Page 307 - PERSIAN 2C 1890_1899_Neat

residency AND MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE TEAR 1895-90. 18

Part II.
Administration report of the 'ilaskal Political Agency for the pear 1895-9G.

Voiilical.—Tho political history of Oman during the past year does not
sent many features of interest, neither are there any events of importance to
pro
* * ord Shaikh Saleh bin Ali, regarding whom many wild rumours were spread
duriu" the year, does not appear to have led any active opposition against the
Sultan, possibly by reason of want of money.
In the month of April a party of the llarth tribe arrived from Zanzibar
in a British steamer. His Highness the Sultan demauded that these persons,
who belonged to Saleh bin Ali's tribe and hence enemies of His Highness,
hbould be°handed over to him, but there being no proof of the persons in
question having committed any offence against His Highness, the request was
not complied with. In order, however, to prevent complications, the persons
in questiou were taken on to Buudar Abbas and landed there.
During this month rumours were current that Saleh bin Ali intended
making a demonstration towards Semail with the object of alienating the Glia-
firi tribe from the rule of the Sultan.
Many of the Shaikhs from the Scmail and Sur came to Maskat during the
month of April to visit the Sultan and in order to obtain from him recognition,
in the shape of money, of the services rendered to His Highness by them in the
rebellion. A m on us t others, the Shaikhs of the .Fenobeh of Sur, the Beni Boo
Aii, Beui Uiua, Uishcin, Beni Boo, IIa«an Beni Umar, Isaeern, Beni Rasib
Ilijrieen, Beni Omner visited Maskat during the past year, with the object of
obtaining money from ILis Iliulmess the Sultan. This system of subsidising
the Shaikhs outside Maskat, which was instituted hv Scyyid Turki is a source
of great weakness to the Sultan, as naturally the Sheik’s demands continue
iucreasing and so payment to them of subsidies without effecting any great
good tends to keep tbe Sultan impoverished.
During the month of May and June several small disturbances occurred
in the interior, but noue of these disturbances exceeded the normal inter-tribal
disputes of past years. The only importance to he attached to these iuter-tribal
disputes is that Saleh bin Ali on several occasions tried to turn these disputes
to account hut not successfully. One of the more important of these inter­
tribal disputes was the one that occurred in June between the Nazar assisted by
the Beni Ilian and the Yemen with the Beci l'uwahah at Zikki. This dispute
at or.e time threatened to lead to a general rising and much bloodshed and as
Saleh was endeavouring to turn this to account, His Highness deputed his
elder brother Seyyid Mahomed bin Turki to proceed to Semail and effect a
settlement. Scyyid Mahomed left in June under an escort of Hinawis and
returned in July after restoring tranquillity. Iu the month of July the Beni
Boo Ilasan attacked the Beni Boo Ali at Jalaan, hut no very serious consequences
ensued.
P unitire lax on rebel tribes.—In the month of August His Highness the
oultan decided to impose a punitive tax of 10 per cent, upon the produce of
lie rebel tribes imported into Maskat and Mat trail, both as a means of punish-
ment and of meeting the claims of foreigners who suffered losses during the
rebellion. The chief loss naturally fell upon the British Indian community, and
committee assembled for the purpose of investigating claims under the presi-
ncy °f burgeon-Colonei Jayakar, found that tho claims amounted to over
seventy-seven thousand dollars.
tho tVi‘e facJ tlns tax te!ino imposed naturally led to resentment amongst
turn ^*CS *)e Sharkiyvah, and Saleh bin Ali used his best endeavours to
tribal Vs lo accoU!lt attempting to induce tho tribes to forget their inter-
howprnJi 08 and jealousies, and to combine against the Sultan. In this
uow ever he was unsuccessful.
D