File 3939/1926 Pt 6 'Revision of Aitchison's Treaties. Persian Gulf Section.' [‎638r] (711/818)

8
OMAN (MUSCAT).
in Muscat aflairs. Th'ese offers they declined, and in July of that year
Saiyid Abdul Aziz moved on Gwattar. The attack failed, but a consi
derable Amount of property belonging to British subjects was plundered.
Saiyid Abdul Aziz was afterwards captured in an attempt to cross over
to Oman, and detained in surveillance at Karachi. On his undertaking
- not to interfere in Muscat affairs or leave Karachi without permission he
was set at liberty, and the allowance of 300 dollars a month was paid to
him through the British Government. Gwattar was again attacked in
Decembei 187- , on this occasion by Saiyid Salim; the attempt, however,
failed, and oaiyid Salim escaped into Persian territory. He was then
informed that, if he surrendered unconditionally, he would btii granted
the same allowances as Saiyid Abdul Aziz; otherwise the offer would
not be renewed, and he would be arrested wherever he might be found.
He subsequently made another attempt on Oman, was arrested by H. M. S.
Daphne, and sent as a State prisoner to the fort of Hyderabad in Sind,
where he died in December 1876.
In Tune 1873 Saiyid Turki undertook active operations against
Ibrahim bin Kais and invested Sohar. Negotiations were entered into
Avhich resulted in the surrender of Sohar and other places on the coast
to Saiyid Turki; Ibrahim bin Kais receiving a sum of 5,000 dollars and
a monthly allowance of 100 dollars on condition of not moving eastward
of the fort of Hibi. In spite of this reverse, Ibrahim bin Kais continued
to intrigue against Saiyid Turki, and in March 1874 collected a force
composed principally of the Yal Saad section of the Hinawis, Scith which
he attacked Masnaah and took possession of the fort after having
plundered a considerable amount of property belonging to British sub
jects. As Ibrahim bin Kais refused to evacuate the fort at the demand
of 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. , it was bombarded, and an indemnity of 10,000
dollars as compensation to British subjects was exacted from the Y"al
Saad. In the meantime Saiyid Turki had hardly returned from his suc
cessful expedition against Sohar when he was compelled to make terms
with Saleh bin Ali El-Harithi, Azam bin Kais’s former minister, who
made a successful attack on Matrah and was only induced to withdraw,
by the payment of a large sum of money.
The annual subsidy which, under the terms! of Lord Canning’s arbi
tration, the ruler of Zanzibar was bound to pay to the ruler of Muscat, was
duly paid up to the date of Saiyid Thawaini s death in 1866; but Saiyid
Majid, who was then Sultan of Zanzibar, objected to continue the subsidy
to Saiyid Thawaini's successor, Saiyid Salim, partly on the pretext
that the engagement was personal to Saiyid Thawaini, and partly on the
ground of SaryTd Salim’s alleged parricide. These arguments were not
admitted by the British Government, who had recognised Saiyid Salim
as ruler of Muscat; but an arrangement was effected by Winch the subsidy
was to be paid through the medium of 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. in Oman.