'Muscat' [‎17v] (32/40)

I
Governments, engaged " reciprocally to respect the independence of " the
H .C. 925/90. Sovereigns both of Muscat and of Zanzibar. This declaration, so far as
Zanzibar is concerned, was abrogated in 1890; but, so far as Muscat is
concerned, remains still in force.
India Letter, The present ruler of Muscat, Saiyid Eaisul, was recognised by the Govern-
No. 03,dated men ^ India in 1890, and the subsidy was continued to him. He at that
1890 nnC time gave most satisfactory assurances that he would be bound by his father's
engagements, and be guided by the advice of the British Government, whose
huha LeUer. approbation he desired to secure. In the following year he executed a new
2nd June 1 ' commercial treaty with Great Britain, and gave a formal undertaking " never
1891. " to cede, to sell, to mortgage, or otherwise give for occupation, save to the
- " British Government, the dominions of Muscat and Oman, or any of their
6171611 ,
of 1891. "dependencies. *
The position which Great Britain had thus acquired in Muscat in 1891
India Letter, was part of a larger policy which had for its object a predominance along
No. 57, the whole of the Arab coast from Aden to Bahrein; and, in pursuance
^iTu^ln- ^ P ro tectorate engagements had been entered into with the coast
1890. tribes from Bab-el-Mandeb to Ras Sair, viz., the Subaihi, Akrabi, Fadthli,
Aulaki, Wahidi, Dhuyaibi, 'Irka, Kaieti and Mahri, up to the boundary of
Secret Dhoi'ar, which latter had been an integral part of Muscat dominions since
Despatch, 1879. In 1890 the Government of India had proposed to assert a virtual
No. 2i), dated p ro tectorate over Muscat, of which at least five-sixths of the trade was in the
1890 )Ct hands of British subjects, but the Declaration of 1862 was considered to
stand in the way.
Secret 1895.—Early in 1895 a rebellion, which promised at first to be successful,
No 1 129 broke out in Oman, probably in the interests of the Sultan of Zanzibar,
dated 2nd The Government of India sent a ship of war to protect British subjects, but,
June 1895. iu accordance with the lines of policy which had been indicated by Lord
Kimberley in his Despatch, No. 25, of the 31st March 188(3, an attitude of
the strictest neutrality towards the rival parties was adopted ; and, when the
revolt finally collapsed, they insisted upon the Sultan levying from the re
bellious tribes an indemnity for losses sustained by British traders, and, it was
eventually arranged, by others. At the same time, however, a loan of
Rs. C0,000 was made to the Sultan. For the protection of our interests
against similar risks in the future, three alternative courses were subse
quently suggested by the local authorities, viz., (1) annexation; (2) a
H.C. 836/95. protectorate; and (3) an intimation to the leading Sheikhs that Maskat and
To India, Mattrah must not be attacked. The first two courses were held to be barred
Secref'dated ^7 the Anglo-Erench Declaration of 1862, the abrogation of which it was not
30th Aiiu' 1 . considered opportune to propose to the .French Government. The third
1895. ^ course was approved by Her Majesty's Government.
It is probable that the attitude of the Government of India on the occasion
of the rebellion iu 1895 may have had something to do with a change in the
H.C. 660/96. disposition of Saiyid Faisul, to which attention was drawn by Major Hayes
Sadler early in 1896; but another influence also was at work, which has
since that time caused much trouble.
Aitchison, In the year 1881 the French Government had availed themselves
Vol. XL, 0 £ their right to appoint Consuls (secured to them by their Treaty with
p ' 43 Muscat of the 17th November 1844) to the extent of appointing a Consular
Secret Agent at Muscat; but in 1894 they established a Vice-Consulate, and
Despatch transferred M. Ottavi from Zanzibar to fill the new post. In 1893 there had
to India, arrived in Muscat a certain Aral) named Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad,
dated9th Ruwaihi, a native of Semail in Oman, who had been confidential secretary
Oct. 1894. to Sultan Seyyid Ali of Zanzibar and had been depoited by Seyyid Ali's
successor, Seyyid Hamid, for anti-British intrigue. This man was taken
306, 357/99. Saiyid Faisul's service as munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. ; and, on the arrival of M. Ottavi,
whom he had known in Zanzibar, he was permitted by the Sultan also to
enter the service of the French Vice-Consulate. Another sign of the
increased interest taken by the French Government in Muscat affairs, was
the visit of a French gunboat on the occasion of the rebellion, though it did
not actually interfere.
•This engagement was regarded as a Secret engagement until early in 1899, when Lord
Salisbury mentioned its purport to M. Cambon (1781/99).