Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎764r] (1544/1814)

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MONDAY, MARCH 2, 1896 .
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No one can glance through the Administra
tion Report on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and Muscat
for 1894 - 95 , just issued by the Indian Foreign
Office, without endorsing the declaration of
Mr. George Curzon, the Under-Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, that the lives and
properties of hundreds of thousands of human
beings are secured by the British Protectorate of
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and that “ were it either with
drawn or destroyed both sea and shores would
relapse into the anarchial chaos from which
they have so laboriously been reclaimed.” The
chief event of the year was the rebellion at
Muscat, which was at its height twelve months
ago. An exhaustive report, sent in to the
Government of India, on the rebellion, its
causes and its probable effects, by the Politi
cal Agent and Consul, does not appear in the
“ selections ” now published. But such of
Major White’s remarks as are made known in
this blue book, throw a very interesting light
upon the savage methods which still find
favour along the Western littoral of the Gulf,
and which apart from British intervention
would reduce that part of Arabia to “ red
ruin and the breaking up of laws.” Even as it
is, our Protectorate, being mainly intended to
safeguard the waters of the Gulf and its ports,
does not move us to keep the interior in order.
To do that a considerable standing army
would be required. The moving spirit in
the late rebellion was Sheik Saleh, who,
although residing in the nominal territo
ries of the Sultan of Muscat, acted quite in
dependently of the authority of our ally in
arbitrating on the inter-tribal disputes which
are an everyday feature of Arabian life. It was
under his influence as was supposed that the
tribes holding the passes into Oman proper
closed them against all caravans in November.
The passes were shortly re-opened, but there
were, about this time, disquieting rumours of
Sheik Saleh’s designs against Muscat, and the
arrival of his son with a considerable following
in the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Teyeen gave colour to the report.
It was one, however, to which the Sultan ob-
No one can glance through the Administra
tion Report on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and Muscat
for 1894-95, just issued by the Indian Foreign
Office, without endorsing the declaration of
Mr. George Curzon, the Under-Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, that the lives and
properties of hundreds of thousands of human
beings are secured by the British Protectorate of
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and that “ were it either with
drawn or destroyed both sea and shores would
relapse into the anarchial chaos from which
they have so laboriously been reclaimed.” The
chief event of the year was the rebellion at
Muscat, which was at its height twelve months
ago. An exhaustive report, sent in to the
Government of India, on the rebellion, its
causes and its probable effects, by the Politi
cal Agent and Consul, does not appear in the
“ selections ” now published. But such of
Major White’s remarks as are made known in
this blue book, throw a very interesting light
upon the savage methods which still find
favour along the Western littoral of the Gulf,
and which apart from British intervention
would reduce that part of Arabia to “ red
ruin and the breaking up of laws.” Even as it
is, our Protectorate, being mainly intended to
safeguard the waters of the Gulf and its ports,
does not move us to keep the interior in order.
To do that a considerable standing army
would be required. The moving spirit in
the late rebellion was Sheik Saleh, who,
although residing in the nominal territo
ries of the Sultan of Muscat, acted quite in
dependently of the authority of our ally in
arbitrating on the inter-tribal disputes which
are an everyday feature of Arabian life. It was
under his influence as was supposed that the
tribes holding the passes into Oman proper
closed them against all caravans in November.
The passes were shortly re-opened, but there
were, about this time, disquieting rumours of
Sheik Saleh’s designs against Muscat, and the
arrival of his son with a considerable following 1
in the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Teyeen gave colour to the report.
It was one, however, to which the Sultan ob
stinately refused to give any credence, more
especially as the passes were re-opened in a
short time. In December some faction quarrels
at Nezwah led to an encounter in which
twenty-five men were killed and fifty wounded,
and Sheik Saleh sent his son to the
town to settle the dispute. Early in
February, two of the Sheik’s concerned in
this sanguinary conflict, proceeded to Muscat
to interview the Sultan on the subject.
They arrived on February the 11th, fol- |
lowed next day by Sheikh Mohsin-bin-Amir A1
Hanthi. The Sultan received them hospitably,
and after long audience dismissed them on the
evening of February 12, with the usual pre
sents. They intimated their intention of leaving
Muscat the same night or early on the follow
ing morning. So far from this being their inten
tion, however, a number of their followers, who
had not been allowed to enter Muscat, made
their way into the town after nightfall, in par
ties of two and three. This excited the suspi
cion of the Wahabi soldiers of the Sultan, who
hastened to inform him of their fears.
