"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٤‎٩‎٣] (١٧٨٢/٦٣٦)

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between Shinas and Masna'ah, both of which were in his hands; the
Enstaq valley was held by 'Azzan^s cousin Faisal-bin-Hamud; and some
Wahhabis, profiting by divisions among the Na'im, had reoccupied the
Barairai fort. The most serious competitor for the sovereignty of 'Oman,
however, appeared at first to be Salim-bin-Thuwaini, the ex-Sultan, who
was now living in exile at Qishm; and even greater disquiet was before
long to be caused to Turki by 'Abdul 'Aziz, his own younger brother, who
at first joined him as one of his dependents. The decisive battles of
Dhank and Matrahhad been won for Turki chiefly by Ghafiri tribesmen,
and it was upon the loyalty of the Ghafiris that the new sovereign in the
beginning of his reign chiefly relied.
The recovery of the Sohar principality was the first task to which Turki ^k^from
addressed himself. On his first expedition, in May and June 1871, Brahim-bin-
Shinas was taken; but Sohar town, though besieged, made a successful Sllinag> L i waj
resistance. A second effort in August 1871, in which the Shaikh of Dibai
participated, resulted in the capture of Liwa ; and the walls of Sohar Town Khabavah in
also were breached and the place was about to be stoimed, when the fol ^ 0 £
lowers of Turki, true to the 'Oinaui predilection for a balance of power, Sohar, 1871.
insisted on a compromise by which Sallan and Khaburah with all inter
mediate places on the Batinah coast (including Sohar) should be retained
by Ibrahim, while the remainder (including Masna'ah and Suwaiq) were
transferred to Turki. In this position matters remained until November
1871, when Turki, who had now been strengthened by British recognition
of his Sultanate, succeeded in taking Khaburah.
Meanwhile in June 1871, 'Abdul 'Aziz, after declining the command '
of the Sohar expedition which was offered to him, had established himself ^ Salih-
at Gwadar in virtual independence of his brother ; and rivalry and opposi- g alim> 1871 .
tion, which only the impecuniosity and personal insignificance of the 72.
malcontents prevented from becoming a danger to Turin s mle, now
sprang up on every side. At the end of the year Salih-bin- All ^as fos
tering disaffection among the Hinawi tribes of the Sharqiyah District and
had opfi^'d a treasonable correspondence with Ibrahim-bin-Qais ; Abdul
'Aziz, by means of emissaries sent from Gwadar, was carrying on
intrigues throughout'Oman; and Salim at Qishm was meditating a
coalition with Ibrahim, whose sister he had received m marriage. In
February 1872, Salim, after an interwiew en route with Ibrahim, landed at
Sur • but on Turki following him to that place, which is a stronghold of
the Ghafiris, he decamped to the country of the Bani Bu Hasan m the
interior,