'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎182r] (370/396)

FOR THE XEAR 1919.
66
Mullah resident in the territory of the Sultan, that the Imam would return
the gardens when assked to do so.
Government sanctioned the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. proceeding on these lines, and
it was hoped to conclude an agreement in which Government acted as mediators
between the Sultan and the Imam, on the basis of the status quo^ in the form
of an exchange of letters between the two parties and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. .
The terms proposed were—
On the Sultan's part—
(1) freedom of entry for Omanis into Muscat and Muttrah,
(2) Reduction of the coastal Zakat on all goods to 5 per cent.
(3) Eeturn of Omani fugitives from justice.
{4 j ) Kelease of prisoners.
^ ^n the Omanii part—
1 (1) Guarantee of non-interference with the Sultan's Government and of
cessation of hostilities with him for the future.
(2) Preedom to trade and travel in Omai|i and guarantee of the] safety
of travellers.
(3) Return of fugitives from the Sultan's justice.
(4) Settlement of the claims of traders and others against Omanis,
(5) Return of two valuable gardens, private property of the Sultan's sub
jects seized by the Imam.
To all these terms Sheikh Isa, presumably on behalf of the Imam,
had expressed agreement. It however remained to obtain ratification of the
promise of Isa by the Imam, and for this purpose Sheikh Said-bin-Nasir-al-
Kindi, as had been requested by Sheikh Isa at the conference, was sent by the
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. to Nizwa in November to obtain the gardens, when the final
settlement would be confirmed on the lines indicated above. It would he
Sheikh Said-bin Nasir alone who could hope to overcome the religious prejudice,
and the return of the gardens was clearly a most important point, as no peace
would be a peace w r hich permitted the confiscation of private property by one
side without the smallest shadow of right, and at the arbitrary will of a few
religious fanatics.
The religious difficulty as had been anticipated proved considerable. Th!^
Mullas, who momentarily have complete power over the Imam, are actually
those to whom the produce of the gardens and indifferent to trade advantages
peace and politics, at the end of the year they seemed disinclined, after the
manner of professional holy men, to listen to the claims of reason or justice
when these matters touched their own pockets.
Every effort was therefore concentrated on inducing Sheikh Isa to collect
his Sheikhs and accompanied by Sheikh Said-bin-Nasir personally to the settle
ment on the Imam. This was the situation at the end of the year.
(Note.- Though the effect/to induce Shiekh Isa to act and to appear before the Imam were later
BUCceBBful, the mullah party proved too strong and the Imam on 18th February 1920, dehmtely refused to
return the gardens and la'ify the proposed settlement).
Should settlement on these lines be possible an era of comparative pros-
peritv should dawn. The coast will develop and the interior may look after
itself. But Bedawi the majority of the interior are, and Bedawi they wnl
remain. Utterly unreliable and entirely fickle a change in the smiting tribal
confederation or in the dominant personalities concerned whose sole interests
are their own pockets, will completely aUer the situation and destroy the mos
careful calculations. !No agreement will be binding upon f 01 ® simp e
reason that thev do not know the meaning of an agreement. I hey understand
only/bm? majeurl and if they do not see force majetir/ezch man will be as a
h king jfo do as he hies. To-day interior Oman is united to-morrow it may
split into a thousand fragments. To strengthen the Sultan s hands to enable
him to rule efficiently the coast line, and to stand by himself, and to discourage
him from interesting himself in the interior, is a clear policy to pursue. e