Page 491 - PERSIAN 2B 1883_1890_Neat

RESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AOENCT FOB 1887-88. 23

The old Imam bad no eooner heard of thii outrage than ho started from Rostak to procure
his son's liberation, reached Noam&n on the 1st January 1782, and marched on to Muscat,
tvhcrc he accomplished his object without much difficulty ; but the graceless youth* Saif and
Sultan again went unpunished for their offence.
On the 16th December 1785, tho venerable Imam Seyyid Ahmed died at Rostak full of
yearn, after a calm and uneventful reign of nearly forty years. He was succeeded by his son
Saeed who was elected Imam without opposition. This election was a bitter disappointment
to Saif and 8ultan, whose mother was of the Jiboof tribe* and who consequently deemed their
claim to the succession greater than Saeed's. Disgusted at the turn of events, and doubtless
fearing Saccd's resentment at their past treatment of him, they resolved at once*to quit 'Oman
and remain away until better times should dawn for them. Whereupon Saif sailed away to
East Africa, from whence he never returned, while Sultan retired to Mekran, where he is said
to have resided for some years.
Saeod bad not long assumed the reins of Government, when disorders and disaffection
broke out, and bis utter incapacity to rule became manifest to all. Within two years a meeting
of Shaikhs and Kadhees was held at Mesnah, where it was resolved to elect Kais in his stead.
But this scheme was foiled by Saccd’s elder 6on, Hamad, an energetic and able man, who
thenceforward assumed charge of political affairs, aud conducted them with firmness and suc-
cess until his death in 1792.
Saeed, though content to leave power in the hands of his son, did not care to resign it to
hi? brothers, and on Hamad*6 death desired to resume control, and perhaps for some time did so.
But Sultan, who was then residing at Burka, and whose influence and prestige in the country
were undoubtedly superior to they; of his brethren, felt that his opportunity was now come,
and he was not the man to let it slip by him.
With a sudden spring at Muscat be got possession of that town before Saced or Kais
could inarch out of Rostak and Sohar to oppose him, and having the general voice of the
Ghaffireas in his favour he was soon master of the situation, but the game was not yet
ended.
The brothers united their forces and made a vigorous attempt to recover Muscat, but
without avail. The struggle, however, continued for many months, the Ainawis generally sup­
porting the Imam, while Sultan hsd the Ghaffirces on his side. Eventually, a conference of
deputies assembled at Burka, where a convention was concluded, by which Saeed retained
Rostak with his title of Imam. Kais was given the appanage of Sohar, whilst Sultan was
to have Muscat, Burka, and other forts, with the direction of the political affairs of the
country. The date of this arrangement, which restored tranquillity to the country, is somewhat
uxjccrtain, but it probably took place early m 1793.
Seyyid Sultan was bo-rn about the ytsr 1755, and during his childhood had dwelt among
the Bedouins. His mother a. rrfatire of Muhammad Nasir el Jabri, who was at that
time looked upon as the leader of &fr^fiajrJ and this explains the cause of Saltan placing his
chief reliance upon that fretiaoj a&bragh bis own tribe was Yemani.
Sultan, ou assuming power, at coce fixed as a residence upon Muscat, the unrivalled posi­
tion of which in 'Oman as a port, and as a natural fortress against external and internal foes,
made it a far more suitable capital than Rostak, Nezwa, or Sohar. He accordingly took up
his abode in the Gareyza, or cathedral, a large and substantial building erected by the Portu­
guese in 15SG, and here far life next seven, yean he resided.
When Saltan left *Owai in 1T24, after the succession of Saeed to the Imamate, he had
sailed to Gwadur <m the Mefcsn exst, from whence he had proceeded to Kalat to implore the
protection of Rasir Khan. This had bees accorded to him, and he had been presented with
the village and half the revenues of Gwadur for his muhttmiiTi^,
Here he had remained until a reconciliation had been effected some years later with his
brother Saeed through the intervention of the latter1* son Hamad, when he felt it safe to
return to 'Oman.
Almost his first act after coming to power was to despatch a Wali with a suitable force
to Gwadur to occupy that place on his behalf and to build a fort. The name of this WaE was
Saif bin Ali, who, in accordance with further instruction* he received from Sultan, subs*-
quantiy surprised and took possession of the village of Charbar, about a hundred mile* to the
w«d of Gwador. With his ambition fed by this *uooess, Seyyid Sultan's next enterprise was
atavri expedition against the Beni Maeen of Kahm and Hormuz, which he
appears to have