Abstract :
British India in the 19th century was the largest market for equine exports from the Ottoman state through both an official and unofficial channels. The export of horses from Syria and in particular, from Iraq to India, gathered pace from 1850 onwards, with the beginning of modern shipping on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The increased demand for Arabian horses from India, and the consequent expansion in the volume of exports had however, consequences for equine Arabian bloodstock, leading to a serious decline in the breed of Arabian horses, in terms of the quantitative and characteristic aspects of the breed. The Ottoman state which both organized and obtained one of the sources of its income from the horse trading in this region, on the one hand attempted to keep the balance in trade-flow in its favor, while, on the other hand, undertaking the necessary precautions to ensure the continuity of the Arabian breed for future generations. Exports of the ‘Arabian horse’ bred in the livestock raising areas of Syria and Iraq, under Ottoman control form the subject of this article and some basic factors in horse exportation to India are addressed, for the period extending from the middle of the 19th century until the outbreak of the First World War. Within this framework, some important subject areas are addressed including: the Bedouin tribes who bred the stock, the livestock for export and the major export centers, the primary reasons why Iraq’s exports of Arabian horses to India increased, and export prohibitions. The main sources employed in this research were the records in the Ottoman state archive, county annuals and other documentation related to this matter.
NaturalLanguageKeyword :
Euphrates , Tigris , India , Arabian Horse , Exports
