Page 560 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

42 ANNUAL RETORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY
His Highness was thus obliged to givo up all hopo of relieving hia com*
and the fort capitulated on terms after a seigo of fivo months. Ita fall was**1
eovere blow to the prestige of the 8ultanf who thus lost the last fortified p|Q *
in the interior which was ’well disposed to him while its possession opened °°
up
a new sphere of influence to the rebel party.
Saiyid Taimur had been anxious to obtain the assistance of British troon*
in the autumn and had previously asked whether, if he could raise a foroe S
some 2,000 or 3,000 men, the Government would assist him in attacking hi*
enemy. Indeed, he had not been anxious to move without such help but cir.
cumptanceB and tbe importunity of those around him had led him to take
action which, in. its result, showed his absolute helplessness to meet alone th$
situation in which he was placed.
In the month of May the Political Agent forwarded to the Deputy Political
Besident a scheme for the better Government of Oman and for the provision
of a force for the Sultan by means of which order could be obtained.
The main features of the present situation are as follows:—
The rebels, who may fairly claim to have caused a revolution rather than
to have raised a rebellion, are in complete coutrol of the interior of Oman and
it i9 only the existence of tbe Indian Begiment at Muttra and the presence of
His Majesty’s ships which prevents them extending that control to Muscat and
the rest of the coast line of Oman. They have never acknowledged the present
Sultan whose dignity they consider to be, under tbe rules of their religions
constitution, an elective and not a hereditary position The movement, though
partly due to the objection of the Hinawis to the present branch of the Abo
Said family is also due to three generations of had and weak rule.
This condition of affairs the present Sultan has shown no sign of desiring ♦§
improve. TV bile the Government of the Imam is making obvious efforts to
rule well according to tbeir.lights, and every attempt is made to enforce justice
in His Highness* country, tbe complaints which are made have only too much
foundation as will be seen fiom the notes on his Administration.
The Omanis and the people of the coast hold the British Government
repponsible for his had rule since, co they say, if it were not for this support
they would not be obliged to undergo it.
The Sultan is now so absolutely dependent upon us that an unvarnished
exposition of the situation to him would leave him no alternative but to reform
were that made a condition of our continued support of him. Owing to the
lack of officials referred to elsewhere there would appear to be no alternate
to the employment of British trained officials in the re-organisation of his
system.
As stated above His Highness* administration leaves much to he desired
though he has made considerable improve­
Adoiniitulin of His Highness tli Saltan,
ment in the disposal of cases of British
subjects.
Unfortunately such improvement* is only maintained under, continue
pressure? for.the whole system is at fault.
His Highness has no Wasir and no Minister of any kind. It is obviously
impossible few him to.do all the work himself and he does not appear to under­
stand that a State requires somewhat more organisation than that which is in­
sufficient for‘the village of a small Arab Shaikh.
For many years the 8ultans have been obliged, owing to the ignorance
want cf education of the native material at their disposal, to use Indians
the control of the Customs and for Secretarial work connected with finance a**
with India, and it is this difficulty which makes it practically impossible
suggest any method of improvement from within, the more so since those w
might assist him to rule on purely Arab lines are opposed to his very existed
in any form of authority.
His Walis in the districts, most of them members of the ruling family* ***
. unreliable ami their ruin » W»-