IOR/R/15/1/220

The volume contains correspondence relating to twenty-six manumission cases. Although the volume is described in its title as being cases from the Political Agency in Muscat, cases 25 and 26 involve manumission cases heard by the Residency Agent at Sharjah.

The cases are straightforward in nature: The Political Agent Muscat (numerous incumbents) sent each slave’s manumission statement to the Political Residency. Correspondence between the Political Resident and the Political Agent in Muscat usually related to determining whether the case had been resolved or not. This usually occurred when a period of three or more months had elapsed between the sending of the manumission statement, and no further news of whether manumission has been granted. This was frequently the case when the Political Agent Muscat was required to make enquiries with other Agents (in Bahrain, Sharjah) on the authenticity of a slave’s statement. In most cases, the Political Agent Muscat informed the Political Residency that the slave had been issued a manumission certificate. In some of the manumission statements, and in statements taken from other witnesses or those involved in incidents, accounts of slave trading, kidnap and abduction were recounted. In some cases where a slave had absconded from the Trucial Coast, a report from the Residency Agent Sharjah was requested and enclosed.