Page 193 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

Part VI. 171

PART VI.

BRITISH POLICY IN REGARD TO MASKAT AND TIIE MARI­
TIME ARAB TRIBES, 1823-1853.
Introductory Remarks.
309. Wo now outer a period at tlio commencement of which tho Persian
Gulf enjoyed peace: wo carried into operation our policy of restraining pirati­
cal warfaro.
Maritime warfare, which was not of a piratical nature, however, soon
became rifo on tho Gulf. We at first shrunk from interfering on these wars,
but wo had to alter our attitude called on by tho pressing invitations of
tho Arab chieftains. Wo became the guarantees of truces between tho chieftains
in regard to maritime warfare—at first limited to a year and then to twelve
years ; and ultimately wo bad the satisfaction of seeing that tho tribes concluded
a perpetual peace, which practically put a stop to all maritime war among the
Arab tribes in the Gulf.
In the internal feuds of tho Arab tribes on land, the British Government
consistently refused to interfere, and they avoided entangling themselves by
agreements to protect any chieftains, subject, however, to certain exceptions.
The first exception was when in pursuance of Lord Palmerston’s policy to check
the ambitious projects of Mehemet Ali’s Viceroy of Egypt, tho Government of
India lent its support by advice, with arms and ammunition and money and
naval demonstrations, to tho tribes in Oman and on tho Gulf to save them­
selves from the yoke of the Egyptians, and to check their progress towards
the Persian Gulf and Maskat.
The Imam of Maskat moreover received from us an exceptional treatment.
The Bombay Government in 1830, as we shall see hereafter, went so far as to
authorize the Resident on the Gulf to inform Sultan bin Saggar, Hamid bin
Azan and other chieftains, that tho British Government would not permit any
act, which ho might deem calculated to annihilate or seriously and permanently
to weaken the Imams power. To this pronouncement of policy both the Gov­
ernment of India and the Court of Directors demurred, but in practice, we shall
see, we repeatedly endeavoured to save the Syud Said’s power in Maskat from
being extinguished or seriously crippled by remonstrances addressed to his
enemies and by naval demonstrations.

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