The Muscat Ruler entirely disregarded the
warning, as he refused to believe that so long
as the Chiefs and their followers were in the
town as his guests, they could be guilty of so
grave a breach of the rules of Arab hospitality
as to take advantage of their position to attack
their host. But this charitable belief was not
justified, for at daybreak on the following morn
ing his palace was suddenly attacked and the re
bels having overpowered the few guards on duty,
proceeded in the direction of the Sultan’s sleep
ing apartments with the intention to take his
life. His Highness supported by a few followers,
offered a most determined resistance, and kept
his assailants at bay for some time. But he was
ultimately compelled to take refuge with his
family and adherents in Fort Jellali, while his
brother Seyed Muhamed-bin-Toorke found
similar refuge in Fort Merani. Major Sadler on
hearing of this serious state of affairs took
such steps as were possible to protect British
life and property and addressed a letter
to Sheikh Abdullah, the rebel leader, in
timating that he would be held responsible
for any injury the British might suffer
at the hands of his followers. Supported
by a vigorous cannonade, and rifle fire from
Fort Jellali, the Sultan made a determined
attempt to recover possession of the palace.
The effort did not succeed, and, as neither
party were in sufficient force to take the ag- j
gressive, a lull in the fighting ensued. The I
rebels were masters of the greater part of the
town, but they contented themselves with
taking up as strong a defensive position as
possible, and quietly awaiting the arrival of
reinforcements. The inhabitants of the town,
British or Arab, were not, as a rule, interfered
with or molested. The rebel leaders publicly
proclaimed that the sole object of their action
was to dethrone Seyyid Feysal, who, by his
weak rule, had shown himself unfit to govern
Oman, and to replace him by a Sultan whose
power would make itself felt throughout the
country. It was further announced that the
force of rebels in the town was but the advance
guard of a much larger force which under the
command of Sheik Saleh was advancing on
Muscat, and was hourly expected to arrive.
However, the advance of the Umra Khan
of Oman was forestalled by the arrival of
H. M. S. Sphinx, followed shortly afterwards
by the Lawrence and the Bramble. With this
display of force in the harbour at his back 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. demanded a truce between the
belligerents, and advantage was taken of it to
remove the British residents from the town. The
British Agent did not otherwise interfere, and
a desultory warfare extending over some three
weeks ensued. The Sultan’s followers having
been largely re-inforced far outnumbered the
rebels, but made no determined effort to expel
them and recover the capital. The Sultan des
pairing of success by the agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of war, had
recourse to other means—he opened negotia
tions with Sheikh Saleh, and as a result the
town was evacuated by the rebels, who received
some thousands of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. as the price of their
retirement. Although the loyalty thus pur
chased seems so far to have been preserved
without serious rupture, it can scarcely be re
garded as very stable. But doubtless the
gates of Muscat are more carefully guarded
now against the entry of armed men in small
bands.
The selections published form an almost
continuous record of quarrels between Arab
chiefs, of robberies, conspiracies and mur
ders, but through them all British and other
foreign residents are enabled to pursue un
molested their callings. They are not so suc
cessful, however, in escaping unjust extortions
from the Arab rulers in regard to their com
merce. As an instance, the experience of Bri
tish Indian exporters of dates from Katifin
Bahrein to India may be cited. Complaints
were made in 1893 that Rs. 5,615 had been
exacted over the treaty rate of 1 per cent., and
after a very long delay, the explanation was
given by the Turkish authorities at Baghdad,
that their customs system required the deposit
of 7 per cent, over the treaty rate—such excess
to be refunded on the production of certifica
tes by the Turkish Consul in India, of the due
arrival of consignments there. Meantime
shipments for 1893 had been made on an
excess payment of Rs. 9,719, and certificates
in both these cases could not be produced,
owing to the delay in intimating the necessity
for such certificates. Excess duty to the
extent of Rs. 4,174 was again exacted in 1894,
and the certificates insisted upon being in this
case produced, a fresh excuse for maintaining
the extortion was found in a demand for the
receipts for the amounts originally paid. As
receipts had been consistently refused, the
device enabled the customs people to resist
refunds of their unjust exactions, which, in all
amounted to Rs. 19,500. The principal
difficulty exporters had to contend with,
however, was not customs exactions, but
the low exchange value and fluctuation of
the silver krau, the standard coin of the
country. At the commencement of the year
its value was 45j to the pound sterling, but
before the year closed it had reached 57
to the pound sterling. Another difficulty with
which traders were confronted was the abnormal
use in the rate of transport between Bushire and
Shiraz, until it reached 195 krans per 100
mans for piece-goods and 200 for loaf-sugar
and case goods. This price—brought about
mainly by a severe epidemic among transport
animals—has never been touched before, and
naturally it tended to paralyse trade between
Bushire and the north. But in spite of draw
backs such as these, commerce throughout
the consular district of Bushire showed
welcome signs of reaction from the depression
under which it had has previously laboured.
At the three ports of Bushire, Bunder Abbas
and Lingah, the value of imports increased by
over sixty-two lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , and that of exports by
over 20j lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees .