Page 25 - PERSIAN 4 1899_1905

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RESIDENCY AND MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1899-1900. 17

Part II.—ADMINISTRATION REPORT OE THE MASKAT POLI­
TICAL AGENCY EOR THE YEAR 1899-1900.
Tbe year under report has beon marked by little or nothing worthy of
FoHUcuL record in the political annals of Oman.
. .... , During the first-half of it, rumours of the
rising of tribesmen and the restlessness of Bedouins generally in the interior
were indeed from time to time rife, but as is so often the case, they proved to
be bubbles which one after another burst harmlessly, and the second-half of
the year happily passed off with unprecedented tranquillity, owing perhaps to
the fact that the decimating ravages of cholera and small-pox all over the
interior and the subsequent prevalence of plague in Maskat turned the atten­
tion of the population generally to the preservation of their own lives, and had
a sedative effect upon the capacity of the turbulent for preying upon their
neighbours.
On the 1st April the Sultan instructed Sheikh Suleiman bin Suweilim, his
Mali at Sohar, to undertake an expedition against the Beni Katab who had a
short time before, as mentioned in last year’s report, raided the small port of
Shinas on the Batineh Coast, and had maltreated and looted two British Indian
traders. The object of the expedition was both to punish the marauders and
to obtain from them compensation for the losses sustained by these British
subjects. The Sultan’s intention, however, reached the Beni Katab in time to
enable them to enlist the aid of the Naeem and Mokabil clans, and as Suleiman
bin Suweilim’s force was not strong enough to cope with the above combina­
tion, the expedition proved abortive. It is satisfactory to note, however, that
the Sultan has since paid without question the whole of the amount of compen­
sation (-1,131$ dollars) claimed by the two Banians.
On the dih Sheikh Rashid bin TJzaiz, the Governor of Semail, reported to
the Sultan that he has re-appointed Sheikh Khclfan bin Thenayan, Sheikh and
Mali of Nakhl. The Sheikh, who was deposed in 1S97 for certain disturban-
referred to in the Administration Report for 1S97-98, had eluded the
CCS
pursuit of the men sent by the Sultan to arrest him and had since continued to
make trouble at N a kill.. The Sultan acquiesced in his re-appointment, how­
ever, apparently because it enabled him to withdraw the 130 Wahabis whom be
had sent to garrison Nakhl and whom he could ill spare from Maskat.
On the 11th April the inhabitants of Nezwa petitioned the Sultan to
recall bis Mali on the ground that he was practising oppression and injustice,
and a short time afterwards news was received that the community were
preparing to rise against the Mali unless action was speedily taken from head­
quarters.3 The Sultan, therefore, after enquiry into the truth of the accusations
acainst bis official, dismissed him and appointed Sayyid Nasir bin Muhammad
in bis stead ; the garrison, however, mostly consisting of the relatives of the dis­
missed Mai ii refused to surrender the fort to the Sultan’s garrison sent in
advance of Savvid Nasir bin Muhammad, the newly appointed man. The
Sultan considering it inexpedient to eject the garrison by force, and beingade-
quatelv assured of tbe future good conduct of the garrison aod tbe ex-Wali,
retained them and reinstated the latter and recalled Sayyid hasir.
On the IGth news was received to the effect that Sheikh Suleiman bin
Seif er Kiami Sahib of Jebel Akder had been murdered by his nephew Sheikh
Haraeyr in revenue for the murder of the latter’s father and mother some
fifteen years before by Sheikh Suleiman. This was Mowed by the news on
the 25th instant of the murder of Sheikh Sultan bin Saeed of the al-Wahibeh
bv the Jenebeh of the ed-Dahireh in retaliation for non-payment of some
blood money due to them. Both these Sheikhs were most influential and
exercised great power for good or ill over the tribesmen of the interior. Then-
exit from the stage of Oman politics will have an important effect in insuring
tranquillity in the interior. .....
In May persistent rumours of a rising of Sharkiyeh tntomen were
current; the Sultan therefore increased the garrison at Seeh and re^Ued aU
tbe M'ahabi «arrison of the Coast towns to llaskat On tbe 27th, the Sheikh