ملف ١٩٢٣/٤٠١١ الجزء ٢ "الخليج الفارسي: مفاوضات ١٩٢٨ هنجام" [و‎‎٩‎١‎٨] (١٩٣٤/١٨٤٢)

39
Origin of Maskat s i itle to the Kishm and Ormuz Islands and Bunder Abbas, etc.
19 The following report, dated 14th August 1821, of Dr. Jukes, Political
Agent, Kishm, as to the origin of the connection of the Imams of Maskat with
Kishm, Ormuz, Bunder Abbas, and other parts of the Persian Coast near that
place, will be read with interest:—
. The Persian Minister having expressed their dissatisfaction at the small detachment of
British troops being stationed on the Island of Kishm, and considering that it was likely to
become a subject of future discussion between myself and the Persian Government, I have
lost no op pm tunity of obtaining every information I could collect from the best authorities
as to the sovereignty of the island, both at Maskat and Kishm, and although the informa’
lion I have obtained is not so complete and satisfactory as I could wish, I beg leave respect
fully to submit it to the consideration of the Honourable the Governor in Council.
2. The Bini Maainee tribe originally resided at Koong on the Persian Coast, and it is
now about 70 or 80 years since Shaikh Abdulla Maainee took the Island of Kishm from
Mull a Aly Shah, who was then Chief of the Island, on behalf of the Persian Government;
and Shaikh Abdulla y/V crwtirds jcirni6(1 Hundsv ^1 bussc c and its dependencies from Nadir
Shah.
The Bini Maainee tribe remained in possession of the island for many years, and
after Nadir Shah’s death, continued to pay tribute to the present reigning family of
Persia, for Bunder Abassee and its dependencies which they still retained.
4. About 26 or 27 years ago the inhabitants of Kishm, being dissatisfied with the
tyrannical system adopted towards them by Mulla Hussan Maainee, their Chief and Gov
ernor, solicited His Highness Syed Sultan, the Imam of Maskat, to take the Islands under
his government and control; the Imam proceeded accordingly with an army, and by force
of arms took possession of the Islands of Kishm, Bunder Abassee and Ormuz, from Mulla
Hussein, and it has ever since remained under the general control of the Imam of Maskat.
5. Syed Sultan, notwithstanding he had taken these places by force of arms from
Mulla Hussein Maainee, continued to farm Bunder Abassee, and its dependencies from the
Persian Government, as the Bini Maainee tribe had done before him, and his son Syed Saeed,
the present Imam of Maskat, continues to do the same; he pays four thousand Tomans
annually for the town and dependencies of Bunder Abassee, including Meena Humeel and
Khumeer. Syfe bin Mubhaun, an Arab Chieftain, is at present Governor of Bunder
Abassee on the part of His Highness the Imam, and his younger brother is the Governor
of Ormuz. Shaikh Abdul Rahman Maainee, the Governor of Kishm, is related to
His Highness by marriage, so that the Government of all the principal places farmed by
the Imam of Maskat is entirely in the hands of the Arabs at present, and I do not know
whether the Persian Government would venture to risk the attempt of taking these places
forcibly from them, under any circumstances, but as the Imam has several ships, and
could command the sources of a great number of buggalas and boats belonging to the
different Arab tribes in the Gulf, it is almost certain, I think, that the Imam would be able
to retain the Islands of Kishm, Ormuz and Larak, in spite of every exertion of the Persian
Government.
6 The whole of the Persian shore of the Gulf is in the possession of different Arab
tribes and though they may have little differences and quarrels among themselves, they
would cordially unite to repel any attack the Persians might make to accept or subdue any
one of them.
7 It is quite impossible that the Arab tribes and the Persians can ever cordially blemi
their interests and act in concert together. The habits of the people are very different, the
independence of an Arab Shaikh submits reluctantly to the . ersian vove, anc ic n r '
of religious feeling effectually prevents anything like a cordial co-operation between
8 I reoret extremely that neither at Maskat nor at Kishm, have I been able to obtain j
a sight of one of the old Persian Furmauns by which His Highness tlm fmam far ,
Bunder Abassee from the sovereign of Persia, in order to ascertain what P are pa 1
larly specified, as constituting its dependencies. I think it unlnvciy the ^
document as the grant, or Funnaun of the King of Persia, by
Imam, farms so large a portion of territory and for which he pays 4,°00 iomawns ^ ^
should not be in existence; it ^ — *>y ^
Maskat or it might have been in— ^ - -+ 1 ,^ moh™ nor
Abdul Kahir, His Highness’s confidential Secretary, that “ eltl e „ ’ , A the
Larak are spbified on the receipts annually granted by th J n rXeh”te o,rt lo be
stipulated sum paid to them; and in reply to a series o 'li 1 ’' ^ Kahir to His Highness
answered at Maskat, and which I know were b y Sy Ah ^
the Imam himself, it was expressly declared tha t C ■ T
belonged exclusively to the Inigin.
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