‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Agency and Muscat Political Agency for the year 1883-84.’ [‎47r] (33/166)

EESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. FOE 1883-84.
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was supported by the Commandant of the garrison, for whom he had probably brought written
orders. Salim, however, refused to submit to this violation of the treaty, and ordered Nasir
to quit the place in 24* hours. Nasir then shut himself up in the fort and commenced to
bombard the town, which had no means of replying. The whole population, however, siding
with Salim, blockaded the fort and cut off the supplies, and the garrison, being at length
reduced to extremities, were compelled to capitulate after a siege of 7 months. The command
ant and his men were allowed to leave Mombasa unmolested, but Nasir was detained and kept
in irons. An abortive attempt to relieve the place was made by Sauced, who sent Hamud-bin-
Ahmed in the S/m/i Allum to assist Nasir, but he arrived too late.
It was not until about November 1833 that Sa'eed, having arranged terms with the
Wahabee General, Sa ; eed-bin-Mutlak, was able to devote his energies to the reconquest of
Mombasa.
Having appointed Howeynee his Deputy at Muscat, he set sail in the Rahmanee with the
Liverpool (seventy-four), two corvettes and 1,400 men, and anchored off Mombasa Fort.
Salim and the Mezinis, fearing the vengeance of Nasir, should the latter ever gain power
over them, strangled him in prison, and Sa'eed, enraged at this action, immediately commenced
a bombardment. His attacks, however, were repulsed by the Mezinis, who captured and
destroyed twobughlos, and Sa'eed, after 8 days' ineffectual warfare, had recourse to negociations.
Sa'eed pretended to regret his precipitate hostilities, and proposed peace on the basis of the
former treaty. This was accepted by Salim, who agreed to acknowledge Sa'eed's sovereignty,
but made proviso that the citadel was not to be occupied by Sa'eed's men. Sa'eed induced two
of Salim's relatives to accompany him, and, with this appearance of victory, he proceeded to
Zanzibar in triumph.
Soon after Sa'eed sent an expedition against Siwi, which had revolted. Salim assisted the
people of Siwi, and Sa'eed was defeated with immense loss. At Patta and Siwi, again, further
ao-oressive movements were equally unsuccessful.
Sa'eed's stay at Zanzibar was again of short duration. His ambitious schemes had no
sooner led him to distant shores than intestine troubles at home recalled him to restore order.
The mar-peace on this occasion was Hamud-bin-Azzan, who, taking advantage of the murder
of Saood-bin-Ali by his cousin Sultan-bin-Ahmed, marched on Rostak and took it, and then
prepared to attack Semail, the Wali of which, Mohammed Nasir El Jabri, had lately died.
It was feared that Hamud by the acquisition of these forts might be in a position to overawe
and seize Muscat, and the British Resident, therefore, in July 1834, with a view to support
Sa'eed's government and authority, moved down to Muscat and informed Hamud that his
persistence in rebellion would lead to his being considered an enemy of the British Government.
This intervention was effective in checking Hamud's designs for a time, but a few months
later his irrepressible ambition prompted him to take up arms again and seize Soweyk, from which
fort, however, he was very quickly dislodged by a force despatched from Muscat. Hamud's
popularity in the country, nevertheless, continued to increase, and, although Howeynee called in
the Kiowasim and the Beni Yas tribes to his aid, he was able to effect nothing against his cousin
until the return of Sa'eed from Zanzibar in April 1835. Sa'eed immediately took the field and
proceeded against Sohar, but, although this expedition returned with only a bare semblance of
success, his presence at home was sufficient to re-establish his authority and put an end to Hamud's
hostilities. Affairs in 'Oman for some time occupied Sa'eed's attentions, but, although pining to
return to Zanzibar, he was fearful to leave Muscat while Hamud was unsubdued, as the
latter would be certain to take immediate advantage of his absence. Sa'eed therefore, in 1836,
entered into an arrangement with Sa 'eed -bin-Mutlak to unite in expelling Hamud from Sohar
and Rostak. Sa'eed-bin-Mutlak accordingly besieged Sohar by land with 2,000 men, while
Sa'eed despatched a fleet and blockaded it by sea. Hamud's position was getting desperate,
when he succeeded in arousing Sa'eed's suspicions as to the intentions of the Wahabees, and
Sa'eed, hastily abandoning the enterprise, returned to Muscat. Soon after this a vessel of the
Indian Navy, under instructions from Government, who were desirous of promoting a recon
ciliation between Sa'eed and Hamud, proceeded to Sohar, and, having received Hamud on board,
returned to Muscat, where a written engagement was entered into by the latter that he would
not again rebel against Sa'eed or enter upon hostilities against Hilal-bin-Mohammed of
Soweyk. '
The Wali of Mombasa, Salim-bin-Ahmed, died in March 1835, and his death was the
signal for rivalry and dissensions between his brothers, Khamis and Nasir. After more than
a year spent in contention the succession was obtained by Salim's son, Rashid.