Page 787 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY,' 1&20. 63
In November of that, year, as also the difficulties with which he was meeting
owing to the opposition of the " Mutawwa party. Suffice it to say that the
Mutawwa party finally gained the car of the Imam who on the 18th February,
whqn A1 Kindi accompanied by Sheikh Isa bin Salih and several other
prominent; Sheikhs preferred their request before him in person, definitely
refused to return the gardens and to ratify the proposed settlement.
For some time before this breakdown of the negotiations it had been felt
which way the wind was blowing. Miss Bell in the course of her prolific
writings on the Arab has made one true statement concerning him, when she
refers to him as “ with his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the main chance The
more powerful or the more important the Arab the more unblinking are his
eyes and the more personal is the main chance; In the case of those in power
in Oman the main chance was tho confiscated property whose produce they
were enjoying, at.d towards the recovery of which the British Government
seemed to be exerting a languid and feeble support on behalf of the Sultan’s
government. Greed as usuul extinguished all consideration of policy or
consequences, w’hile their experience of our attitude, which from the-last few
years seemed to combine in their eyes indecision with insincerity and weakness,
caused them to discount any active interference on our part.
The negotiations had howevor the advantage of showing that the polite
and diplomatic way under the circumstances was useless, and the breakdown
left us free to follow a somewhat stronger line with a clear conscience.
It would have to be shown to the Omanis that we were sincere in. our
desire for peace, that we would not tolerate an openly dangerous and hostile
hinterland for ever, and that tho Sultan’s government, did we support it, not
excessively but only in accordance with our treaty obligations, had the power
to punish the Omanis for their perfectly unreasonable attitude.
The strengthening of the Sultan’s power was a clear step towards a favour
able settlement. It was his original weakness which had caused the rebellion,
while tlio continued inaptitude and powerlcssness of his administration permit­
ted it to continue, and made any concession from the Omanis an act of grace
on their part. As will be explained below the reform of the administration,
was advanced with vigour, and almost synchronous with the refusal of the'
Imam a British adviser to the Sultan appeared on the scene.
Further, reports showed that owing to the complete cessation of the
import of arms into Oman the tribesmen bad largely lost their offensive power.
The actual refusal of the Imam was accompanied by a temporising and
apologetic letter from Sheikh Isa, who seemed to expect that as usual we would
turn the other cheek to this rebuff. The negotiations were however at once
broken off by the Political Agent, the emissary was informed in language
that permitted of no two interpretations that the Omanis would find that
tlieir folly had consequences, and the Sultan proceeded on the 3rd March
accompanied by the Political Agent on an official visit to His Excellency the
Viceroy in India.
Shortly before this there had been considerable trouble atMasnaah, a
small port on the Batinah coast, and at Sur, the large port 90 miles south of
Muscat. At each- place the inhabitants, encouraged by the weakness of the
administration and intrigues from Oman, had refused to pay customs dues
and had openly defied the Sultan’s authority. At the former town the Wali
and the British subjects had been besieged in the fort. At the beginning of
Match H. M. S. Britomart in accordance with our promise to support the
8ultan on the coast, proceeded* to Masnaah. A few well directed rounds
settled the matte % and the recalcitrant Sheikh paid a largo fine to the Sultan’s
Government, while on the appearance of the ship at Sur all arrears of Customs
were immediately forthcoming.
These events, all simultaneous and following the refusal of the Imam, pro-
duced consternation in Oman. It was as nothing however compared to the sen-
sation caused by the publication at tho beginning of May of notices by the Sultan’s
Government raising the zakat, or coastal octroi on goods brought from the
interior into the coast towns, from 6 per cent to 26 per cent in the case of