IOR/R/15/2/1615

The file is concerned with the Bushire Residency [Persian Gulf Political Residency] Toshakhana — a store of gifts kept with the Bahrain Political Agency, so that they would be available for presentation to the Trucial Coast Shaikhs when needed. Regular stock accounts are submitted to Bushire to keep the Residency updated on the number and range of articles being held on its behalf. The bulk of the file is concerned with the acquisition of new articles for the Bushire Toshakhana; the purchase of weapons and ammunition makes up almost the entirety of these purchases. The file therefore contains supporting correspondence, invoices, payment receipts, as well as export licenses and 'No Objection Certificates' to facilitate the export of weaponry. The principal suppliers are F P Baker and Company Limited and Suleman Omer and Company, Karachi.

Also contained in the file is correspondence between British officials in the Persian Gulf; this correspondence is either concerned with new acquisitions for the Toshakhana, the transfer of articles between agencies, or making arrangements for presenting gifts to the various Shaikhs of the Trucial Coast. The main corresponding officials are the Political Agent, Bahrain (Charles Geoffrey Prior, Percy Gordon Loch, and Tom Hickinbotham); the Political Resident, Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle and Hugh Weightman); the Secretary to the Political Resident; the Residency Agent, Sharjah; and the Trucial Coast Political Agent.

Also within the file is an exchange from July 1941 (folios 249-251) between the Bahrain Political Agent and Charles Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain, regarding arrangements for cleaning the weaponry stored in the Toshakhana.

The Arabic language content consists of a couple of letters (folios 43-44 and folio 60) with English translation from the Bahrain Political Agent to the Residency Agent, Sharjah, as well as five letters (folios 45-50) from the Political Agent presenting gifts to various Trucial Coast Shaikhs; their translated replies in English can be found on folios 70-75.