Page 251 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

Port Vl-Chap. XLVI. 229

CHAPTER XLVI.
BRITISH PROTECTION OF THE IMAM OF MASKAT AGAINST
ATTACKS FROM THE CHIEF OF SOIIAll AND THE
JOASMI CHIEF SULTAN HIN SAGGAK,
1839—1S50.
418. To what extent the dynasty of Scyyid Said hin Sultan owes its very
existence to the protection of tho British is proved among other facts by their
friendly intervention in tho feuds between tho Chief of Sohar and the Imaum.
It will not ho therefore out of place to trace from the beginning our relations
with the Chief of Sohar.
419. It was in the year 1730, that the Persians were driven out of Oman
by Ahmed bin Said, tlieu Governor of Sohar, who in consequence became the
first Imam of Maskat. In 1797, his second son Said Sultan succeeded to the
Imaumship, to the exclusion of the elder son and rightful heir. In 1804, as we
have seen, on the death of Said, an at tempt was made to usurp tho Government
from his sons, which failed and when Saif bin Beder was murdered, the Chief
of Sohar was deprived of his patrimony. In 1830, Syud Hamud bin Azan
bin Ghez, taking advantage of the Imaum’s absence at Zanzibar, and of
tho confusion which followed the treacherous seizure of Syud Ilillal already
alluded to, succeeded iu regaining Sohar his paternal inheritance. On the
Imaum’s return, he attacked Sohar, but being unable to reduce it made terms
with Syud Hamud, who agreed to pay tribute to His Highness and to restore
the districts of Shinas and Ghullal, on condition of being allowed to retain
possession of the districts of Kbizza, Khalura, Mackies and Sohar. In the
following year however the Imaum again attacked Sohar, and owing to the
treachery of some of his allies was again defeated and compelled to make peace
with the Chief, nearly on the same terms, as in the preceding year.
420. In 1832, Syud Hamud, taking advantage of the disorders created by
the seizure of the lmaum's son and nephew by the Chief of Burka, and
the Imaum’s absence at Zanzibar, in conjunction with the Chief of Soweick
prepared to attack Rustak and other inland places in the Imaum’s territory,
but as already stated their plans were frustrated by our sending a naval
force to Maskat to support the Imaum’s authority. In 1834, the Chief of
Sohar having possessed himself of Rustak and threatened other places we
again interfered, and proceeded to the length of informing him “ that if by
further aggressions he placed himself in a position of actual hostilities against
the dominions of His Highness the Imaum, he would by so doing incur the
penalty of being considered as an enemy of the British Government.” He
nevertheless, notwithstanding this warning, surprised and partially gained
possession of the town of Soweick, but was in the end driven out with some
loss. At this period our Resident reported “ that the popularity and influenoe
of the Chief of Sohar now appeared to be continually increasing in the
Province of OmaD, while the imbecile conduct and want of energy of the sou
and nephew of the Imaum daily diminished their authority.” His Highness
the Imaum having returned to Maskat attempted to recover his lost influence
and powers. But so great was his necessity, that he imprudently invited the
piratical Arab tribes to aid him, and also entered iuto an agreement with the
Wahabi Agent Syud bin Mutluk to assist him iu the expulsion of Syud
Hamud from the places he had during his absence seized. The oombiued
forces accordingly invested Sohar by sea and by land, but His Highness the
Imaum having ascertained that it was tho intention of the Wahabi Agent,
when Sohar fell, to garrison it on account of bis .Master, the Imaum
considered that this would he a greater evil, than allowing it to. be retained
by bis rebellious kinsman, and therefore suddenly abandoned his allies and
the seige of Sohar, aud returned to Zanzibar. Captain Hamerton in allusion
to these ovent9 observes: • “ During the
* Letter, doled the 6th September 1814.
time the attention of the Imaum was
2 o 2