objective being the Port of Beit-el-Ainein in the Dhahireh
country, about 80 miles south-west of the port of Sohar. Owing to its being
advantageously situated from a strategic standpoint, this stronghold has always
been a coveted possession among the tribes, and during the last century has
many times changed hands; but for some years past it has been held against all
comers by the Miyaiheh section of the Beni Ghafir, and on the present occasion
Suleiman-bin-Suweilim seems to have come to some personal arrangement with
the Beni Kalban tribe, by which they agreed to assist him to wrest the fort from
the Miyaiheh and hold it for the Sultan.
^ It is believed that responsibility for the inception of these operations rested
orginally with Suleiman-bin- Suweilim personally, but once they were started
His Highness had to give the expedition his countenance, and to respond to
Suleiman's appeal for assistance in the direction of money and commissariat.
The venture proved abortive, however, the Wali and his adherents being obliged
to desist after losing heavily; and the Sultan, then realising that the fort could
not be reduced except at a heavy cost in men and money, sent orders to his
Wali to return to Sohar.
! Before quitting the subject of the politics of Oman, it must be noted that
during the year under review, the Sultan's eldest son, Sayyid Taimoor, has
begun to enter into public life and to help his father in small matters of internal
government.
4. Sur and coal deposits in vicinity. —This year again the port of Sur has
been the centre of a good deal of interest, arising from a variety of causes, in
cluding two expeditions in the neighbourhood connected with the examination
of certain coal deposits reported to exist there. These deposits had in fact been
known to exist for some years, but had not hitherto attracted any serious atten
tion^ and the Sultan, having no expert information at his disposal as to the
quality of the coal or the probable quantities available, was consequently
uncertain as to what attitude he could most wisely adopt towards private enter
prise suggested to him in connection therewith. On the matter being referred
to them, the Government of India consented to afford His Highness the neces^
sary assistance in determining the value of the seams, and decided to depute a
mining expert to examine and report upon them.
The two expeditions subsequently undertaken having already been reported
upon in detail, it seems unnecessary to record more here than a short outline of
what occurred.
( E iest E xpedition.)
On the first occasion, the Geologist deputed was Dr. A. Von Krafft, Ph. D.,
of the Geological Survey of India, who arrived in Maskat on 10th April. After
waiting three days in the hope that the arrival of one of His Majesty's ships for
duty in Maskat would have enabled us to get down to Sur expeditiously, we
were eventually obliged to leave by dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. on 14th April.

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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
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Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎247v] (499/602), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/709, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023373227.0x000064> [accessed 1 December 2024]

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