IOR/R/15/2/775

The file contains correspondence and statistics about the monitoring and maintenance of adequate supplies of quota rice, cereals such as wheat and barley, sugar, tea and also cotton piece goods, in Bahrain and the Trucial Coast shaikhdoms, in the years following the Second World War (1939-1945). These essential commodities continued to be subject to Government of India quota arrangements and other controls imposed on trade with the Persian Gulf shaikhdoms, due to wartime shortages.

The main contents of the file are the monthly stock figures sent to the Political Agent, Bahrain by the Director of Customs, Bahrain. These figures show the quantities (in tons) of Bahrain Government imports, stocks and exports (mainly to Qatar) of cereals, tea, sugar and cotton piece goods. There are similar monthly stock figures for Dubai, Sharjah and the other Trucial Coast shaikhdoms, including separate figures for private importations of barley, submitted by both the Residency Agent and the Political Officer for the Trucial Coast, Sharjah. There are also file copies of the monthly consolidated stock figures sent by the Political Agent, Bahrain to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, together with his recommendations for reducing imports of quota wheat to Bahrain and the Trucial Coast shaikhdoms, based on increased supplies of imported rice. There are similar monthly consolidated stock figures from the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf to the British Supply Mission (Middle East), Cairo (formerly the Middle East Supply Centre). These show the cereal stocks position in Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat and the Trucial Coast shaikhdoms.