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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
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