Trucial States
Quick reference
General issues: British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia, Trucial States issues 1961-1964
Country name on general issues: Trucial States
Currency: 1 Rupee = 100 Naye Paise 1961-1964
Population: 124 000 in 1961
Political history Trucial States
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The Trucial States are located on the Arabian peninsula in western Asia. The Trucial States is the collective name given to a number of emirates that, from 1820, signed treaties of protection with Great Britain. The Trucial States have never been a political entity, though a Trucial States council has existed. As they are now known – the political entities have changed over time – the emirates concerned are: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain. The interest of Great Britain was to protect the trade routes to British India – mainly against piracy, the coast of the region was also known as the Pirate Coast. The interest of the emirates was to ward off Ottoman interest in the region. The treaties all expired in 1971, the emirates next joined to form the United Arab Emirates.
Postal history Trucial States
1961 – Palms representing the Trucial States
The first post office to be opened in the Trucial States was in Dubai in 1909.This office was run by the British Indian postal services and the stamps of British India were used. After the independence of British India, the postal service in Dubai becomes part of that of Pakistan between 1947 and 1948. In 1948, the postal service is taken over by the British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia that also serviced other emirates in the region – Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. The stamps used were the ‘value only’ issues – British stamps overprinted in the local currency. These are generally listed in the catalogs under Oman. From 1961, a set of stamps was issued inscribed ‘Trucial States’ specifically for use in the Trucial States. Effectively, these were used in the office in Dubai and as offices opened in these emirates in 1963 also in: Ajman, Fujairah and Umm al-Qaiwain. Abu Dhabi rejected the use of the issues for the Trucial States. The issues for the Trucial States were superseded by the issues of the separate emirates from 1963.
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