Page 31 - PERSIAN 3 1883_1890

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BKSIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AOENCY FOB
1830-81. 25
appointed to succeed him aud started for 'Oman, but was murdered by the way. Mutlalc was
then again despatched in command with orders to renew hostilities and chastise the Omfinis
In the month of November 1813 Mutlak embarked on his last campaign; he marched through
the Dhabiroh to Sharkiyeh, intending to direct his operations against the tribes of this
province. He reached, almost unopposed, the country of the Hejricen, but here he met with
a resistance he bad hardly looked for. In the first encounter Mutlak was shot in the breast
by a musket ball and fell dead. The Wahabccs immediately fell into disorder, became
dispersed, and retreated hastily to Bereymeo. Mutlak's arms and coat-of-raail were carried
to Muscat, and the dark cloud of Wahaboe domination over ’Oman was scattered. The hopes
of the Wahabco Amir attaining the conquest of 'Oman were lost in Mutlak. To his able
and dashing generalship the success of the Wahabee invasions has been chiefly due, and the
Amir had no one of similar capacity to replace him. Sa'ecd's fortunes were now in the
ascendant; he had passed through the period of adverrity, and his career henceforward, though
not marked by uninterrupted success, was brilliant and prosperous.
Early in 1814 the death of Azzan-bin-Kais at Mokha, while returning from pilgrimage,
gave Sa’ecd the possession of Soliar, and three months later the death of the Amir Saood from
fever at Dcreyeh was a still more decided turn of fortune's wheel in his favour. Relieved from
foreign pressure Sa'ced's restless spirit now sent bira on another expedition against Ras-el-
Khaimah, the chief stronghold of the Kowasim. lie succeeded in establishing Shaikh Sultdn-
bin-Sakar at Sbargah, but the lukewarmness of his Arab allies roused the failure of the chief
object of tho enterprise, and, after arranging a truce for the sake of appearances, he returned
to Muscat. The Ameer Abdulla, who had succeeded his Lather Saood, now appointed a new agent
at Muscat, the reverses sustained in his wars with the Egyptians having led him to adopt
a more pacific policy. Hopes of a permanent peace were entertained and ncgociations were
opened, but they fell through owing to disputes about Ras el-Khaimab, and hostilities with
'Omau recommenced. The Kowasun also began to display renewed activity at sea and sent
a fleet to pirate the Indian trading craft in the Gulf of 'Oman. This fleet, among other
exploits, encountered the frigate Caroline of 40 guns, commanded by Sa’eed himself, off Ra«
Kuryah, and nearly succeeded in carrying her by boarding ; Sa'eed was wounded by a musket
ball, and escaped with difficulty to Muscat, the victorious Kowasim sailing away to the
Mckran coast to continue their depredations.
For some time after this Sa'ced's attention was engaged by internal disorders in the
Nakhl district, where Ilimyar-bin-Suliman El Yaaraby, the representative of the last dynasty,
had in alliance with Mohammed Nasir-cl-Jabri seized the fort. Sa’eod attempted to dispossess
Himyar, but was defeated in the field, and it was only by treachery that he was able ultimately
to entice Himyar within his reach and put him to death. In the beginning of 1816 Sa'eed
undertook a third expedition against Ras-el-Khaimah, which he blockaded for four months, but
being unable to gain any success over his enemies, the Kowasim retired discomfited to
Muscat.
Undiscouraged by this failure, Sa’eed now determined on undertaking the conquest of the
rich island of Bahrein, an object on which he had long set bis heart, and on which he had for
months past been engaged in making preparations. The British Resident at Bushire did hi«
utmost to dissuade Sa’eed from this enterprise, but iu vain. Sa'ecd, however, was destined
never to possess that island, although he continued to cherish the hope of its acquisition to
the day of his death. In June the expedition sailed from Muscat and was joined by three
Persian vessels from Bushire. The Omanis were landed on the island, but were attacked and
defeated with great loss by the Attoobees, Sa'oed’s younger brother Hamad being slain in the
fight. Chagrined at his ill-success, which was due in great measure to the treachery of his allies,
Sa'eed sailed away to Congoon, to embark a Persian force that had been promised him, but he
fortunately discovered in time that he was being led into snare by the Persians, who intended
to carry him a prisoner to Shiraz, and/ abandoning bis project against Bahrein, returned to
'Oman.
It was at this time that Ibrahim Pasha, at the head of the Egyptian army/was marchixjg
across Arabia, intent on accomplishing the final destruction of the Wahabee Empire. The
Ameer Abdulla bad need of every available man to aid in the defence of his country, and not
only was every Nejdian soldier withdrawn from 'Oman, but the Arab spirit of clannishness, or
perhaps the ingrained hatred of Arab against Turk, induced a large contingent from the
Gbaffirce, or Maaddio, tribes of El Dhahireh to flock the standard of the Ameer at Dereyeh^
In September 1817 communications were received from tho French Governor of Bourbon,
proposing a renewal of commercial relations between that island and Muscat, and a favourable
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