Page 11 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

OIT THE

PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

roi

1905-1906.

REVIEW BY THE POLITICAL RESIDENT IN THE
PERSIAN GULF.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.
The creation during the last few years of several additional and important
posts within the sphere of the Persian Gulf Residency lias gradually made the
material for annual report too unwieldy to he conveniently dealt with, as
hitherto, in a single compilation by the Resident. Accordingly, under the
instructions of the Government of India, the Trade Statistics have been
separated and the Political Report for the past twelve months is this ye3r
presented in a revised form. Separate reports for their respective charges have
been furnished by the following officers of the Government of India, and will
now be reviewed:—
PERSIA.
Busbire and Fars By the Resident.
Arabistan . By Captain D. L. R. Lorimer.
Kermanshah By Captain H. A. K. Gough.
Kerman . . By Lieutenant-Colonel W. H. M, Stewart.
Bunder Abbas . By Lieutenant W. H. I. Shakespear.
Persian Mekran Compiled in the Residency chiefly
from reports of the Director,
Persian Gulf Telegraphs.
ARABIA.
Maskat territory . By Hajor W. G. Grey.
Tructal Oman . • By the Resident.
Bahrein • • By Captain F. B. Prideanx.
Koweit • By Captain S. G. Knox.
Both the political and commercial destinies of the region covered by this General
review are passing through a critical epoch of their history. Stagnation is Bemark**
rendered impossible by potent forces operating from within and without;
movement there must be; and the question which a reviewer has to ask
himself in regard to the Imperial interests of Great Britain is whether that
movement has been progressive or retrograde. On the whole, I think, the
record for the year 1905-1906 indicates that we have no great cause for self-
reproach.
The two most pregnant problems which have loomed upon the political
horizon and will soon exercise an influence on every important local question
which arises are (1) the fnture of the
Ikghdad
Baghdad-Persian Gulf Railway and the
entry of Germany into the lists of the commerce and politics of the Middle
East and (2) the gradual but manifest
Dinolatioo of Ptrtii.
trend of Persia towards disruption and
complications resulting therefrom.
B