File 3208/1908 Pt 1 ‘Persian Gulf: Dayir pirates (coast of Persia)’ [‎172r] (283/330)

No. 1364 , dated Bushire, the 23 rd June (received 1 st July) 1907 .
LK From— Major P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., 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. ,
To—S ir Louis W. Dane, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., Secretary to the Government of India
in the Foreign Department, Simla.
In amplification of my telegram No. 376, dated 16th June 1907, I have the
honour to submit, for the information of the Government of India, precis of the
two cases of piracy referred to.
Duplicates are being forwarded to His Majesty’s Minister at Tehran for
information. -
Prtcis of a case of piracy with murder committed on a Persian Dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. of Taonah
in November 1906 , and subsequent correspondence.
A native vessel of the “ Mashoweh ” type belonging to the Persian Port of
Shivoh, which had been in the “ poos ” of dry-dock of Lingah for some days was
ready for sea on 16th November. She had on board 6 persons and cargo to
the value of 6,000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. .
In the dry-dock alongside of her had been another “ Mashoweh ” manned
by some Arabs. It seems that these Arabs are well known as “Bilashtis”
(pirates), and are said to belong to a party of bad characters which was expelled
from the Shatt-el-Arab two years ago by the Sheikh of Mohammerah on account
of depredations committed there. They are variously stated to have been living
for some time past at Dayer, Rangoon, and Umm-el-Kurm, on the Dashti Coast.
Their identity was probably not recognised at Lingah until after the occurrence.
This Arab Mashoweh got under way from Lingah on the night of the 16th
September at the same time as the Shivoh craft, and it appears that on the night
before the 1st Shawwal (*>., night of 17th November) the Arabs approached the
Persian Dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. on the pretence of asking for water and having boarded her,
attacked and stabbed to death, as they thought, the six occupants and transferred
all the merchandise found in her to their own vessel. They then tied the wound
ed or murdered men to the anchor rope and threw them overboard with the anchor
and bored a hole in the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. so that she got waterlogged and partial^ sank.
The pirates then left and it is not known where they went to. Of the six men
thrown overboard, one, a boy of 16, who was not dead, got free from the ropes
and was cast ashore between Charak and Taonah about noon on the 1st Shavval
(18th November), where he was found by some persons of Taonah and taken to
the Chief of that place Sheikh Abdullah bin Mahomed Bushri. _ He was nursed
at Taonah until he was sufficiently recovered to be taken to Lingah to have his
wounds tended. On the same afternoon that the boy was found an object was
seen in the sea by the Taonah people and boats_ proceeding to the spot found
that it was the scuttled dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. with several holes in her.
The above was reported by 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. Agent at Lingah on the 29th
November 1906. Later reports from the same source, obtained from one Abdul
Rahim bin Mullah Abdullah, an inhabitant of Rangoon, have brought the follow
ing details to light.
The occupants of the Shivoh dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. were as follows
(1) Ibrahim.
(2) Ali bin Ibrahim
(3) Mahomed bin Abdul Ghani
(4) and (5) Names not known...
(6) One ship’s boy
Son of above and sole survivor.
Owner of the looted merchandise.
A merchant of Gaobandi for the
chief of which district he was also
bringing some gold ornaments.
Two of the crew.
Taken prisoner by the pirates and
murdered later.