IOR/F/4/2667/177852

This item consists of copies of correspondence, resolutions, and consultations cited in, or enclosed with, extracts of a Political Letter from the Government of Bombay to the East India Company Court of Directors, 17 November 1856. Some of the enclosures to this letter are contained in the subsequent items. The enclosures in this item are dated 25 July-15 November 1856. It is the first in a series of eight items on events in the Persian Gulf during 1856 (IOR/F/4/2667/177852 to 177859).

The correspondents are: the Government of Bombay; Commander Felix Jones, Acting Resident in the Persian Gulf; Commodore Richard Ethersey, Commanding the Indian Navy Squadron in the Persian Gulf; Lieutenant William James Campbell, Commanding the Company vessel Constance; Hajee Yacoob [Ḥājjī Ya‘qūb], British Agent at Sharga [Sharjah]; and Sheikh Zayid bin Khuleefa, Chief of Aboothabee [Shaikh Zayid bin Khalīfah Āl Nahyān, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, also referred to in the item as Sheikh Zaeed and Sheikh Zeyd].

The item concerns an attempt to capture Aboothabee made by its former ruler, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon [Shaikh Sa‘īd bin Ṭaḥnūn Āl Nahyān]. He is eventually defeated by forces supporting the current ruler, Sheikh Zayid bin Khuleefa. However, during the conflict, property was allegedly plundered from Aboothabee by supporters of Sheikh Saeed, and taken away by sea. This is deemed by the Resident to be in breach of maritime treaties, and action is taken to obtain restitution. Those responsible are said to be subjects of Sheikh Sultan bin Suggur, the Joasmee Chief [Shaikh Sulṭān I bin Ṣaqr al-Qāsimī, Ruler of the Qawāsim], also referred to as the Chief of Ras-ul Khymah [Ra’s al-Khaymah, multiple spellings are used in the item].

The item contains a table of contents (f 12), and the title page (f 11) contains the following references: Draft Number ‘251-/57’, ‘Collection No. 5 in 8 Volumes of No. 87 of 1856. Vol: 1’ and ‘Examiner’s Office’. The collection number was originally given as ‘1’ but this has been crossed out and replaced with ‘5’.