Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎471v] (947/1028)

Tribes of the Sultanate .—Affairs at Sur have overshadowed all other
events in Oman during the year under report-
The Bani Bu Ali tribe of Jaalan used formerly to be amongst the-
strongest supporters of the Sultans of Muscat, but since the death of Sheikh
Abdulla bin Salim in 1913, their attitude has gradually undergone a
change and Sheikh Mahomed bin Nasir, grandson of Abdulla, who jointly
with his uncle Ali bin Abdulla, styles himself Amir of the Bani Bu Ali of
Jaalan, has been attempting since 1925, to assert his authority over other
tribes in Jaalan and to form a fresh State there independent of "the authori
ty of Muscat.
Sur is the port for Jaalan and the Eastern Provinces of Oman It
is the second largest port in Oman. It has always been a turbulent place
and an entrepot for the slave trade and arms traffic. A weak administra
tion, the undermining of the Sultan’s authority through French Auencv and
a blood feud between the sections of the Jenebeh tribe who form the inaior
portion of the population, are factors which have rendered it an easy prev
for the Amir’s machinations. ^ F ' y
p- est . at>lished a new customs post in Aina and
refused to furnjsh the Council’s representative with any explanation
gardmg this customs post. They then attempted to obtain masterv over
the town by seizing Balad as Sur where the Wall resides and
t e mf f rc v ° f the tOWn '> situated - The y were attacked there by the"
_ rama and Fuwaris sections of the Jenebeh. Six of the Arama were killed
ed SheSfT nt > vCCf 16 Bani f Bu Ali killed and three wound
8 hahab VothTof tnt’ settled
™ded t buytgoffTS BTMil ^ Jenebeh finaI1 '
ss? 01 «• % tranaars; i r
810,000 ^xpens« iMTrred^iTthe^r C ° UnCil d< ; mandin g payment of
S tated was taken ^
ed to ^usbure^to^'interview^the^Polltioa^T t0 , Mahom ® d bin Nasir proceed-
Bti Ali did not recognize the Sultan’<? eS1 f ent ‘ , asserte d the Bani
certificate of identity at the Ammcv ?? p thorit y and attempted to obtain a
from the Sultan’s Government. n y ’ H WaS dlrected to obtain a passport
aiJd ttdCfews^tsituatfon 1 ^ S nd Council of Ministers fur-
krovernment for assistance in dealing wit^the siS'ion . 6 ' 1 H ’ S Ma j est y’ s
that Su^" St a S’ of‘tlfere terHtot Ih^th^T 41 claiming
tU1 d customs collected with their peiTni’qqin^ X t 1 an s Wali was there
were under their protection and everythin^’ town and ous t°ms
proper time ■ i,ri ^ would be accomplished in its
buwaris section o^the S Jenebeh 1 ^ bMrded Ut ‘r chiefl . v of the
belonging to a British subiect-KhimB fi Utch . Mandvi dh °w-
fTn. is;r:: * =
stabbed. The Wali’s Wababf aslraris 1 wer'™! ’T ® 1 h ° rSeS ° f the W ali were
this, in conjunction with the Bani Bn AH ‘f 136 implicated in
telepiiope line between the Wali’s residin’ aD j h f Ve been re placed. The
own an it has not been possible to maintain'thit bile " 8401 ” 3 WaS alS0 CUt