Page 647 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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Part IT.
1. TUdhifj Family.—(a) ltis Highness Saiyid Said bin 'Taimur.—Willi flic
exception ol' a short visit to Gwadur in'April the Sultan lias spent the whole
vear in or near Muscat town. A hot weather camp was laid out at Qantab, a
small villa ire six miles to the west of Muscat, and periodical visits were paid to
it between June and August, when the Sultan again Look up permanent resi­
dence in Muscat and the camp was dismantled.
Cordial relations between the Agency and the Palace continued throughout
the year. During the later half of the year the Sultan has taken more interest
in the social life of the town, lie has played tennis on a number of occasions
at the Agency and has arranged for dinner parlies to be given by the State
Officials which have been attended by the Political Agent and members of his
staff.
(b) Saiyid Nadir bin Faisal.—Has played no part in State politics during
the year, llis unfortunate disease has now affected his brain and his speech
has become, indistinct.
(c) Saiyid Shahab bin Faisal.—He made a short tour of the Batinah in
March and later paid a visit to Bombay returning to Muscat at the end of
August. In August lie was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs. The
result of this appointment has been that certain subjects which were previously
dealt with by the Sultan are now dealt with by the Minister. The appointment
was made with a view to relieving the Sultan of a certain amount of routine
work. In practice the Minister, who in theory is solely responsible, is afraid
to make any decision on his own and invariably refers to the Sultan. The
result lias been increased delay in the transaction of business and the Sultan
has as much work as ever.
(d) Saiyid Ahmad bin Ibrahim.—He was Wali of Birkah up to August ,19.'»K
when he was called into Muscat to advise the Sultan on certain tribal matters,
lie was appointed Minister for Internal Affairs in August (1939). He is a per­
son of remarkable appearance and considerable personality.
(c) Saiyid Mahmood bin Mohammad Turlii.—Returned to Muscat in August
and appears to have made his peace with the Sultan.
(f) Saiyid Tariq bin Taimur.—He has been receiving Arabic lessons and
instruction in local customs and the correct behaviour on ceremonial occasions,
lie has been treated as the heir apparent although no pronouncement has boons
made on this subject. The Sultan has personally supervised his education, in
August the young man was sent to Sur to receive further instruction from the
able Saud bin Ali and had not returned by the end of the year.
(g) Saiyid Majid bin Taimur.—His half brother, the Sultan, abolished the
Civil Courts in August and thereby deprived him of his acting appointment as
Judge of the Muscat Court. Since September lie lias been, acting as Passport
Officer.
(li) “ Mr. T. F. T. Al Saced n.—He has played no part in local affairs this
year. He left Japan for Singapore in September wi.tli the intention of paying
a visit to Muscat and eventually making his home in South India. Japan seemed
to have lost, its interest for him. In November his Japanese wife died and he
is said to have returned to Japan to settle his affairs. He is expected to send
his daughter by his Japanese wife to Muscat and lie may himself carry out bis
declared intention of residing in India.
(i) Suleiman al Baruni al Naf usi.—This stormy petrel has remained quietly
in Muscat. He has lost the confidence of the Sultan and is seldom consulted on
Internal Affairs although he is nominally the Sultan’s Adviser on this subject
and receives an honorarium as such. The outbreak of the war brought new
hope to the old man. He expected Italy to side with Germany and he saw
visions of Tripoli regaining her independence. He offered his assistance to
Franco and wrote of the influence he could still exert in Tripoli. The course of
the war has disappointed him and ho seems to have slipped back into the slate
of inertia from which lie was momentarily awakened.
2. Trade and Commerce.—^This subject has already been dealt with in Pari
I ot this report.
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