'Extracts from Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia by J G Lorimer CIE, Indian Civil Service' [‎7v] (19/180)

4
Assistance
given by the
British Gov
ernment to
the Sultan
against the
Wahhabis,
1865-66.
Direct action
by the British
Government
against the
Wahhabis
and the
Jannabah of
Sur, 1865-66.
Settlement
between the
British
Government
and the
Wahhabis.
1866.
their number was killed and another wounded. They were prevented Irom
disposing in the ordinary way of the corpse of their companion; and, before being
allowed to leave for Masqat, they were stripped of almost all their clothing.
The Sultan, after a feeble demonstration by sea in the direction of Sur,
purchased peace of the Wahhabis by one payment of $10,000 and another of
Rs. 6,000; but the British authorities in India, conscious that policy and self-interest
required them to abandon their usual attitude of neutrality, now incited him to
resistance and prepared to aid him with munitions and ships of war in re-estab
lishing his authority at places where it had been overthrown by the Wahhabis. On
the advice of Colonel Pelly, Thuwaini was shortly afterwards supplied with two
guns and a large quantity of powder and other ammunition for an assault upon
Baraimi, which was clearly recognised to be the key of the Wahhabi position in
'Oman, and the Sultan began to collect his tribes for the expedition,—measures
to which the Wahhabis replied by an attack on Saham, where some Banyans,
British Indian subjects, were driven into the sea, one of them being drowned.
The British Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. also addressed notifications to the Shaikhs of Trucial
'Oman, reminding those who were partisans of the Wahhabis that their ports were
within range of British naval guns, and informing the others, who sided with the
Sultan, that they were at liberty to proceed to his assistance by land.
These were the local dispositions made to meet the situation; and among
those of a further-reaching character, more fully noticed in the history of Najd,
was an ultimatum sent through his seaport of Qatif to the Wahhabi Amir, in which
a written apology and compensation for the outrage at Sur was demanded. No
reply to the ultimatum having been received within the limit of time prescribed,
naval operations against the Wahhabis followed at Qatif and Damman; and on
the 11th of February H.M.S. " Highflyer " appeared off Sur to insist on atonement
by the Jannabah for their part in the affair of August by payment of $27,700 com
pensation within 24 hours. On the tribe attempting to procrastinate, a fire was
opened which demolished their forts; the whole of their boats were either
confiscated or destroyed; and a large quantity of their ship-timber was burned. No
personal injury was suffered by non-combatants, who were given ample opportunity
to remove; but a small part of the town was accidentally burned, in consequence
of a change in the direction of the wind.
At length, on the 20th of February, two letters from the Wahhabi Amir
reached Colonel Pelly, who had taken up his post of observations at the British
telegraph station then existing in Khor-ash-Sham: the first, which was dated
28th January, accepted Colonel Pelly's mediation between the Wahhabis and the
State of 'Oman, subject apparently to a condition that the British Government
should undertake to enforce the award; while the second, in reply to the British
ultimatum, stated that an agent would be sent to discuss matters and that the
Jannabah were guilty of the outrage at Sur, but that the Armr recognised his
responsibility for recovering damages from them. The Government of India
animadverted on the stringency of the demands which had been made by their
representative at Qatif and Sur, and on the shortness of the time allowed for
compliance with the British terms at both those places; but they were on the
whole satisfied with the result of the operations. In April 1866 Wahhabi emissaries
from 'Abdullah, who had recently succeeded his father Faisal as ruler of the
Wahhabis, arrived at Bushehr and undertook, besides giving other more general
assurances, that the Amir should not in future attack Arab tribes in alliance with
the British, especially those of 'Oman, so long as the customary Zakat was
punctually paid. The British Government on their part declined to guarantee the
payment of Zakat, but the good offices of the Bushehr Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. were promised
in any dispute which might arise on the subject. The subject of this mission in its
wider aspects is discussed in the history of British relations with Najd.
Baraimi
taken by
'Azzan
from the
Wahhabis,
1869.
Relations of 'Azzan with the Wahhabis, 1869-70.
[pp. 484-5]
After the murder of the Wahhabi agent in 'Oman, the Na'im tribe of Baraimi,
who had suffered much from his tyranny, were inclined to shake off the Wahhabi
yoke altogether and applied to 'Azzan for his assistance. 'Azzan immediately
proceeded in their direction and, in passing through the Batinah district,
endeavoured to recruit reinforcements; but the tribesmen generally did not respond
to his summons, and the Ghafiris in particular were firm in their refusal to break