Page 79 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

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RESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1005-1900,
ivt Snmayil on the 8th October with about 400 followers of his own and other
Hinavi tribes, and at once despatched to Maskat Abdallah bin Hamaid As
Salimi, a well-known Matawwa priest, with 25 men to visit His Highness. This
party wore hospitably entertained until the 13th when the majority returned
to Samayil, the Salimi himself remaining in Maskat which he quitted for the
pilgrimag to Mecca shortly afterwards
Sheikh ’Ha succeeded in establishing the reconciliation above referred to,
and on the 16th Octobe* sent a message to the Sultan begging to be allowed to
visit him personally. His Highness after consultation with the Political Agent
replied that there was no objection provided that he came with a few followers
only. Distrust on the part of Sheikh ’Isa prevented his accepting these terms,
and he then wrote to Sheikh Zaid bin Khalifah of Dibai who happened to be
in Maskat at the time asking him to intercede with the Sult in°on his behalf.
His Highness could not change bis views as to the escort, but he sent Sheikh
’Isa a present of $400 as a proof of sincerity. The meeting however did not
come ofT, and the Harthi after a quiet sojourn in Samayil, set out for his own
country on the l*2th November, the greater portion of his retinue having
dispersed in the meantime.
As usual quarrels occurred occasionally between the Maawall’s and the
people of Nakbal. None of them were of
Kaknal serious import, however, and each was
settled by a truce of more or less duration- -t the time of writing they
appear to be on terms of mutual forbearance if nothing more satisfactory.
The most serious difficulty of the year, which ..as not in fact yet been
brought to a conclusion, has been occa­
Revolt of the Eaui Rivam.
sioned by lawlessness on the part of the
Bani Pviyam ( ^ ), a numerous and influential tribe inhabiting the
neighbourhood of the Jabal Akhdar ( ) range, and Ziki ( )
ard Nizwa ( tyi ) in Oman proper. During the autumn some men of
this tribe having caught a member of the Sultan’s garrison, sold him as a slave
to some Bedouins, and in revenge the Governor imprisoned a son of the
Riyami Sheikh Nasir bin Majid. Finding that they could not induce the
Governor to release this person, the tribe broke into revolt and about the 20tb
December killed two men of the A1 bu Said ( y> Jf), the tribe to which
the reigning house belongs, and announced their intention of besieging Ziki.
His Highness the Sulran on hearing of these occurrences despatched the
indefatigable Sulaiman bin Suwailim, who had recently returned from his
successful campaign against the Makabil, with stores of food and ammunition
for the garrison. Suiaiman on arrival at Samayil at first found it impossible
to proceed further owing to the sympathy of the Bani Jabir ( ^ ) and
other Ghafiri tribes with the Riyamis, and the consequent difficulty of obtain­
ing help from them in the matter of transport. Eventually, after remaining
inactive for a month, he received assistance from the Bani Ruwahah, and
reached Ziki late in February where he found that the fort was still hold-
ingout although the garrison were in distress on account of the exhaustion of
their stores and ammunition. Meanwhile, the Sultan had arranged for the
arrest and imprisonment at Maskat of certain Sheikhs of the Bani Riyam and
had moreover taken measures to block the commercial dealings of the rebellious
tribe with the ports of Maskat and Mattrah.
Suiaimao on arrival at Ziki at once tried to arrange a settlement upon the
following terms :— r
(1) The return to His Highness the Sultan of Birkat-ul-Mauz
iSjj ) a iarge and flourishing village about six miles west
of Ziki/
{2' The payment to the Bani Riyam by His Highness of $7,000, and
(3) The release by His Highness of his prisoners. To these terms the
rebels would not agree neither would they accept a suggestion