'Muscat reforms: customs; finances and negotiations with Omanis' [‎81r] (166/508)

P.6.
The factors that oak® for the possibility or otherwiseof
settlement are four , the personal, the religious, the
material ani the Arab hims«lf» The personal factors are,
( 1 ) The Sultan Sayid Telmur»
There is no doubt that he recognises the Inevitable. He
is now so heavily involved with us that it is impossible
for him to withdraw even if he wished to. The loan^ the
introduction of foreign offcials, and the reform of his
administration on lines that must differ consiierably
from the theocratic government of the Imam will make him
even more unacceptable to the bigoted party in Oman, who
though they may appreciate the benefits of our Influence
in the improve! rule of the Sultan when they visit the
coa»t f would on no account assent to such rule being applieet
to then. Sayid Teimur is genuinely ti^ed with the whole
affair and the undoubtedly trying time through which he
has passed. He is a weak though not am anintelligetj; or
unreasonable man. In addition he is so anxious to visit
India , in fact this is almost theonly thing that occupies
his thoughts at present | that little |i opposition on any
point may be expected from him.
{a}. The Imam, Shaik h Salim bin Rashid al gsmstZ. Vs karusi.
He is the titular head of the opposition movement and the
acknowledged religious head of the Abadhi sect ^ven by t.iS
most loyal of the Sultan's subjects. As described the
other day he is an "idoV'set up by the two powerful
sheikhs^ Isa and Hamyar, an^! who like an ifol may be re
moved by them. He is not even so report says ^particularly
learned from the religious point of view.StiJl his influence
from Ms position if not from his personality is great,
most bigoted type as is to be expecttted.
He would never oppose the two sheikhi. It is quite possible