‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1884-85.’ [‎14r] (23/130)

EESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. FOE 1884-85.
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of cattle and camels, and flocks of slieep and goats. But the western portion of tbe range
behind Dhofar is neither so high nor so well clothed with vegetation, the upper part being
almost bare of trees. The soil of the plain is light and rich, and excellent water is found every
where at a few feet from the surface. Cotton, jowari, bajri, pulse, lucerne, and cocoanuts are
grown, but to a limited extent only. The trade of Dhofar is chiefly in the hands of Khoja
merchants, who are agents for houses in Bombay and Moculla. The imports are rice, grain,
dates, sugar, cotton cloth, and oil, the cloth being mostly indigo-dyed stuffs from Bombay, and
may amount to $50,000 annually. The exports are frankincense, ghee, hides and skins, wax,
&c., brought down from the hills by the Gara Bedouins, besides cotton, sardine oil, and shark-
fius, &c. The Samhan hills are known to be rich in balsamic, rubber-producing, and other
useful trees, but they have never been properly explored. The rubber tree grows to the height
of 15 or 20 feet; it is called Isbak by the Arabs and Tishkot by the Garas. Specimens of the
product have been sent to Muscat, but it has not yet become an article of trade.
The inhabitants of the plains of Dhofar are mostly Katherees. This Hadhramant
tribe, under Sultan Bedr Ba Towarek, invaded and overran Dhofar about 300 years ago and
made El Dahareez their capital. They were in turn dispossessed by others, but subsequently
regained supremacy ; they still form the bulk of the inhabitants and number altogether about
1,500. The total population of the plain may be 2,000. The headmen of the towns and the
Kazis all came to Sallala to visit 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. ; they are on good terms with the
Governor, and expressed themselves as being well satisfied with the rule of His Highness
Seyyid Toorkee.
The Garas are an extremely interesting and peculiar race, and are but little known.
They are allied to the great Mahra tribe of whose language they speak a dialect. They are
taller than, and of a different physique and physiognomy from, all the Arab-speaking tribes
of Yemen and Oman, and, though they claim to be Hymyarites, have probably a separate
origin. The area occupied by the Garas is a very circumscribed one, extending only from
Rakeyoot, a village 12 miles west of Has Sajar to Hasek, and not reaching inland more than
40 miles from the sea. In habits they are pure Bedouins, but are not nomadic; they may
rather be styled Troglodytes, and their cave-haunting propensity is one of their chief singu
larities. The hills appear to be honeycombed with these caves, some of which are of prodi
gious dimensions, and afford space and accommodation for a whole family with its possessions
in cattle and goats. A cave near the sea explored in the preceding year was 100 feet broad,
60 feet deep, and 8 feet high, and was double-storeyed, a second smaller chamber existing over
the roof of the larger. This cave was entirely natural, and was a comparatively small one.
The sub-tribes of the Gara are 10 in number and are thus distributed: At Rakyoot—Beyt
Shemasa and Beyt Elsa; at Dhofar—Beyt Saeed, Beni Kattan, Beyt Jesjyon, Beyt Tebbook,
Beyt Keshoop, Beyt Jahbool, and Beyt Maashinee; at Merbat—Beyt Makheir. The strength
of the whole Gara tribe does not probably exceed 3,000 souls.
Among the ruins with which the plain is interspersed the most extensive and interesting
are those on the shore between El Hafah and El Dahareez, covering a space 2 miles in
length. These ruins, now known as El Baleyd, are believed by Sprenger to be the remains of the
ancient Mansoora, but this name is unmentioned now in local tradition. The citadel, towers,
and mosques are still standing in part, and the town wall and ditch can be distinctly traced.
They have been measured and fully described by Carter. According to local tradition this
city was founded by the Mainjooi or Nejui dynasty, which rose to the height of its power
in the fifth century of the Hijra. The existence of this dynasty has been discredited by
European orientalists, but without reason. The tombs of the Sultans near El Robat, a few of
them exquisitely worked and inscribed by Persian or Sanaa artists, have been examined and
copied. The prosperity of Mansoora was doubtless owing in great measure to the existence of
a copious stream of perfectly sweet water which encircled the town on three sides. This stream,
which is 4 or 5 fathoms deep, formerly communicated with the sea and formed a most excellent
creek or harbour for dows and boats. It is now closed by a sand-bar, but this only requires to
be removed to render the port again available for native vessels.
About half a mile from the ruins of El Baleyd lies the principal Moslem shrine at
Dhofar, the tomb of the Zamorin, known as Abdulla-el-Samiry. He was the Raja King of Cranga-
nore in Malabar and was converted to Islam in the beginning of the third century of the Hijra,
circa 210. Being compelled to leave his kingdom, he embarked in an Arab dow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. and came to
Dhofar, where be died four or five years afterwards in the odour of sanctity. He is reputed to
have first brought rain to Dhofar by his prayers, and his tomb is still visited by numbers to
beseech his intercession in time of drought. The tomb is enclosed by an unroofed wall of mud
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