'History of the imâms and seyyids of 'Omân by Salîl-ibn-Razîk, from A.D. 661-1856; translated from the original Arabic, and edited with notes, appendices, and an introduction, continuing the history down to 1870, by George Percy Badger, F.R.G.S., late chaplain in the Presidency of Bombay.' [‎58] (91/612)

Iviii
INTUODUCTION
was succeeded by his son ^Abdu-'l-'Aziz, who, " restless
aud bold, but much less prudent than his father, at once
turned his arms against the east, stormed Kateef, where he
made great slaughter of the inhabitants, occupied Bahrein
and the adjacent islands of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , attacked the
eastern coast or Barr-Faris, which he detached irrecover
ably from Persian rule, and lastly, assailed the kingdom of
'Oman." 1 The first intimation of his designs against the
latter country was a summons to submission, conveyed
through a book or pamphlet, ascribed to Muhammad-ibn-
^Abdu-'l-Wahhab, setting forth the peculiar doctrines of the
Wahhabis, a copy of which appears to have been sent to all
the local governors. This was followed up by the dispatch of
seven hundred cavalry under el-Harik, a Nubian slave, who
succeeded in reducing most of the northern tribes, including
those of ezh-Zhahirah, from all of whom ho levied Zakdt,
making el-Bereimy his head-quarters, from whence also he
made frequent inroads into el-Batinah. Moreover, the el-
^Uttub of el-Bahrein are said to have conformed to the new
creed, and entered into an alliance with the Wahhabis, under
whose countenance and support they took to piracy on the
sea, " seizing every ship that fell in their way." 'Oman
proper, however, was so little disconcerted by these en
croachments, that Sultan engaged in a conflict with the el-
Ghafiry, who still held Yabrin, in consequence of his brother-
in-law, who belonged to that tribe, having refused to transfer
to him the property of his deceased wife. This incidental
notice shows that the regent, following the example of his
father, the Imam Ahmed, (p. 183), had endeavoured to
strengthen his position by a matrimonial alliance with his
most powerful rivals in 'Oman. The attempt on his part to
coerce them was unsuccessful, for although he managed by one
of his usual stratagems to get a brasier, during the absence of
the garrison, to disable a gun of formidable dimensions which
1 Cent, and East. Arabia, jOiLAi, p. 39. 2 Id., p. 40.