'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.' [‎108] (141/612)

CV1U
INTRODUCTIOX
and as recently as 1844-5 the Seyyid Hamud-bin-'Azzan, of
Sohar, suborned a party of assassins to murder his own son,
while asleep in his bed, (p. 362). Atrocities like these, es
pecially when associated with dynastic intrigues, are viewed
by Orientals in the light of political offences, easily condoned
if successful; and, as regards ^Oman, its annals supply seve
ral instances of bloodstained conspirators succeeding to the
supreme power, whose after-reign was comparatively guilt
less, and in some few cases eminently prosperous. The in
dignation reported to have been expressed by the 'Omanis
at the crime imputed to Salim was probably confined to his
rivals, and to a certain extent perhaps was assumed as a
political manoeuvre to discredit him with the British Govern
ment. As to the intestine feuds which followed, they were
just what might have been anticipated, irrespective of
Salim's guilt or innocence; for the later annals of 'Oman
fail to record one instance of a succession to the sovereignty
without similar concomitant disturbances.
Our recognition of the Seyyid Salim did not prevent his
uncle, the Seyyid Turky, from prosecuting his designs to
dethrone him. He first applied to the Chiefs on the Pirate
Coast, who would probably have cooperated with him but for
the opportune intervention of the Resident in the Persian
Gulf, who warned them against abetting the Pretender, espe
cially by sea. Turky then went to Yankal, and having enlisted
the sympathy of its chief, took Sohar by surprise with a
small detachment, but was shortly after obliged to retreat.
Next, he proceeded to Jaalan, where he was joined by the
Benu-Abi-Hasan, the el-Hajariyyin, the el-Harth, and the
Al-Wahibah, who recommended an immediate march upon
Maskat. Apprised of the impending attack, the Seyyid Salim
hastily collected together about two thousand five hundred
men from el-Batinah, but through gross mismanagement on
his part eight hundred of them were suffered to return home,
and five hundred of the remainder deserted on hearing of