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Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎71v] (147/602)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (299 folios). It was created in 1884-1906. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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22
ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. POLITICAL
APPENDIX A TO PART II.
SKETCH OF THE CAREER OF SEYYID SULTAN BIN AHMED OF MUSCAT.
B Y COLONEL S. B. MILES.
The present dynasty in J Onian—the A1 Boo Sa'eedy—succeeded that of the Ya^rebeh about
the middle of the last century, and originated in the gratitude of a freedom-loving people to a
man, who, rising from ao humble position to be their leader in the hour of danger, had, by his
patriotism, talents, and courage rescued his country from the humiliation of foreign conquest,
and restored it to its dignity as an independeoi State.
It was in 1741 or 1742 that the Imam Saif bin Sultan, the Ya^arebeh, having been deposed
by his relative Sultan bin Murshid, sent to Persia to beseech aid in dispossessing his rival and
recovering his throne.
Nadir Shah, who had long entertained the notion of annexing El Bahrain and ^Oman, and
of extending his power over the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and who, with this design in view, had already
commenced the creation of a navy by the purchase of ships from the Dutch, and by causing
others to be constructed at Surat, eagerly embraced the opportunity now afforded him of inter
ference in the affairs of ^Oman, and he lost no time in making preparations for the invasion of
Eastern Arabia.
The Governor of Shiraz, Mirza Taki Khan, was entrusted with the command of the
Persian fleet, and he at first pretended to loyally assist the ex-Imam, Saif bin Sultan. Having
gained possession of Muscat however, he attempted to conceal his object no longer, and
commenced operations for the reduction of 'Oman to obedience.
He succeeded in over-running the country, and fought a great, but indecisive, battle under
the walls of Sohar, in which Sultan bin Murshid was slain; but his efforts to reduce that
fortress failed.
After spending the greater part of the year 1743 in contesting the supremacy with the
Wali of Sohar, Ahmed bin Saeed, whose conspicuous skill and ability had given him the general
lead of affairs, Mirza Taki Khan, becoming hopeless of the final success of his enterprise, and
disappointed in his expectation of enriching himself, made a truce with Ahmed and returned to
Persia early in the year 1744.
The garrison left in Muscat soon after surrendered and was treacherously massacred, and
the liberation of ^Oman from the Persian yoke was then complete.
The result seemed to be due solely to the genius of Ahmed, and for the service he had
rendered no reward appeared to be too great; the former dynasty was ignominiously thrust
aside, and Ahmed bin Saeed was elected Imam by general acclamation.
Some time previous to his death, the Imam Ahmed had nominated his eldest surviving son,
Saeed, to succeed him, but as Saeed was known to be of a soft and retiring disposition, the
selection was not universally approved of, and some of the younger sons were emboldened by
their fathers increasing feebleness in his later years to rebel against him.
In the month of February 1781, Saif and Sultan, who were uterine brothers, having
gathered a small following, succeeded, by seducing the commandants, in getting possession of
the forts Merani and Jelali, at Muscat, the guns of which they turned on the town, and soon
laid in ruins the houses of the Governor and principal inhabitants.
The Imam marched down from Rostak to restore order, and began by removing the tra-
deis and their goods to Muttrah for safety. He then invested the forts, but his sons, being
well supplied with provisions, and in expectation of aid from the pirate Chief of Ras-el-Khyraa,
Shaikh Rashid, continued to hold out. In this assistance the brothers were disappointed,
although Rashid appears to have been sincere in his promise of help, and after a siege of three
months, during which the Hindoo and other traders sustained a loss of nearly three lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of
rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. , the forts were surrendered to the Imam, on his granting an amnesty to the garrisons.
On the 26th December of the same year Saif and Sultan rose again in rebellion. They
proceeded to Burka with a few adherents and slaves, surprised and captured their brother
Saeed, brought him down in fetters by boat to Muscat, and threw him into a duno-eon in Fort
Jelali.

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Content

The volume contains printed copies of Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Administration Reports. The Reports are incomplete (according to the introductory letters and lists of contents). Some of the Reports bear manuscript corrections. The following Reports are represented :

The Reports include a general summary by the 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. (covering the constituent agencies and consulates that made up the 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. , and topics such as the slave trade, piracy, the movements of Royal Navy ships, official appointments, and the weather); meteorological tables; separate reports on Muscat (also referred to as Maskat); reports on trade and commerce; and a number of appendices on special topics, such as supplementary notes on the care and culture of date trees and fruit (Report, 1883-84), historical sketch of the Portuguese in eastern Arabia (Report, 1884-85), notes on a tour through Oman and El-Dhahireh [Al Dhahirah] by Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Barrett Miles (Report, 1885-86), notes on cholera in Persia (Report, 1889-90), report on the cholera epidemic in Maskat, Matrah, and Oman (Report, 1899-1900), and information on individuals and tribes.

Extent and format
1 volume (299 folios)
Arrangement

The Reports are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume. There is an introductory letter/table of contents at the front of each Report, but these show that the Reports are not complete.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation system in use commences at 3 on the second folio after the front cover, and continues through to 299 on the back cover. The sequence is written in pencil, enclosed in a circle, and appears in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎71v] (147/602), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/709, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023373225.0x000094> [accessed 28 November 2024]

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