The aim in publishing the Persian Gulf and Red Sea Naval Reports is to draw together material previously scattered through two government archives into a concise and convenient format. The Naval Reports cover the activities both of the Royal Navy and of the Indian Navy until its dissolution in 1863. The three original functions of British maritime policy in Arabian waters are made manifest in the Reports: while avoiding commitments on land among disputing tribal factions, the Navy sought the suppression of maritime aggression, the expansion of peaceful trading and the exclusion of competition. The Reports make clear both the benevolent and the harsher aspects of British naval intervention in past times. During the two World Wars detailed operations reports are submitted. In the 1950s the changing circumstances of the modern period are reflected in successive assessments, including the reorganisation of the Arabian Peninsular Command in 1960.
