Page 141 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

12D
CHAPTER XXIII.
Tribal feuds and wars, 1898—1905.
676. In May 1898 Ibrahim bin Kais, Sheikh of Itostak, died, and was
• Said-bin*Ibrahim-Kai*-bln Aian-bin-Abmod vertuj succeeded by his son Sayyid* Said bin Ibra-
Stnd^n.At«n.bi^K»l«*blo.AMn Wu.Ahmei, ^both hini, but llO WU3 doprivod of tllO fort of
JjrnlafoKici uifo'tTuh thuTo! tho Sultan in AbuicT Rostak by Sayyid* Said bin Azan, son of
bin sobi-ei imam. Imam Azzan bin Kais, whom tho Arabs
and Sheikhs of Rostak had olectod ns their chief. Sayyid Said bin
Ibrnhim fled to Hnzra Fort and solicited the aid of tho Sultan of Maskat.
Suleiman bin Swoiliin was then directed to proceed forthwith to tho Batincb
coast to rostrain the Yal Sand and other Hinawi tribes from joining Sayyid Said’s
force. These stops resulted in tho dispersal of tho latter’s followers, and the
Sultan would havo been well advised to have remained satisfied with tho success he
allowed Suleiman bin Swcilim to attempt to take possession of Rostak on His
Highness’s behalf. This brought down the Beni Ruvaheh tribes from
Sharkiyeh and tho Yal Saad tribes would have joined them, but the death of
one of tho Arab loaders at Rostak, tho notorious Sheikh Ilauiud bin Said al
Taliafi, who had taken part for 28 years in insurrection against tho Sultans of
Maskat, gave rise to confusion among tho tribes, and saved tho Sultan from a
rising all along tho Batineh coast. Rostak had, however, to bo given up by tho
8ultan’s forces, and leave Snyid Saud in its possession. Sayid Saud was
murdered ou 13th March H99 and succeeded by his brother. Sayid Hamud
Sayid Said bin Ibrahim remained in possession of tho fort of Hazm. His sister
was about this time married to the Sultan.
577. The annual hostilities which almost invariably break out in the slack
season between the Ghafiri and Hinawi
Secret E., December 1C03 No». -1*17-
clomeuts in J'aalan were pursued with
no less regularity than usual in April 1903, and during the course of them the
truculent old Amir of the Boni Bu Ali had reason to believe that his Hinawi
enemies wero being supplied with tho sinews of war by his own dependent
tribesmen of Soor. He accordingly betook himself to tho coast with a large
following, and having encamped on the Aigeh side of the creek summoned the
8heikh of the port and gave notice that he intended to close the entrances to
the port by land and sea until such time as the Sheikhs gave him an undertak­
ing to restrain their followers from supplying provisions to his enemies in the
interior, and also paid a line for recent olTcuccs of this nature. He was as
good as his word, aud while lie continued to press his terms upon the elders,
the port was placed in a slate of close blockade and trade was brought to a
standstill.
578. While tho negotiations wero proceeding one of tho tribesmen expressed
Secret E., May DO l, Nw*. 75-121 (No. 70). his intention of taking his dhow out of
the creek under cover of the Frcnoh flag,
and persevered in the attempt in spite of a warning from the Sheikh that he
would not be permitted to pa>s. The result was that tho vcssol was firod at by
Sheikh Abdulla’s men, and the fl.ig itsolf was said to have been struck.
The incident at once became tho subject of a claim for compensation by
the French Government upon His Highness tho Sultan, who replied that much
ns he regretted the occurrence it was an accidental outcome of ordinary tribal
feud such as is of every-dav occurrence in Oman, and that he could not hold
himself responsible to the French Government. There for the moment the
matter ended. Sheikh Abdullah soon returned to the interior, but the ill-feel­
ing between him and the Soori sections of his tribe continued for some months,
and eventually the town became divided against itself to such an extent that
early in August, when the Political Agent paid one of his periodical visits to the
British Indian community there, he found r.lie two tribal factious iuhabiting
respectively t he Aigeh and Mugreimatein divisions of the port separated by the
Soor creek, on the poiut of opening fire on one another. Having succeeded in
presuading the parties not to open hostilities for 4,8 hours, Major Cox returned
to Maskat to inform the Sultan, who at once proceeded tliero iu'tlie Noor-ul’JBahr
and was in process of settling between the parties wheu he was recalled by the
more important news of the incursion of Aysa-bin Saleh. His visit, however,
had tho desired effect, hostilities were staved off for the time, and a little lator
the parties were able to settle their differences through the medium of the
Sheikhs of some neutral clans in the neighbourhood.