‘Administration report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1894-95’ [‎67r] (17/66)

HESIDKNCY AND MA.SKA.T POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. PGR THE YEAS, 1891-95. 15
P ART II.—ADMINISTRATION KEPORT ON THE MASKAT POLITI
CAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. AND CONSULATE EOR THE YEAR 1894-95.
The year under report will be chiefly memorable for the rebellion which
broke out in Maskat in February 1895,
and which first declared itself in a treacher
ous attack on the Sultan's palace, followed by an attempt to assassinate him. The
rebellion, its causes, and its probable effect on the politics of Oman, have already
formed the subject of an exhaustive report to the Government of India ; but its
chief incidents are briefly related in the body of the narrative below. The poli
tical history of Oman during the ten months preceding the rebellion, does not
present many features of interest; nor are there many events of importance to
record.
recuru.
A serious outbreak o£ hostilities iu the Semail valley, which, had it occur
red would have prohahly entailed a general inter-tribal war, was threatened
earlv in the year, the Ghafiri tribes having intimated to the Ahl-Boshar that
thev would attack them after the Bed on April 8th. A sharp skirnnsh actually
took place between the Hinawis who were supporting the Ahl-Boshar and the
Ghafiris while small parties of the Ahl-Boshar were on several occasions attacked
bv the Nidahiyeen, a section of the Ghafiri tribe. Further fighting was, how
ever averted by the personal intervention of the Sultan, who succeeded in
effecting a settlement of the differences between the tribes, and in inducing
them to agree to a formal peace.
In May, Sheikh Abdullah, son of Sheikh Saleh-biu-Ali, the Tamimeh of the
Harth, Sheikh Mohsm-hin-Aamir Al-Harithi and Sheikh Amir-bin-Salim, one o
the Sheikhs of the Beni-Boo Hassan, arrived at Muscat in the Sultan ot Zanzi
bar's S S Avoca. It was stated that they had been on a visit to Zanzibar
and had heen received with great honour by the Sultan, who besides other
valuable gifts, had presented them with three field-pieces and a consLderable
supply of gunpowder.
Early in June there was serious rioting at Mattrah between some of the
Seedee servants of the Khojah residents of that place aud a party of Ba uc is.
The opposing factions twice met in conflict on the bc , aC .' Maskat
rMfflpultv restored On the 20th of the same month the inhabitants ot .
WOTe^reatfy shockedto learn that Seyyid Fahad, the younger brother of he
Sultan had on the previous night committed suicide. Seyy.d Fahad had
recently b«!n divorced from his wife, and it was supposed that his domestic
troubles had so weighed on his mind as to drive him to put an end to his exi t-
ence 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. on being informed of the sad occurrence, paid the
Sultan and his elder brother an official visit to express his sympathy with them
fn thdr loss and some days later, in obedience to instructions which had been
received from India, he personally conveyed to the two brothers a mcssa e of
condolence from His Excellency the Viceroy. Towards the end of June wa
reported that Sheikh HamoodAl-Jahafl. who has been for «any years a fruitful
source of trouble to the ruling power in Oman, was endeavouring to excite dis.
affection in the interior, and that it was his intention to head a rising against
the Sultan. The report did not appear to gam much credence. ^
July was an uneventful month ; hut in August the Sultan received news
of the murder of Sheikh Hilal -bin-Zahir of the Bem-Hina ^e by Seif-bm
Hamad, the eldest son of the late Seyyid Hamad -bm -Seif -bin-Amir of the
Boo-Said. who was Wali of Nezwah during the reign of Seyyid looikee.