'Muscat French Flag Question' [42r] (91/672)
The record is made up of 1 volume (332 folios). It was created in 1 Feb 1905-7 Aug 1905. It was written in English, Arabic and French. 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
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CO 042
one of the ordinary annual or periodical notices directing
British subjects to register themselves • I may mention that
such notices have been found to be of little use here & •
The population of Muscat varies very little British protected
persons or families are well known both to the Consulate and
to the local authorities , but they will not come forward ti
response to a notice of the kind under reference and pay tie
fee necessary for the acquirement of a fresh registration p.
paper • In making this observation I refer to all britisn pD-
-tected persons whether they be K^ojas or Hindoo Banians.
The difficulty is generaly and conveniently met by 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.
levying the fee the next time the defaulting
individual has requisition to the Consular office or Court.
and during the
6 years that I ( ) I am not aware that His Highness Seyyis Feisal has ever
have been con-
-nected with MuaBbd any protest on the subject of the protection by ns of
usca-L aa ^ Khojas to the extent that we have always done •
never had any
dispute or cor ( ) # The figures given regarding the numbers and nationali-
respondence
with him on the
subject •
> v
-ties of the Khojas at Gwadur and Muscat are inaccurate and
misleading • Taking Muscat first I may mention that I went
into the matter when preparing a note on I nscat for the For-
-eign Department in connection with the visit of His Excelin-
-cy the Viceroy to Muscat • At that time I owated he number
of Khojas under British protection in Muscat to be aoont
500 souls . Freshi inquiriesk have been made since my arrival
here a few days ago with the following result •
There are stated to be 1050 souls altogether in the Kbja
quarter , of these 25o are adult males and the remainder wo-
-men and children . 0 f the 250 males only 120 ( approximat
A.
-ly ) are entitled to British protection together with their
families # The remainder ( 130 males with their families )
are subjects of the Sultan • It will be sen therefore that
m^ previous estimate was approximately correct but 11 anytir
somewhat over the mark •
About this item
- Content
This volume contains correspondence predominantly between Major W G Grey, Officiating 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. ; Percy Zachariah Cox, 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. at Bushire; the Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department; and A Barnett Barker, Lieutenant-Commander, HMS Lapwing ; and Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd, the Sultan of Muscat. The volume primarily concerns a dispute between Great Britain and France with regards to the flying of the French flag by Muscat dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. boats, resulting in arbitration by the Hague Tribunal. Subjects discussed within the volume include:
- The case of a British ship (HMS Terpsichore ) boarding a vessel flying the French flag (folios 320-324);
- The French Consul's visit (folio 76);
- A landing at Gwadar in 1896 by the Perso-Baluch Boundary Commission without reference to the Sultan of Muscat (folios 111, 119);
- The objection to the inclusion of the Sultan in the Hague Arbitration (folio 7) and selection of members for the Hague Arbitration (folio 14);
- The captain Ali bin Salim Walad Taib [‘Alī bin Sālim Walad Tayyib?] (folio 289);
- Boundaries of Muscat as given for the Hague Arbitration (folios 168, 231, 266);
- Instructions that 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. should not interfere with French consul's visit (folio 76);
- The case of ‘Abd al-Ḥasan bin ‘Abdullāh, known as Habluk (folio 67-68);
- The treatment of the Khoja's (f. 42); Nasib bin Muhammad [Naṣīb bin Muḥammad] (folio 67);
- The naval contractor and French protection (folio 60);
- Russian interests (folio 17);
- Question of the flag on Telegraph Island off Musandam (folios 201, 27);
- Boundaries with Ras-el-Khaimah (Ras al-Khaymah)and Shargah (Sharjah) (folio 200); slave trade under French flag (folio 320).
Documents of particular interest include:
- Agreements between the United Kingdom and France referring to Arbitration: the Question of the Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. , February 1905 (folios 1C-4);
- Memorandum regarding the history of the Khoja Community now in Oman (folios 39-45); letters of Faysal bin Turki Al Bu Said (folios 47, 53-54);
- Documents concerning the interpretation of a 15 June 1900 (16 Ṣafar 1318) notification ( ‘ilān ) in Arabic by Faysal bin Turki regarding flying flags of foreign governments (folios 134-144, 179-186);
- 'List of dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. owners supposed by French to be under their protection' (folios 177-178);
- And Nine separate notes in reply to various statements made in the French case for the Hague Tribunal (folios 204-233);
- 'Foreign Department Notes. Limits of the Sultanate of Muscat', by John Gordon Lorimer, dated 22 March 1905 (folios 267-268)
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (332 folios)
- Arrangement
The file has an index on folio 328.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the cover and terminates at the final folio; these numbers are typed, with additions/clarifications/corrections in ink and pencil, and can be found 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. Foliation errors: 1, 1A, 1B and 1C; 42 and 42A. Fold out folios: 36, 53-54, 93 and 93A; 138; 183; 185.
- Written in
- English, Arabic and French in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/404
- Title
- 'Muscat French Flag Question'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 1ar:1bv, 4ar:4av, 5r:42v, 42ar:42av, 43r:46v, 48r:52v, 55r:70v, 71ar:71av, 72r:79v, 81r:85v, 88r:89v, 92r:93v, 93ar:93av, 94r:135v, 141r:169r, 171r:173v, 174v, 175v:179v, 181r:182v, 184r:184v, 186r:187v, 189r:196v, 199r:226v, 227v:234v, 235v:244v, 246r:251v, 252v:280v, 281v:285v, 286v:314v, 315v:317v, 318v:328v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence