"ثورة مسقط، في الفترة من أبريل ١٩١٧ إلى يناير ١٩١٨، واستُأنفت في الفترة من أبريل ١٩٢٠ إلى أكتوبر ١٩٢٠" [و‎‎١‎٢‎٠] (٥٥٨/٢٥٠)

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I think that it Is certainly advisable to bring presCtrS^
t bear on the rebels, and that the measures suggeBted by Mr»
Wingate oan be easily enforced and may possibly bring the
Omanis to reason, and should be given trial. It is true that
the seeond measure proposed, viz zakat on pomegranates was
directed against Shaikh Hamyar bin Nasir, and that this in
dividual Is dead, but presumably some relatives and tribesmen
of his will be hit by the tax, and I think it should be enforced
I have, to the best of my recollection, on former occasions
opposed the levy of excessive zal^at by the Sultan, but this has
been on occasions when tax has been enforced suddenly, and its
incidence has, to a considerbale extent at all events, fallen
on British Indian exporters or purchasers of date crops# If
consMerbale notice is given, and now that British Indian mer
chants have apparently ceased to buy up in advance, or give
heavy advances, date crops up country, there seems, as Mr.
Wtagate says, no danger of any portion of the zakat falling on
British traders - nor even, as the Muscat date crop does not,
I imagine, affect the world market to any appreciable extent,
on the consumer.
As regards the question of the Indian Customs DepartmoAt
co-operating with the Oman Customs, which is again raised by
Mr# Wlngate, I have already expressed my views; I am doubtful
if the scheme will oommend itself to Government as it will
certainly iift bo to some extent a restraint on trade, and in any
case I doubt if it would be effective for long as dhows simply
would not clear for Oman ports but for Persian or Arab ports
in the neighbourhood,from which extensive smuggling operations
would take place.
My idea is that the present Is a favourable opportunity
to assist the Sultan to recover his general Suzerainty over Oman
I do rot think he can ever expect to have the tribes under his
direct control but merely recognition as paramount authority
in the neighbourhood# Occasionally when particularly powerful
the