Page 162 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

58 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULP

and finally the Shaikh of the Shu’aibiyin handed itover to His Highness who has
garrisoned it with his own troops. This arrangement appears to be a satisfactory
one ; it tends to increase His Highness’s authority intfie neighbourhood, and may
assist in the maintenance of peace. " ' 'j
The intrigues of the rebel Shaikh Isa bin Saleh al Harithi and his friends
have been much in evidence during the year
Shaikh Isa bin Saleh Al Harithi and his friends.
under review. Attempts have been made
by them to cajole Saivid Taimur, the eldest son of the Sultan, bv working upon
his youthful religious feelings and urging him to a stricter following of the Moslem
creed than that adopted by his father. The object of these manoeuvres was to ob­
tain access to the Sultan himself by means of influence over his son, or, failing
that, to sow distrust or even enmity between the prince and his father. * At one
time it seemed possible that their schemes would be to some extent successful
namely, when, early in November, Shaikh Ali, brother of Shaikh Isa, who had been
brought to Rivam, a few miles from Maskat, for the purpose of interviewing His
Highness, was refused entrance to Maskat itself, to the disappointment of Saivid
Taimur, who had become convinced not only that the feelings of the Harithis to­
wards the ruling house had undergone a radical change, but that his views regarding
them were shared by his father.
Not long after thi3 however the calamity above referred to took place, and
any doubt which might have existed re­
Murder of the Wali Sulaimnn bin Suwnilim.
garding the enmity of Shaikh Isa and his
party was effectually removed. It will be remembered that in September 1903
Said bin Ibrahim (who has already been mentioned in connection with Hazam)
was appointed Governor of Rustaq by Shaikh Isa, and it is natural that His High­
ness has since been desirous either to bring Said under his control or to compel
him to resign his position in favour of a nominee of his own. All efforts in the for­
mer direction having failed, His Highness, in accordance with a suggestion made to
him by his enemies through a friend, determined to avail himself of the compara­
tive freedom of Oman from internal disturbances by forming an expedition against
Rustaq, with the intention of coercing his brother-in-law into submission to his
rule. With the object of obtaining an assurance from the Harithis that they would
not oppose this plan, Wali Sulaiman bin Suwailim was despatched to Qabil in the
Shar-qiyah at the end of January to interview Shaikh ’Isa. He was received with
evervsign of rejoicing, feasts were given and a salute was fired in his honour, and
after four days’ stay during which the Rustaq question had been disposed of
according to the Sultan’s wishes, he set out, in company with an escort com­
posed mainly of Shaikhs of the Harith and other Hinavi tribes, to return to
Maskat and announce to His Highness the success of his mission.
At about midday on February 5th, as the party were passing through the
defile known as Al* Aqq which separates Wadi Samayil from the Sharqiyah, the Wali
Sulaiman, who with his one servant had become separated temporarily from his
escort, was struck by two shots fired from a cliff on the left bank and killed on the
spot. His servant on going to his assistance was wounded by a third shot fired
immediately afterwards and died of his wound the same evening. The bodies were
roughly interred without any ceremony or funeral service, and the escort, having
despatched a brief note to the Sultan at Maskat informing him of what had occurred,
continued its journey to Samayil. This note arrived in Maskat on the morning
of February 7th, and His Highness was naturally very much distressed at the news
it contained. Realising that the late hosts of the deceased Wali were open to grave
suspicion of having been privy to his murder, and having received no information
regarding their present intentions, he at once took steps to protect the Wadi
Samayil from invasion in the event of a rising against him; and to this end
despatched200 men under hissons Taimur and Nadir with instructions to hold the
fort of Bidbid and to communicate to him without delay any information they
might receive which would enable him to come to a conclusion regarding the per­
petrators of the crime.
The pass of Al’Aqq is in the country of the Sivabivin, a Ohafiri tribe, and it
not long before they were accused of the murder; the explanation being that
was
rprtain Siyabis who were in charge of a caravan conveying supplies to the Bam
Rivam during their rebellion last year had killed the Mali Sulaiman m rcyon.
foi to capture of their caravan on that occasion. The Sultan requested Shaikh