'Historical Summary of Events in Territories of the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Arabia affecting the British Position in the Persian Gulf, 1907-1928' [‎28r] (62/188)

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I
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■919 (see paras. 29-30) the necessity of taking drastic measures to preserve
the Sultan's Government on the coast from complete collapse was recognised
by the Government of India and His Majesty's Government; a loan from
Indian revenues was made to His Highness to enable him to put his honse in
order internally, and pressure was put on the Omani tribes through 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. with a view to securing a settlement between them and the
Sultan. After much correspondence, the Imam was persuaded to resume
negotiations, and a meeting took place between him and 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.
Sit Sib on the 15th September 1919. ii: '
49. Very great difficulty was experienced in arriving at agreement. It
was only after negotiations had been broken off, and definite action taken to
show not only that the support of the Sultan by His Majesty's Government
was a reality, but that the Sultan was in a position to retaliate effectively
on the Omanis by the taxing of their produce when it came down to the
coast for export, that any advance was secured. A British Adviser was
appointed to the State,! a British warship, which actually inflicted punish
ment at Masnaah,J was despatched to support the Sultan's authority on the
coast, and prohibitive duties were imposed on Omani produce, with the
result that in July 1920 the Imam was murdered by his tribes,§ and that on
25th September 1920, after considerable further negotiation, agreement was
r eached between the conflicting parties. j|
50. Under the terms of settlement, the Sultan undertook^ not to interfere
in the " internal affairs " of Oman (no formal admission of Omani indepen
dence being given); not to impose taxation in excess of 5 per cent, on
commodities brought into the coast towns from Oman ; to allow members of
the tribes to enter and leave Muscat and the coast towns in safety and
freedom ; and to return fugitive criminals on demand.
51. The tribes, on the other hand, contracted to remain in peace and
amity with the Sultan's Government, with which they were not to interfere;
not to attack the coast towns ; to impose no restrictions on trade: to under
take that travellers to Oman on their lawful business should be free and
safe; to turn out fugitive criminals and evil-doers; and to dispose of the
claims of merchants and others against them according to the Sharah law.
52. The agreement, which, as will be seen, involves recognition by the
Sultan of the practical independence of the Omani tribes, has, on the whole,
worked well since 1920. Action had to be taken in 1922 by His Majesty's
ships in support of the Muscat Government against one of the Omani tribes
(the Yal Saad, on the Batineh coast),** but, broadly speaking, the situation ** p. 3140/20,
has stabilised itself, and the Omani tribes, while they would no doubt "09/22,398/23
constitute an immediate menace were the support of His Majesty's Govern
ment withdrawn, have ceased, at any rate temporarily, to interfere with and
harass the Sultan's Government.
* P. 3790/li); tel.
1464 S. from Viceroy-
to S. of S. for L,
Oct. 22 1910,
P.6724/19, 7369/19.
t Tel. from S. of S.
for I. to Viceroy,
Jan. 16 1920,
P.8544/19, 5039/20.
X Admiralty to I.O.,
April 21 1920,
P. 3140/20.
§ Viceroy to S. of S.
for I., 9945, Aug. 10
1920, P. 6107/20.
11 Viceroy to S. of S.
for I., 1180 S., Oct. 9
1920, P. 7486, 8294.
G. of I. Desp. 37,
Mar. 31 1921,
P. 1969/21.
V.—Foreign Relations of Muscat, 1908-1928.
53. During the first part of the period now under consideration, the
existence of treaty relations between France and Muscat was, as will be
seen from paras. 7-18 above, of the first importance from the standpoint
of His Majesty's Government in connection with the suppression of the arms
traffic. It is unnecessary to enter into the details of the relations between
the two countries, since the substantial consideration which led to French
interest in Muscat disappeared w*ith the amicable settlement reached between
His Majesty's Government and the French Government on the suppression
of the arms traffic in February 1914. But the settlement in question did
not involve the abrogation of the French Treaty with Muscat of 1844, or of
the Anglo-French Declaration of 1862, and the continued existence of these
instruments is of sufficient importance in present circumstances to call for
brief notice in this Memorandum.
54. As will be seen from the precis of the Muscat Treaties referred to in
para. 2 above, the Sultan of Muscat has a Commercial Treaty with France
dating from 1844. There is further the joint Anglo-French Declaration of