"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎٢‎٥‎١‎٢] (١٢٦٢/١٠٢٩)

2612
1903.
continued critical until the beginning of 1894, when, as related in the
history of Gwadar ? an agreement was obtained from the Rinds by which
they bound themselves to make no more disturbances at Gwadar on
account of fugitive slaves, while the British Government, on their part,
undertook that released slaves should not be allowed to remain at Gwadar
for more than 15 days after their release.
In 1903 there was a considerable influx into Gwadar of slaves who
believed that their owners intended to sell them into slavery abroad ; it
was by this influx that the attention of the British authorities was first
directed to the trade in Baluchi slaves which had then recently sprung up
in Makran.
is, into
Domestic slavery in the Persian Gulf.
Policy of the
British Gov
ernment in
regard to
domestic
slavery.
ManumisBion
of domestic
slaves at
Masqat.
BSsidu case,
1877.
Question of
runaway sla
ves at British
telegraph
stations in
Persia, 1884.
We have dealt, thus far, almost exclusively with the slave trade to
and in the Persian Gulf as carried on by sea; and, as there is no
importation of " raw " slaves from abroad by land, it only remains to add
a few remarks on the subject of domestic slavery and the traffic in domes
tic slaves. Domestic slavery, as practised in the Persian Gulf is of a
comparatively harmless character ; and, among the rulers and inhabitants
of the countries surrounding the Gulf, there is a strong social and even
religious prejudice in favour of its continuance. Por these reasons, and
on account of the difficulty of intervening with beneficial effect in the
internal affairs of independent and quasi-independent states, the British
Government have generally found it necessary to abstain from active
interference with domestic slavery in the Persian Gulf; but their officers,
as will be apparent from what follows, have none the less steadily exerted
themselves to discourage slavery in all its shapes and forms.
At Masqat, as has already been mentioned incidentally, it has been
the custom for ten years, and probably for longer, occasionally to manu
mit, with the consent of the Sultan, domestic slaves who are proved to
have been badly treated or whom no owner appears to claim, and to require
a guarantee of kind treatment from every master to whom a fugitive
slave is returned.
In 1877 Haji 'Abbas, the British coal agent at Basidu, was found to
be in possession of several slaves, And the Political Resident, considering us
conduct to be incompatible with his position under the British Govern
ment, dismissed him from his appointment. The Government of
however, in view of the facts that the man was a Persian subject, a
slavery was recognised by the religion and law of Persia, and tba is
duty as an employe of the British G overnment was " to supply coal and not
to regenerate society,^ questioned both the justice and the expediency o
his dismissal; and in 1878 Haji ^Abbas was reinstated.
In 1884 four runaway slaves took refuge in the British telegraph
station at Jashk; and, their restoration having been demanded by the
local authorities, they were delivered up by Mr. Patten, the Assist
ant Superintendent in charge, on a written guarantee that they would