'Historical Summary of Events in Territories of the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Arabia affecting the British Position in the Persian Gulf, 1907-1928' [‎23v] (53/188)

14
• Lor i 47. r st ' wh - ic l 1 f pr ? sellt • Ileld by 1Iaj ' 0 '' G - P - AIur P 1 'y. Army, has
been miiuitamed without interniptiou since its revival- after the separation
oi Muscat^ from Zanzibar in 1S61. In 1S69 it was placed in strict
snboidination to the Political liesident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .")" Since 1867
the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. has also held His Majesty's Commission as Consul for
Muscat. Under the Muscat Order in Council A regulation issued by the sovereign of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Privy Council. of 1915 (see paras 0^-4
below), which replaced the Muscat Order in Council A regulation issued by the sovereign of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Privy Council. of 1867, the Political
Agent is the District Magistrate and Sessiorfs Judge, and exercises his
powers subject to the jurisdiction of the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian
Ctu ir. The limits of the Order are co-extensive with the territories and
territorial waters of the Sultan of Muscat and Oman.
5. No specific reference was made to Muscat in the Peport of the
Masterton-Smith Committee, and while, under the general principle embodied
in that Committee, matters of political significance on the north Arabian
littoral which may affect relations with Ibn 8aud fall to be dealt with bv
or in consultation with the Colonial Office, such matters rarely, if at all, arise
in Muscat, and political control may in consequence be regarded as restino-
as in the pre-war period, with the Government of India, subject to the
general control of His Majesty's Government. Under the principles
embodied in the Masterton-Smith Report, the internal affairs of the State are
in any event the direct concern of the Government of India.
(). With the inconsiderable exception referred to below, expenditure in
Muscat is wholly borne by Indian revenues. That expenditure consists of
subsidies to the Sultan of Durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). presents, and of the cost of maintainim?
the 1 olitical Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. . The subsidies consist of an annual sum of Rs. 86 400
i e P ie ^enting the $40,000 payable by Zanzibar to Muscat under the Canning
award ot 18bl (liability for this payment was assumed by His Maiestv's
Government m 1871, and has since 1st September 1883 been whollv an
Indian charge),J and of the annual subsidy of Ps. 1 lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees paid since 1912
(see paras. 12 and 22 below) in compensation for the losses to the Sultan
arising out of the suppression of the arms traffic, which will cease with the
tenure of power by the present Sultan. These charges are fixed, and their
amount ,i( ^« "ot vary. In the latest year for which authoritative figures are
e ( 1Ji 9--0j the cost of the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. was Rs. 78,427, and in
§ Sir U. Bray to tlie I im .K.-.,. j._. _ i . ■ ^ —
J Lor. i, 409-500
512-3.
Mr. Wakely, D.O.
1956, E.A., .Inly 21
of expc
1921
p. 3588/21. m respect
II. 1908 to 4th October 1913 : Sultan Faisal.
0. Tile domiuating feature of the period between 1908 and 1913 is
le successful suppression, in agreement with the Sultan of Muscat, of the
h P, Jt la t ilT f ' . . • no other question of sufficiently general
inte est to call for reference m this Memorandum arose in the dosing years
hcre.gn of Sultan Faml. The rebellion of the Omani tribesTwhich
rinl I Tf) m0 p 6 0re ' US (Ieath 011 4tl1 October 1913 '
pi incipally to the reign of his successor. It is dealt with in a separate
section in paras. 43 to 52 below. 1
The Suppression of the Arms Traffic from Muscat.
7 At the beginning of the period a general prohibition of the arms
liaftc was in force on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. littoral save in Muscat. The Sultan
of Muscat had prohibited in 1891 the import or export of arms and
of "he G. 1 ,If VS8oT^r ,, r Ili V , ? en<, ' ?ltCy 0,1 ^ Pel ' s -" iittoral
the G f In 1898 His Highness had agreed to prohibit the export of
aims from Muscat to India and Persia (where the import of arms was illegal)
and had empowered I ersia and Groat Britain to act on his behalf by sea iii
enfoicmg this prohibition within Muscat territorial waters. In 1903 he had
further agreed to the search by British and Italian ships of Muscat vessels
on the high seas suspected of carrying arms. But the import of arms into
in eXPOrt ' eXCept t0 rndia and Persia ' were unprohibited