Page 138 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

246 THE SULTANATE OF om£

properly Seyyid, not Imam, the Ibadhi sectaries, who predominate
in the population of Oman, according the latter title to their rulers
not of right, but only if the latter are peculiarly qualified by religious
learning. At the present time the principal Ibadhi Sheikh has put
up an Imam in opposition to the Sultan. The rising proved serious,
and disaster was only averted in 1915 by the intervention of our
Indian troops (see p. 247). In fact, no Sultan for some generations
has been able to establish or maintain his authority without our help.
Apart from the annual subsidy from the Indian Government
(see below), the revenue of the Sultanate is derived mainly from the
sea-customs (‘ushur), import duty being levied on all goods at the
rate of 5 per cent, ad valorem, the maximum permitted by treat}'.
Subsidiary sources of income are the Zakdl and Beil el-Mai. The
former term, technically applied, meansthe tax authorized by Moha m-
medan law on agricultural and movable property ; but here it
denotes an export duty, permitted by the British Government to be
taken at the rate of 5 per cent, ad valorem in lieu of the true Zakdl.
The concession was made on account of the Sultan’s inability to
collect the Zakdl in the up-country districts. On the sea-board the
Beil el-Mdl implies the rent of shops and other property owned by
the State.
Even in normal times the Sultan’s maintenance of law and order,
beyond the limits of the capital and Matrah, was merely nominal.
The administration of criminal and civil justice, such as could be
carried out locally by the Valis in his name, was on the whole in
accordance with Mohammedan law. Elsewhere the only effective
justice is such as may be enforced by local sheikhs in accordance
with Arab custom.

Recent History and Present Politics

Our treaty relations with Muscat began as early as 179S, and
foreign interests, whether political oi commercial, are predominantly
British. Great Britain is the only power represented by a Consul or
. * •
Political Agent, though France and the United States are each repre­
sented by a Vice-Consul. Since 1S91 the Sultan has been under
a binding agreement with the Indian Government, and he receives
a large annual subsidy, as well as a guarantee of protection, on
condition of his observing it. The most important of its terms* are
that he shall alienate no part of his territory except to the British
that he shall direct his policy in conformity with ours, and that
he shall accept no help, pecuniary or other, from any other foreign
power. °

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