'Annals of 'Omān' [‎32] (49/112)

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Annals of '■Oman.
only one district of'Oman, whereupon Mahmncl replied, " Take as many of
my soldiers as j^ou please, and proceed against those of 'Oman who oppose
you." Abul-Ma'ali then told him that the people of 'Oman had not the
means of paying tribute. All this he said with a view to protect the people
of 'Oman. Mahmud dissimulated his hostile feelings, and sought to gain his
end by stratagem ; so he invited all the Bedouin chiefs of 'Oman and gave
them presents, on which they promised him victory over the people of
'Oman and engaged to join him. He then proceeded by sea to Dhafar. 20
Arrived there, he slaughtered many of the inhabitants, plundered much pro
perty, and returned towards 'Oman. He embarked his baggage in vessels,
and performed the first part of the journey by sea. When subsequently
they landed and proceeded by land route, their provisions failed, and they
were beset by hunger. So great was the scarcity, that a maun of meat
sold for a dinar. 21 They also suffered greatly from thirst, water beino-
scarce on that route. It is said thait 5,000 of his men died, and some say more.
This was in the year GGO A. H. [A. D. 1262]. I have also found another
narrative of an expedition of the Owlad el-Reis 22 against 'Oman. They
set out in the end of Showwal, A. H. 675 [A. D. 1276]. At that time the
ruler 23 of 'Oman was the Seyyid 24 Kahlan-bin 'Omar-bin Nebhan, who
advanced by the desert to oppose them, accompanied by all the people of el-
'Akr. The Owlad el-Reis surprised el-'Akr, entered it, and burned its
market places. They plundered the place of all it contained, carried off the
women, and burned the magazines and the principal mosque. The books
were likewise burned. All this occurred in the space of half a day. Kah-
lan thereupon returned with his force, and united with his detached parties.
The Owlad el-Reis and their allies of the el-Haddan attacked Kahlan's army,
and in the battle which ensued 300 men were slain.
It is probable that during the interval between Mohammed-bin Khan-
bash and Malik-bin el-Hawari, the government was in the hands of the
el-Nebaheneh, but God knows! It seems probable, also, that they held
power for more than 500 years, with this qualification that, after the term
of yeais referred to. Imams were elected, the Nebahenoh being rulers in some
districts, and the Imams being recognized in the rest. 25 God knows !
Iiie Imam Abll-Hasan-bin Kiiami's . Seven years after the decease
of Malik-bin el-Hawan, Abul-Hasan-bin Khamis-bin 'Amir 26 was elected
Imam, ihis was on Ihursday in the month of Ramadhan, in the year 839,
A. H. [A. D. 1435]. He died on Saturday, the 21st of Thul-Ka'deh A. H.
846. [A. D. 1442.]
The Ima'm 'Omae-bin Khattab . In the year 885 A. H. [A. D. 1481],
they elected the Imam 'Omar-bin Khattab-bin Mohammed-bin Ahmed-bin
Shidan-bin Salt. 27 He it was who seized the property of the Benu-Nebhan,
and divided it amongst those about him of his own sect. 28 He took the