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'Historical Summary of Events in the Persian Gulf Shaikhdoms and the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, 1928-1953' [‎93r] (190/222)

The record is made up of 1 volume (107 folios). It was created in c 1953. 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. .

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173
fr^nHh . im P ort an c e toHer Majesty's Government of maintaining the present
friendly relations with the Sultan is difficult to assess. Muscat is at present of no
commercial and of little strategic value to them. Should, however, oil be found
at a place m the Sultan s territories whence it could be piped to the coast of the
Indian Ucean the position in this respect would be completely changed. As things
are the most thcit can be said is that any abandonment by Her Majesty's
oovernment ol their long-standing friendship with Muscat would be a break in
tradition that could not fail to have a disturbing effect on their relations with the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Rulers generally.
. 7* ^ instructions issued in 1953 to the new incumbent of the post of
Political Resioent the objectives ot Her Majesty's Government in Muscat are
defined as follows: —
(i) to retain as iar as possible the relationship based on existing agreements
between the United Kingdom and the Sultan of Muscat and to
harmonise the Sultan's internal and external policies with the interests
of Her Majesty's Government;
(ii) to retain the facilities in the Sultanate at present granted to Her Majesty's
forces;
(hi) to secure recognition of the frontier between Saudi Arabia and the
Sultanate as near as possible to the line defined by the Sultan in 1937;
(iv) to enable Petroleum Development (Oman) (Limited) to take full advantage
(at the earliest moment) of their concession, which in Her Majesty's
Government's view covers the Sultan's territory up to the line defined
at (hi) above.
With reference to (iv) the hope is expressed that the Sultan will be able to
extend his authority peacefully and effectively over Central Oman and that Saudi
influence will be excluded from that area, and it is stated that Her Majesty's
Government are ready to assist the Sultan in this task but wish, if possible, to
avoid direct involvement.( 11 )
II.—Internal Affairs
8. The main problem at the beginning of this period was the absenteeism
of the Sultan, Saiyid Taimur, and his desire to abdicate. From the beginning of
1928 until his abdication at the end of 1931 he only spent between eight and nine
months in Muscat. He disliked the place and probably resented the close control
exercised over his affairs by the Government of India and its officers. He spent
much of his time in India, but also visited Europe, the United States of America
and Japan. In 1928 he visited the United Kingdom where he spent a month as
the guest of The King, by whom he was received in audience, and underwent an
operation for appendicitis. In March 1930 he sailed for India and informed 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. that he did not intend to return. 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. or
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. , Muscat, interviewed him on several occasions in India but failed
to shake his resolve. After a final interview with him in November 1931 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. wrote to him saying that if he abdicated it would be necessary
to reduce his monthly personal allowance from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 2,000, and that
the arms subsidy of Rs. 1,00,000 which was personal to him would cease to be
payable, and appealing to him to reconsider his decision.( 12 ) He replied that owing
to his ailments he must persist in his refusal to return to Muscat, that he accepted
his reduced allowance and that the Government of India could do what they
wished about the arms subsidy. He accordingly announced his abdication from
the date of the letter (November 13, 1931) and appointed his son Sa'id as his
successor. In the circumstances it became necessary to accept the situation and
proceed with the recognition of Sa'id as Sultan.
9. Sa'id had returned to Muscat from his school in Iraq in 1928, and had at
once started training in administrative work. In 1929 he had been appointed
President of the Council of Ministers, and in view of his father's prolonged absences
quicklv became the virtual ruler of the country. He was Taimur's eldest son,
had reached the age of 21, and had already shown promise of considerable ability.
R LatoRa pS'/M ofoeSn. mUE 6230/267/91 of 1931).

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Content

The document provides historical information on the region during the period in question and, following a section on general matters, has separate sections on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the Trucial States A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , and Muscat

Extent and format
1 volume (107 folios)
Arrangement

There is a table of contents at the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1 on the front cover and terminates at 109 on the back cover. These numbers are written in pencil, are enclosed in a circle, and appear 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. The foliation sequence continues into the separate volume of appendices and genealogical tables - IOR/R/15/1/731(2).

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English in Latin script
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'Historical Summary of Events in the Persian Gulf Shaikhdoms and the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, 1928-1953' [‎93r] (190/222), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/731(1), in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023415995.0x0000bf> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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