"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٢‎٩‎٢] (١٧٨٢/٤٣٥)

292
Trucial
'Oman.
Bahrain, posRibly at Russian instigation; as a safeguard an Agreement was
taken by the British authorities from all the Arab Shaikhs concerned, by
which the signatories bound themselves not to enter into relations with
other powers other than Britain and not to grant concessions to such
powers. In 1888, when there appeared a danger of foreign intrigues
assuming a practical shape, a British vessel of war was stationed off
Bahrain with instructions to repulse, if necessary, any attempt at a landing
on the islands by Turks, Persians, or Arabs from the mainland. A warning
on the subject was also addressed to the Turkish Government; but in the
case of Persia, which possessed no means of direct interference with the
Shaikhdom, none was considered to be required.
Early in the same year the Turkish "Waliof Basrah had visited Dohali
and established a military garrison and a coal d^pot there; and a little
later, in the course of hostilities which had long been in progress between
the Shaikh of Qatar and the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi, a son of the former was
killed in battle. An anxious period followed, during which an invasion of
Trucial ^Oman by the Shaikh of Qatar and the Amir of Northern Najd
under Turkish auspices was apprehended; but, though some commotion was
caused among the Tracial Shaikhs, no actual movement of the sort took
place. The attitude of the local Turkish authorities towards the Shaikh of
Bahrain at this time was insulting, and they persisted in addressing him in
terms which implied that he was officially subordinate to themselves; but
their vagaries were ignored.
Affairs and relations the of 'Oman Sultanate, 1884-88.
Limited and
conditional
guarantee
given by the
British
Government
for the
safety of
Masqat and
Matrah,
1886.
In 1880, in order to prevent rebel attacks on Masqat such as had
occurred in the past with serious detriment to local British interests as well
as to those of the Government of the country, the British Government
caused to be announced a resolution which they had formed of assisting the
Sultan of Oman to repel unprovoked attacks upon his capital and the
neighbouring port of Matrah. This guarantee, the duration of which was
expressly limited to the lifetime of the reigning Sultan, and which was
qualitied by a condition thatjthe Sultan should govern in a manner approved
by the British Government, emphasised and consolidated the special
position which Britain had acquired in 'Oman.