Page 559 - PERSIAN 4 1899_1905

BEBIDENCY AND MA8KAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1004-1005. l1

Part IL—ANNUAL ADMINISTRATION REPORT OP THE MA8KAT
POLITICAL AGENCY POR THE YEAR 1904-1905.

During the year under review very* few seriouo intertribal quarrels have
taken place in Oman and the general peace has been a welcome source of satis­
faction to the Ruler, who is accustomed to 6nd the resources at his command
insufficient to m/witnin order much less tranquility throughout his dominions.
Of such disturbances as have taken place the following are the most serious
(1) Enmity between theGhafiri and Hinavi tribes inhabiting Nakhl and
Wadi Ma’aval produced various small conflicts during the
earlier part of the year. In Juno, however, Sheikh Rashid bin
Azaiz, who has frequently been mentioned in these reports as one
of the Sultan’s most trusted Lieutenants, succeeded, in effecting
between them a peace which practically lasted until the end of
the year.
(2) Towards the end of September a troop of the A1 Wahibeh, lawless
and warlike tribe of Bedouins of the Hinavi section, while on a
plundering excursion in the neighbourhood of Ghor, a town on
the borders of Jaalan and the Sharkiya, encountered a party of
the Beni Bu Ali tribe and a somewhat sanguinary conflict
resulted. Prom among the opposing sides 26 men were killed
and wounded, the former including a son of the Beni Bu Ali
Chief, Abdullah bin Salim. It was feared that in revenge for his
son’s death Abdullah bin Salim might be led to wage war on a
more lavish scale than usual, but he appears to have contented
himself with (as was generally supposed) contriving for the
assassination of a Sheikh of the A1 Wahibeh tribe in the neigh­
bourhood of Maskat some months later.
(3) On November 29th a serious encounter took place at Semmed
between two sections of the Hahus tribe in which a dozen men
were killed or wounded. Sheikh Isa bin Saleh A1 Harthi, who
happened to be in Semmed at the time, intervened and arranged a
truce between them, which subsequently developed into a lasting
peace.
A further mention of Sheikh Isa is necessary when dealing with the inter­
nal politics of Oman. The father of this Chief was a most malignent enemy
of His Highness the Sultan, and, as is well known, headed the famous insurrec­
tion of1895 against his rule. Rightly or wrongly Sayyid Faisal credits the
sons with having inherited their father's enmity towards him and is in constant
dread of another organised revolt headed by the eldest, Sheikh Isa. It is
somewhat remarkable that all the latter’s principal actions during the past year
have been, like that referred to above, in the interests of law and order. His
Highness is of opinion that Isa is roly waiting for sufficient power and a
favourable opportunity to make himself objectionable. Whether this is so or
not remains to be seen.
2. The dominions of His Highness the 8ultan were visited during the snd
summer by an extremely severe epidemic of cholera which spread from town
to town and district to district with extraordinary rapidity. From a large
numberof places it was found'impossible to obtain statistics, but there seems
no doubt that over fourteen thousand persons perished in the Wadis of Rustak,
Semaii and Ma’aval, the Batineh Coast ports and the environs of Maskat alone!
In Maskat only 43 and in Mattrah hut 12 oases occurred, the escape of these
y a.ttr‘)?utabl0 to the energy and promptness with which the
rf,. \ urgoon instituted quarantine stations, the willing assistance rendered
m : 18 Highness the 8ultao and his officials, and the calm and sensible'
T ,CVbe “ ori* of the P“P'« submitted to Urn annoy***
detention when it was necessary. It kwSrthy of mention thatoodiSnn^