Page 116 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

substantially increase the annual sum. 968 These demands, though aimed
primarily at bargaining for the purpose of securing the payment of sakah, were
interpreted by both Thuwayni and the British authorities as a pretext for
declaring war against Masqat in the event that the demands were not met.
Before making any decisions, Thuwayni consulted with Kemball, the
Resident in the Gulf. Kemball had been in ‘Uman for some time, preparing to
conclude the treaty with the coastal tribes and, at the same time, trying to
counteract Su‘udi prestige and influence.969 Thuwayni and Kemball made
preparations to defend the domain of Masqat and to deter any possible military
threats. Thuwayni called all the men he could find to the defence of Suhar
while Kemball remonstrated to ‘Abd Allah and despatched “Clive” and
“Tigris”, two British vessels, to cruise along the coast of al-Batinah.970 This
joint action compelled the Su‘udis to soften their demands and, at the same
time, enabled Thuwayni to enter into negotiations for a settlement.971
In the second week of April 1853, ‘Abd Allah b. Faysal sent Ahmad
al-Sudayri, governor of al-Buraymi, to Suhar to treat with Thuwayni.
Thuwayni and al-Sudayri produced an agreement according to which the
former would pay ‘Abd Allah b. Faysal a sum of $MT 60,000 as arrears of
zakahy and annually deliver $MT 12,000 from Masqat and $MT 8,000 from
Suhar to al-Riyad.972 In addition, the two parties established an offensive-
defensive alliance obliging the Su‘udls to assist the government of Masqat in
case of internal difficulties and stipulating that the latter would provide the
usual supplies, provisions, and stores.973 The settlement contributed
significantly to a state of peaceful and cooperative relations between Masqat
and the Su‘udl state for the next decade. Shortly after the conclusion of the
treaty, ‘Abd Allah left for Najd, leaving al-Sudayri in charge of the Su‘udl
interests in ‘Uman.
Meanwhile, the death of Sa‘Id b. Sultan in 1856 led to the eventual
dismemberment and division of the Al Bu Said dynasty in ‘Uman and East
Africa. Immediately after Said’s death, his son Majid, who had been in charge
of Zanzibar in his father’s absence, seized control of affairs in that region,
declaring himself independent from the central government at Masqat.974
Thuwayni, the ruler of Masqat, was shocked by his brother’s actions and
foresaw disastrous political and economic repercussions for ‘Uman.
Therefore, he tried to convince his brother of the need for keeping the two
parts of the Al Bu Said domain together in the name of political and economic
power. In recent years, Zanzibar had been proving its economic superiority
over Masqat; the loss of Zanzibar would be a great setback for Thuwayni, and
he therefore initiated negotiations designed to avert the loss. He first
despatched Muhammad b. Salim, a distinguished member of the Al Bu Said,
to Zanzibar as an envoy. The initial negotiations resulted in a promise by Majid
that, in light of the superior wealth of the African part of the ‘Umani state, he
would pay an annual sum of $MT 40,000 to Masqat. Half of this amount would
be paid to the Su‘udis by Thuwayni as zakah. In return, Majid hoped that
Thuwayni would consent to his claims to Zanzibar.
However, for some reason or another, Majid did not fulfill his promise.
Thuwayni responded by proclaiming that he was the rightful and sole heir to
both ‘Uman and Zanzibar.975 In an attempt to put his claim into practice,
Thuwayni set up an expedition to force Majid to accept his suzerainty. Before
he got far from ‘Uman, however, the British government interfered in the

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