"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎١‎٠‎٧] (٣٩٦/٢٢١)

42 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GIJLE POLITICAL RESIDENCY
His Highness was thus obliged to give up all hope of relieving his cousin
and the fort capitulated on terms after a seige of five months. Its fall was a
severe blow to the prestige of the Sultan, who thus lost the last fortified place
in the interior which was well disposed to him while ils possession opened up
a new sphere of influence to the rebel party.
Saiyid Taimur had been anxious to obtain the assistance of British troops
in the 'autumn and had previously asked whether, if he could raise a force of
some 2,000 or 3,000 men, the Government would assist him in attacking his
enemy. Indeed, he had not been anxious to move without such help but cir
cumstances and the importunity of those around him had led him to take
action which, in. its result, showed his absolute helplessness to meet alone the
situation in which he was placed.
In the month of May the Political Agent forwarded to the Deputy Political
Eesident a scheme for the better Government of Oman and for the provision
of a force for the Sultan by means of which order could be obtained.
The main features of the present situation are as follows ;—
The rebels, who may fairly claim to have caused a revolution rather than
to have raised a rebellion, are in complete control of the interior of Oman and
it is only the existence of the Indian Regiment at Muttra and the presence of
His Majesty's ships which prevents them extending that control to Muscat and
the rest of the coast line of Oman. They have never acknowledged the present
Sultan whose dignity they consider to be, under the rules of their religious
constitution, an elective and not a hereditary position The movement, though
partly due to the objection of the Hinawis to the present branch of the Abu
Said family is also due to three generations of bad and weak rule.
This condition of affairs the present Sultan has shown no sign of desiring to
improve. While the Government of the Imam is making obvious efforts to
rule well according to their lights, and every attempt is made to enforce justice
in His Highness' country, the complaints which are made have only too much
foundation as will be seen from the notes on his Administration.
The Omanis and the people of the coast hold the British GoTernment
responsible for his bad rule since, so they say, if it were not for this support
they would not be obliged to undergo it.
The Sultan is now so absolutely dependent upon us that an unvarnished
exposition of the situation to him would leave him no alternative but to reform
were that made a condition of our continued support of him. Owing to the
lack of officials referred to elsewhere there would appear to be no alternative
to the employment of British trained officials in the re-oiganisation of his
system.
As stated above His Highness' administration leaves much to he desired
Administration of His Highnw tho Sultan. A 011 !? 11 te lias made considerable improye-
ment in the disposal of cases of British
subjects.
Unfortunately such improvement is only maintained under continual
pressure for the whole system is at fault.
His Highness has no Wazir and no Minister of any kind. It is obviously
impossible for him to do all the work himself and he does not appear to under
stand that a State requires somew T hat more organisation than that which is re-
sufficient for the village of a small Arab Shaikh.
For many years the Sultans have been obliged, owing to the ignorance and
want cf education of the native material at their disposal, to use Indians for
the control of the Customs and lor Secretarial work connected with finance and
w ith India, and it is this difficulty which makes it practically impossible to
suggest any method of improvement from within, the more so since those "who
might assist him to rule on purely Arab lines are opposed to his very existence
m any form of authority.
Xlis TV alis in the districts, most of them members of the ruling family> arf*
unreliable and their rule is bad 8