Page 78 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911_Neat

68 ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL

Chapter VII.—ANNUAL ADMINISTRATION BEPORT OF THE
MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY POR THE YEAR It05-1906.

During the year under reviow more inter-tribal disputes and unsettling
T . _. events have taken place in Oman than
Internal PohUc. usual, ^ the 9ultan ^ Qn
oocasions been put to anxiety and expense in consequence. Early in June,
• • • * *
the Makabil ( ) a lawless and
Hakabil rebellion.
predatory tribe of the Einavian branch
dwelling in the hills west of Suhar ( ) on the Batinah ( Ixb'J ) coast,
giving a9 their reason discontent with the rule of the Governor-General Sheikh
Bulaiman bin Suwailim, began to make themselves unpleasant and about the
15th of the month plundered the suburbs of Suhar and killed one of the
inhabitants. They followed this up with another excursion of a similar nature
on the 27th idem, but ou this occasion were met by the garrison, commanded
by Sulaiman’s son in his father’s absence, aud were repulsed, not however
before they had captured eight camels which were not subsequently recovered.
Muzafiir bin Sulaiman, the Govcrnor-GeneraTs son, was wounded in this
encounter.
About the middle of July the Makabil asain attacked the fort of Suhar,
the garrison of which had been reinforced, and killed the ’Akid or chief
constable aud two men. They were repulsed after a sharp fight.
It now became necessary to teach this tribe a lesson, and Sulaiman bin
Suwailim was despatched from Maskat with orders to capture the fort and
village of Hilti ( miles from Suhar which had hitherto been in
their possession. The Makabil were at this time joined by a neighbouring
tribe, the A1 bu Shamis (Jl) and His Highness the Sultan in
retaliation arrested at Burka one of the principal Sheikhs of the A1 bu Shamis
and imprisoned him in Maskat where he shortly afterwards died. Meanwhile
Hilti was captured by Sulaiman with the help of the Bani Said ( )

and Bani *Ali () who had been subsidised for the purpose, and the
rebellious tribes after one or two fruitless attempts to retake it retired to the
hills where they have smee remained quiet. Sulaiman returned to Maskat
where on his arrival he was received with a salute of eleven guns as a mark of
the Sultan’s satisfaction at the successful result of his opera tions.
The movements of Sheikh ’Isa bin Salih A1 Harthi (to whom a reference
is made yearly in these reports) were a
Sbeikb ’Isa bin Salih A1 Harthi.
cause of 6ome anxiety during the late
summer and autumn. Early in August it was rumoured that he intended to
visit Samayil, ostensibly with the object of reconciling the 8iyabiyin ( 4-)

tribe and the Bani Ruwahah (u\^ ^ ) between whom difficulties had
arisen ; bnt it was generally thought ihat his object was more likely to be
connected with intrigue at Rustak ( ) against the Wali Said bin
Ibrahim. On September 13th a letter to the Sultan arrived from Sheikh *La
in which the latter asked His Highness' permission to visit Samayil at the end
of the current month, and by the same messenger the Sheikh returned to His
Highness, in accordance with a request made to him previously by Saiyid
Timur, a valuable sword which had been plundered from Maskat during the
investment of the town by the Hinavi rebels in 1896. The Sultan saw no
reason to refuse this request of Sheikh ’Isa, and sent the Governor of Mattrah,
gaiyid Mahamznad bin Mamad, to Samayil to meet him. The Sheikh arrived