Page 577 - PERSIAN 2 1879_1883_Neat

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RESIDENCY. AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOB 1882-83.
first continuing’ the siege of Soh4r. This was the position of^ affairs
when a part of the' population deposed the Imam Seyf-bin-Sultan, and
elected Sultdn-bin-Murshid, also a Ya'Aribee, in his stead in 1738.
Sultan-IJin-Murshid proceeded to operate against Seyf-biu-Saltan,
and wrested from, him Muscat and other places ;
8ul tAn *b in -M u rslifd. whereupon Seyf again joined the Persians at
Imam.
Kas-el-Khaimah. The Persians recommenced
operations and captured Muscat, and laid siege a second time to Sohar.
Finding them faithless to their promises, Seyf once more withdrew, and
shortly afterwards.died in retirement at El-Hazm.
The Imam Sultan-bin-Murslud fore id his way through the Persian
forces into Soh&r, but wa3 wounded in doing 60, and died in Sohar.
Thus terminated the rule of Ya'Arabeh in 'Om6n.
Having succeeded in defending Sohar against the Persian, Ahmed-
bin-SaTd concluded a convention with the Persian invaders, according to
which they were to depart unmolested from ■'Oman. This convention
was violated by Ahmed, who is 6aid to have massacred a number of the
Persians of 'Om6n.
The reputation’and popularity acquired by Ahmpd-bin-Sa'eed led to
his being elected Imam in A. D. 1741, and the Al-Bu-Sa'eed has since
been the reigning family of 'Oman.
This Im&m's reign may he considered one of the most successful re­
corded in the annals of 'Oman, and it lasted for
The Im£m AhmocLbin- thirty-four years. Imam Ahmed's sway was
Sa’eed,.
established over all the districts of 'Oman. from,
the east coast to El-Bereymee. Ke was at the outset opposed by Bel*
Arab-bin-Himyer, Ya'Arahee, whom he defeated and slew.
The demands of the Persians for tribute were refused by Ahmed-bin-
Sa’eed.
In A.D. 1770, a naval demonstration was made from Muscat against
Busbire, but wa.7 a failure. For some years desultory hostilities had
taken place between the Persians and 'Omanee6, and in 1775, when Busrah
was attacked by a Persian fleet of boats, the Imam Ahmed sent a Muscat
fleet to the rescue, which succeeded in dispersing the Persian boats and
provisioning Busrah. This led to friendly relations between Turkey and

Ou the recovery of Busrah from the Persians, in the time of Kurreera
Khan, and the loss of Bahrain by the Persians, the power of the latter
was finally broken in the Persian Gulf, and a period of much confusion
ensued, each petty State contending for power. During these disturb­
ances Imam Ahmed remained neutral and refrained from interference
in the affairs of the Persian Gulf.
He, at one period of his reign, suffered reverses in El-Dhihireh at
the hands of the Ghafiree tribes, the hereditary opponents of bis race.
Towards the close of bis reign, the Imam Ahmed had to deal with a
rebellion raised by his fourth and fifth sons, Seyf and Sult£n, who
after having lxen obce forgiven, renewed the conflict and seized the
Muscat forts. This quarrel was also made up, but soon after these
vonng men .seized their elder brother Sa'eed and imprisoned him. The
Im&ra, on hearing this, marched with a force from El-Rastak on Muscat
nnd hostilities ensued, in the course of which Seyyid Sa’id escaped to
Ins father. A force of Arabs from the north-west of JOm4n taking
advantage of this strife, besieged El-llasttfk, and this caused the
rebel-