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Treaty relations of Muscat

The Sultanate of Muscat and Oman maintains treaty relations with the
United Kingdom as well as with a number of other foreign Powers.
THE UNITED KINGDOM
Although regarded as a fully independent State, the Sultanate of
Muscat maintains unusually close treaty relationship with the United
Kingdom dating back to 12 October 1798,1 when the first treaty of
friendship was concluded between the Sultan (then Imam) of Muscat
and the British Government of India. Although the principal treaty
in force at present is the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Naviga­
tion of 20 September 1951,2 it may, nevertheless, be helpful to refer to
some of the early agreements concluded, under which some of the
provisions are still in force. Moreover, since the conclusion of these
early agreements was overshadowed by an Anglo-French controversy
over the establishment of spheres of influence in Muscat and Oman,
it will be convenient to divide this discussion into separate heads as
follows:

Early British agreements with Muscat
(i) Agreements of 1822 and 18453
Both of these agreements dealt with the suppression by the Sultan of
the slave trade in his dominions. The Agreement of 1822, however,
provided for the suppression of slave trade by the Sultan with Chris­
tian nations only, and, accordingly, gave the Sultan a free hand to
trade in slaves with Muslim countries. The Agreement of 1845 im­
posed further restrictions in connection with slave trade with Muslim
countries. It also empowered British cruisers to
seize and confiscate any vessels, whether belonging to His Highness or to
his subjects, carrying on slave trade.

However, it excluded British ships from interfering with the transport
of slaves from one part of the Sultan’s African territories to another.

1 Aitchison, pp. 287-8.
2 See below, p. 52.
3 Aitchison, pp. 289-91, 300-1. For Arabic and English texts, see India, Foreign
and Political Department, Part 3, List of Principal Existing Treaties in Force
between the British Government and the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, pp. 1-30.
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