'Précis of correspondence regarding the affairs of the Persian Gulf, 1801-1853' [‎96r] (191/344)

Faff VI.
171
PART VI.
BRITISH POLICY IX REGARD TO MASRAT AXD THE MARI
TIME ARAB TRIBES, 1823-1853.
Introductory Remarks.
309. We now enter a period at the commencement of which the Persian
Gulf enjoyed peace : we carried into operation our policy of restraining pirati
cal warfare.
Maritime warfare, which was not of a piratical nature, however, soon
became rife on the Gulf. We at first shrunk from interfering on these wars,
but we had to alter our attitude called on by the pressing invitations of
the Arab chieftains. We became the guarantees of truces between the chieftains
in regard to maritime warfare —at first limited to a year and then to twelve
years; and ultimately we had the satisfaction of seeing that the tribes concluded
a perpetual peace, which practically put a stop to all maritime war among the
Arab tribes in the Gulf.
In the internal feuds of the Arab tribes on land, the British Government
consistently refused to interfere, and they avoided entangling themselves by
agreements to protect any chieftains, subject, however, to certain exceptions.
The first exception was when in pursuance of Lord Palmerston's policy to check
the ambitious projects of Mehemet Ali's Viceroy of Egypt, the Government of
India lent its support by advice, with arms and ammunition and money and
naval demonstrations, to the tribes in Oman and on the Gulf to save them
selves from the yoke of the Egyptians, and to check their progress towards
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and Maskat.
The Imam of Maskat moreover received from us an exceptional treatment.
The Bombay Government in 1830, as we shall see hereafter, went so far as to
authorize the Resident on the Gulf to inform Sultan bin Saggar, Hamid bin
Azan and other chieftains, that the British Government would not permit any
act, which he might deem calculated to ambihilate or seriously and permanently
to weaken the Imam s power. To this pronouncement of policy both the Gov
ernment of India and the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. demurred, but in practice, we shall
see, we repeatedly endeavoured to save the Syud Said's power in Maskat from
being extinguished or seriously crippled by remonstrances addressed to his
enemies and by naval demonstrations.