![‘Précis of correspondence relating to Zanzibar affairs from 1856 to 1872. Prepared by Captain P D Henderson, attached to the Foreign Department’ [‎122v] (84/114)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000833.0x0001a7/IOR_L_PS_18_B150A_0084.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘Précis of correspondence relating to Zanzibar affairs from 1856 to 1872. Prepared by Captain P D Henderson, attached to the Foreign Department’ [‎122v] (84/114)")
‘Précis of correspondence relating to Zanzibar affairs from 1856 to 1872. Prepared by Captain P D Henderson, attached to the Foreign Department’ [122v] (84/114)
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.
Events in Zanzibar from the death of Syed Majid.
To this the Government of India replied—
" We have not taken, and will not take, any steps to alter our existing relations with
Zanzibar, until we shall have received the views of Her Majesty's Government in reply to the
various despatches on the subject which we have addressed to Your Grace from time to time.
Our opinion on the followino; points remains unchanged, viz., (1) that the suppression of the
African slave traffic is not an object to which any portion of the Indian revenues can with
propriety be devoted ; (2) that the payment of the subsidy by Zanzibar to Muscat should
be continued; and (3), that if it be discontinued, then the political connection of the Indian
Government with Zanzibar should altogether case."— (Despatch No. 56, dated 1th September
1871.)
84. R ecognition of S ted B tjugasii by H er M ajesty's G overnment.—
On the 17th July 1871 Dr. Kirk forwarded for information a copy of a letter
from Earl Granville, recognising Syed Burgash as Sultan of Muscat. The letter
congratulated him on his accession, expressed satisfaction at learning that he
would observe the engagements concluded with his predecessors, told him
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.
would make certain proposals with the view of further
ing the suppression of the slave trade, and earnestly recommended these pro
posals to Ilis Highness's attentive consideration. The Bombay Government
observed—
" Any further acknowledgment of His Highness Syed Burgash's succession to the Sul
tanate of Zanzibar seems now unnecessary, in consequence of the formal recognition of His
Highness by the Foreign Office."
And in this opinion the Government of India concurred, and did not deem
it requisite to reply to Syed Burgash's letter announcing his accession to the
throne of Zanzibar, an answer to which had been deferred pending the receipt
of information from Bombay as to the position of affairs in Zanzibar.
85. I nconveniences of dual representation at Z anzibar exempli
fied by the recogniton of S yed B urgash .—In forwarding the corre
spondence regarding Syed Burgash's recognition, the Bombay Government
observed—" The inconveniences ( of a dual representation at jthat place {i. e.,
Zanzibar) is instanced by the present correspondence," and the Government
of India in forwarding the papers to the Secretary of State observed—
"We solicit Your Grace's attention to the forcible illustration therein aflforded, of the
evils resulting from the present duel system of conducting the relations of the British Gov
ernment with Zanaibar. From considerations of the doubtful aspect of affairs there, we had
refrained from according to Syed Burgash any further recognition than what was due to the
de facto possessor of authority at Zanzibar for the time being. It is readily conceivable that,
had the affairs of Zanzibar taken a different turn (of which there appeared at one time some
probability), we might have felt it our duty to have withheld formal recognition. In such an
event serious difficulties would have arisen, if, after this had become known to the Sultan, he
had received a letter of recognition from Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
So long as the present system continues, there is at all times a liability to complications of a
similar character; and if the political relations of the Government of India with Zanzibar
are to continue, we would urgently press upon Her Majesty's Government the absolute
necessity of placing them on such a footing as will effectually prevent the possibility of any
difference taking place in action authorized by Her Majesty's Secretarv of State for Foreign
Affairs and the Government of India/'
8G. Q uestion as to the appointment of D r. K irk at Z anzibar.—
A question \\as simultaneously raised by the Bombay Government regarding
the appointment of Dr. Kirk at Zanzibar. They observed—
" Dr. Kirk has been appointed only to act as
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.
at Zanzibar, and he cannot,
in the opinion of this Government, complain of the appointment of
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 Con-
su being fi led from India, where, 1 am to observe, the permanent appointment is justly
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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‘Précis of correspondence relating to Zanzibar affairs from 1856 to 1872. Prepared by Captain P D Henderson, attached to the Foreign Department’ [122v] (84/114), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B150A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023935572.0x000055> [accessed 12 March 2025]
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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