Page 248 - PERSIAN 4 1890_1899

18 ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL
Their proceedings wore orderly from the outset; the inhabitants 0^^*^
British and Arab, wore not, as a rulo, interfered with or molestod, and *t ^n’
publicly proclaimed by their leaders that the solo object of the rebellion waTT
dethrone Scyyid Foysnl who, by his wcalc rule, had shown himself unfitted t°
govern Oman, and to replace him by a Sultan whoso power would make't If
felt throughout the country. It was further announced that the force of rebels
in the town was but the advance guard of a much largor force which under
the command of Sheikh Saleh was advancing on Maskat, and was hourl
pectcd to arrive. y ex-
Early on the morning of February 14th, the mail steamer from the Per
6ian Gulf was sighted, and on her arrival about an hour lator she was sent
without delay to Oharbar with a telegram from the Political Agent reporting
the outbreak of tho rebellion to the Political Resident at Bushire, and request­
ing that a man-of-war might be despatched as soon as possible to protect
British interests at Maskat. On February 18th H. M. S. Spliinx arrived,
and, as there had been severe fighting that morning in the quarter of the town
chiefly occupied by buuniahs, tbe Political Agent considered the moment
opportune to require a temporary cessation of hostilities in order to enable
British subjects to leave the town. In compliance with the request of the
Political Agent a truce of a few hours for the purpose indicated was agreed to
by both belligerents, and advantage was taken of it to arrange for the removal
of British subjects to a place of safety. At 2 P.M. on tbe same day R. I. M. 8.
Lmcrence arrived, having on board the Political Resident who assumed
thenceforth the general direction of affairs, and a third British ship, H. M. S.
Bramble from Bombay, reached Maskat some days later.
Of tbe subsequent progress of the rebellion there is but little to record: a
desultory warfare extending over a period of some three weeks ensued, carried
on by the opposing forces with varying success and interrupted only by a
truce of three days demanded by tbe Political Resident with a view to enabling
British subjects, who complained that their shops were being looted, to remove
their property from the town. The fighting appeared to bo throughout of a
lialf-bearted character, and this was especially noticeable in tbo Sultan’s forces
who, although re-inforced during the war by strong detachments of the Beni-
Boo-Ali, tbe Beni-Rasib, and the Hishm, and considerably outnumbering their
adversaries, made no determined effort to expel tbe rebels and recover the capi­
tal for their sovereign. The evident apathy of his followers had eventually the
effect of producing in the mind of the Sultan a feeling of despair of achieving
success by their agency, and he had recourse to other and more successful
means to bring tbo war to a conclusion. Negotiations were opened with
Sheikh Saleh, tbe rebel leader, and on March 9th it was announced that peace
had been concluded. The town was evacuated the same evening by tbe rebels
who set fire, as they left, to tbe Cliorah Bazaar, and it subsequently transpired
that they bad received some thousands of rupees as tbe price of their retire­
ment. With tbe evacuation of Maskat tbe rebellion ended, and during the
few weeks that remained to tbe close of the official year the peace of the capi­
tal was not again disturbed, nor was any occurrence of importance reported
from the interior.
In April His Highness the Sultan, influenced by tbe heavy shipments
0cneraL of copper coin9 to Bombay and their
consequent scarcity in Maskat, had^ in
contemplation tbe promulgation of an order prohibiting their exportation.
He was dissuaded, however, from taking this step, but in order to meet the wan
felt, he imported the necessary machinery for striking his own copper coin.
On its arrival at Maskat a mint was established and the work of coining com­
menced.