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‘Précis of correspondence relating to Zanzibar affairs from 1856 to 1872. Prepared by Captain P D Henderson, attached to the Foreign Department’ [85r] (9/114)
The record is made up of 1 file (55 folios). It was created in 1872. 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.
PRECIS
©f wmspnhna elating to Affairs,
from 1850 to 1872.
CHAPTER I.
Events preceding the arbitration by the Government of India.
1. Death of Syed Saeed and accession of Syed Majid to the govern
ment of Zanzibar .—In November 1856 Colonel Hamerton, Consul and Agent
at Muscat, reported the death at sea, between Zanzibar and Muscat, of His
Hiiihness Syed Saeed, the Imam of Muscat, at the advanced age of 66 years and
7 months. ^In conveying this intelligence Colonel Ilamerton wrote—
" All things here at present are quiet, and the government in the African possessions is
administered by his son, the Prince Majid, who has ad-
. • xu oo ^ ministered the government by order of His Highness in his
year of "bis'age. 18 now m C African possessions since the death of Prince Khalid, 7 th
November 1854.
<< i have been given to understand that His Highness has left a will, and a written
statement of his wishes regarding the succession, and has nominated three persons,—Syed
Mahomed bin Salem at Muscat, his nephew, and Syed Majid, his son, at Zanzibar, and Soliman
bin Hamed, also at Zanzibar (a man of considerable influence), the same person who acted as
reo-ent during the minority of the Prince Khalid whenever the Imam was absent from
Zanzibar, as^executor?, and who are to carry out His Highnesses instructions. I am perfectly
well aware what His Highnesses intentions regarding the succession were,—that Syed
Thoweynee at Muscat should succeed to the government of his Arabian possessions, provision
being made for certain of his sons as Governors of certain places in his Arabian possessions;
and That the Prince Majid, whom His Highness considered in the place of his deceased son, Khalid,
should succeed to the government of his African possessions, provision being made for others
of his sons as governors of various places in his African possessions. This arrangement
His Highness has frequently told me, with the blessing of God, he would see carried into
effect if^God spared his life on his return from Muscat to Zanzibar; but it is now difficult to
perceive what turn affairs may take. The Prince Majid, who,, since the death of Khalid,
has administered the government in His Highness's African possessions, has given the
fairest possible promises from the way in which he has acted on various occasions, and under
some very trying circumstances of his perfect fitness and aptitude for the duties it was his
father's intention should devolve on him. He has frequently shown a sense of justice and
fair dealing in his decisions in difficult cases, which has elicited the admiration and astonish-
ment of all. His administration has given particular satisfaction to the foreign residents."
A letter to the Governor General from Syed ^lajid was enclosed by
Colonel Hamerton. It briefly intimated his father's death and concluded—
" My brothers, relations, and the great and old men of the city assembled together and
recognized me as my late father's successor. I have thus become the ruler of the
country and by the grace of God, and the favor of your Government, everything is
right and tranquillity prevails throughout the kingdom, and the subjects are satisfied.
I trust that Your Lord?hip will continue to show me the same kindness as \ our Lordship
hitherto showed to my late father.
" Pray o-ladden me always with any commission which Your Lordship may have to be
executed here. I adhere to the treaties which existed between my father and the British
Government."
Government replied to the Prince, in general terms, expressing regret at the
melancholy intelligence of his father's death, and, in forwarding the reply
for delivery to him, observed to the Bombay Government—
" From Lieutenant -Colcnel Hamerton's report it appears that the late Imam intended to
leave his Arabian possessions to the government of another Prince, and those in Africa only to
the government of Prince Majid. It is not said whether Prince Majid is to inherit sovereignty
over" all ■ but probablv, this was intended by the late Imam, and it is assumed by Prince Majid.
Until however further and fuller information respecting the succession is received, no final
orders' on the' subject can be issued by the Government of India, and, therefore, the Governor
General's reply to Prince Majid 's letter is couched in very general terins."--C(m., 1st May
1857, iVo^. 15-20.
About this item
- Content
The file is a précis of correspondence related to affairs at Zanzibar between the years 1856 and 1872, prepared by Captain Philip Durham Henderson of the Foreign Department in the Government of India. The contents of the précis, which includes reports from Christopher Palmer Rigby, the British Consul at Zanzibar, and Sir William Marcus Coghlan, relate to: the death in 1856 of the Sultan of Muscat Syed Saeed [Sa‘id bin Sulṭān al-Sa‘id] without a direct heir; the succession struggle between Syed Thoweynee [Thuwaynī bin Sa‘id al-Sa‘id] and Syed Majid [Sa‘id Majid bin Said al-Sa‘id]; British arbitration in the dispute; succession arrangements at Muscat and Zanzibar; the slave trade between Zanzibar and Muscat. The précis is organised into six chapters (labelled I to VI), as follows:
- I – Events preceding the arbitration by the Government of India;
- II – Arbitration of the Government of India;
- III – Proceedings subsequent to the arbitration relating to the question of subsidy;
- IV – Events at Zanzibar from the arbitration to the death of Syed Majid;
- V – Events in Zanzibar from the death of Syed Majid;
- VI – Slave Trade.
The contents page lists four appendices (labelled A to D) that are not included in this copy of the précis.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (55 folios)
- Arrangement
The correspondence contained in the précis is arranged in an approximate chronological order, with those of earliest date (1856) at the front, and those of latest date (1872) at the end. The correspondence is further arranged into six chapters labelled I to VI. Subheadings throughout the précis are numbered from 1 (for the first subheading in chapter I) to 131 (for the last subheading in chapter VI). A contents page (ff 82-84) lists the chapters, subheadings and subheading numbers. Note that a discrepancy appears between the subheading numbers and the subheading contents in chapter VI.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at f 81, and terminates at f 137, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additonal foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 6-192; these numbers are also written in pencil but, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
Pagination: The file also contains an original printed pagination sequence 1-105.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/18/B150A
- Title
- ‘Précis of correspondence relating to Zanzibar affairs from 1856 to 1872. Prepared by Captain P D Henderson, attached to the Foreign Department’
- Pages
- 81r:137v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence