Skip to item: of 602
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎12r] (28/602)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (299 folios). It was created in 1884-1906. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

RESIDENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. FOE 1883-84.
21
Khalfan-bin-Ahmed, having refused to surrender the fort, Seyf laid siege to it and would pro
bably have compelled it to yield, had not Hamed, who had been despatched by his father, Sauced,
on an expedition to extend and consolidate his African possession, arrived in time to raise the
siege. Seyf then retired to Lamoo, where he died. Bedr appears to have inherited his father's
stern and ambitious character. No sooner had he reached manhood than he imitated his
schemes. In 1803, while Sultan 'was absent on pilgrimage, Bedr entered Muscat in disguise,
and endpavoured by stratagem to get possession of Fort Jelali: the plot, however, was discovered
by a Baman, who reported it to the Wali, and Bedr fled to Zobara, where he put himself under
the protection of the Wahabees and embraced their tenets. He proceeded subsequently to
El-Derayeh to obtain aid from the Amir against Sultan, and, on his return from Nejd with a
promise of support, heard of Sultan's death and received the invitation from Salim and his ad
visers to join them at Muscat. Bedr, feeling confident that if he could once make good his foot
ing in Muscat he would be able, eventually, to supplant his cousins, and secure the supremacy
without incurring the risk and unpopularity of an open contest for power under Wahabee auspices,
eagerly accepted the proposal and set out for 'Oman. He arrived at a critical juncture. Kais
was strengthening his position, and the hopes of Sultan's sons were growing fainter and fainter,
when Bedr's energy came to their aid and reversed the situation. Bedr at once called in his friends
the Wahabees, and the Wahabee leader, willing to facilitate the accession to power of Bedr in the
hope that he would thus become bound to them more closely, despatched a force against Sohar.
This diversion had its intended effect. Kais was compelled to make terms with Bedr and
hasten home. The conditions were that Kais should withdraw his claims to sovereignty and
retain as his share Khabooreh and part of the Batineh as additions to his appenage of Sohar.
The peace proved a hollow affair, and was but of short duration. A month later Kais found a
pretext to renew hostilities and marched on Muscat, which he captured and plundered. He was
unable, however, to retain his position there, and, fearing the approach of Grhaffiree reinforce
ments to Bedr, was glad to retire with the addition of Mattrah to his former acquisitions, and
an allowance of one thousand dollars a month. By this time the rivalship of the other uncles
and cousins had melted away before the vigorous measures of Bedr, and Kais alone remained
to contend with him for supremacy in the field. Before a year had elapsed Bedr had clearly
made himself master of the situation in 'Oman and had begun to show his hand as regards
his designs against his young cousins, Salim and Sa'eed, whom he had in fact already excluded
from Muscat by sending Salim as Wali to Mesna'ab and Sa'eed to Barka. Bedr's designs in
all probability were not penetrated by Salim, who seems to have accepted his position con
tentedly enough, but the more subtle and ambitious Sa'eed winced at the way in which he had
been set aside and harboured revenge.
On the death of Sultan advantage had been taken of the general confusion occasioned by
the disputed succession by Moolla Hoossein-el Maeeni, Shaikh of Kishm, to assault and
capture Bunder Abbass, and, his hands being free for the time, Bedr now sailed for that port
with the object of recovering it. Captain Seton, the British Resident in the Gulf, who had
been engaged in blockading the Kowasim pirates, accompanied him with two armed vessels,
and succeeded in re-establishing Bedr in possession of the place, in return for which service
certain concessions were granted by Bedr to the English.
This happened in the autumn of 1805, and Bedr had no sooner returned to 'Oman than
he found himself again involved in hostilities with Kais. In making his third and final
at., mpt on Muscat Kais procured the support of Moolla Hoosein of Kishni and of the
Kowasim, and was allowed to occupy and plunder the outskirts of the town unopposed.
Bedr pursued his old tactics of inducing the Wahabees to threaten Sohar, while the young
Sa'eed raided and recovered Bidbid and Fauja. The result of the campaign was disastrous to
Kais' hopes; he found he had miscalculated his strength and had no alternative but to purchase
peace by surrendering Mattrah and his allowance, and retreating to Sohar.
Since the death of Sultan, who alone had offered anything like a successful resistance to
them, Oman had fallen into a state of subjection to the Wahabees, whose preponderating
influence in the country was now complete. The payments of tribute had be ' i forced upon
Sultan, but Bedr had for his own aggrandisement submitted to further hnmili tions, and the
'Omanis were galled at witnessing his submission to the dictation of the Wahabee Agent at
Muscat. A force of 400 mounted Wahabees had been stationed at Barka in the time of
Sultan to overawe the neighbouring country, and was still maintained there, whilst, in addition,
the observance of the Wahabee tenet and strict attendance at prayers were now everywhere
enforced.
The growing strength, pretensions, and aggressive behaviour of the Wahabees had created

About this item

Content

The volume contains printed copies of Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Administration Reports. The Reports are incomplete (according to the introductory letters and lists of contents). Some of the Reports bear manuscript corrections. The following Reports are represented :

The Reports include a general summary by 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. (covering the constituent agencies and consulates that made up the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , and topics such as the slave trade, piracy, the movements of Royal Navy ships, official appointments, and the weather); meteorological tables; separate reports on Muscat (also referred to as Maskat); reports on trade and commerce; and a number of appendices on special topics, such as supplementary notes on the care and culture of date trees and fruit (Report, 1883-84), historical sketch of the Portuguese in eastern Arabia (Report, 1884-85), notes on a tour through Oman and El-Dhahireh [Al Dhahirah] by Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Barrett Miles (Report, 1885-86), notes on cholera in Persia (Report, 1889-90), report on the cholera epidemic in Maskat, Matrah, and Oman (Report, 1899-1900), and information on individuals and tribes.

Extent and format
1 volume (299 folios)
Arrangement

The Reports are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume. There is an introductory letter/table of contents at the front of each Report, but these show that the Reports are not complete.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation system in use commences at 3 on the second folio after the front cover, and continues through to 299 on the back cover. The sequence is written in pencil, enclosed in a circle, and appears in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [‎12r] (28/602), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/709, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023373225.0x00001d> [accessed 4 May 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023373225.0x00001d">Persian Gulf Administration Reports 1883/84 - 1904/05 [&lrm;12r] (28/602)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023373225.0x00001d">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x0002ab/IOR_R_15_1_709_0028.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x0002ab/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image