"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٣‎٥‎٠] (١٧٨٢/٤٩٣)

Affairs and foreign relations of the 'Oman Sultanate, 1899-1905.
Rupture bet
ween the Sul
tan and Bri
tain, and
settlement
of the French
naval base
question.
Settlement
of the French
flag question.
The general affairs and foreign relations of the different territorial
divisions of the Persian Gulf region call next for notice.
The period opened with a serious rupture between the British Govern
ment and the Sultan of 'Oman, of which the general causes, though specific
reasons were not wanting, were the generally hostile attitude of the Sultan
to Britain and his increasing intimacy with France. The presentation of
an ultimatum requiring him to settle certain claims of British subjects and
give satisfaction on various other points had already been authorised when
the discovery, mentioned in the history of the last period, was made—that
iti disregard of his Agreement of 1891 with the British Government the
Sultan had granted a coaling station to the French ; and the cancellation
of this grant was added to the other demands embodied in the ultimatum.
After a week of unsatisfactory discussions, following its presentation, the
Sultan on the IGth February 1899 at last submitted, but not until actual
dispositions had been made for an immediate bombardment of his palace
and forts by a British man-of-war. A French coaling station was ulti
mately provided at Masqat itself by dividing, in accordance with a sugges
tion made by the British Government, the site used by British vessels for
storage of coal there into two portions, either of which the French authori
ties were at liberty to choose. This was the end of the French scheme for
a naval base in the Gulf of 'Oman.
The question of the French flag in the 'Oman Sultanate, though its
importance had been greatly diminished by the frustration of the project
for a French naval base, continued to give trouble for some years. Encour
aged by British support the Sultan, from 1899 onwards, strenuously resisted
the conferment of French flags on subjects of his and denied the validity of
such grants when made without his concurrence. Contrary views were
maintained^by the French authorities with great pertinacity ; and in U)03,
in consequence of an attack on a vessel flying the French flag at Sur and
the punishment by the Sultan for a quarantine offence of some individuals
connected with another vessel of similar status, matters took a grave turn.
I wo of Her Majesty's ships and a French man-of-war were presently
collected in Masqat harbour, and, while the British Government sustained
the action of the Sultan in regard to the quarantine breakers the French
authorities sought to intimidate him into reversing it. A crisis not devoid
of danger was at length terminated bv an agreement between Britain and