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'File 59/15 C (A 15) Muscat Miscellaneous' [‎238r] (484/508)

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The record is made up of 1 file (250 folios). It was created in 15 Jun 1903-27 May 1909. 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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Mr. Shakespear's Memorandum.
Sultan's weakness to see that Seyyid
Taimoor with his ultra-religious ways
would be a failure here, where interfer
ence with British interests would not be
tolerated for a moment.
There has been considerable gossip
of relations between father and son be
ing strained and as a case in point the
following story is illustrative
Early in November Sheikh Ali bin
Saleh (brother of the Sheikh of Shar-
qiyah) came to Ruwi and desired to
call on the Sultan. He was accompanied
by the Wali Sulaiman bin Suwailim,
His Highness apparently apprehensive
of a possible repetition of what occurred
in 1895 was exceedingly annoyed and
had high words with Seyyid Taimoor
who took the Sheikh's part. It is
reported that the Sultan has seldom
shown so heated a spirit. The incident
closed with a present to Sheikh Ali and
a request that he would at once leave
Ruwi for his home.
Comments thereupon.
(Sd.) W. H. I. SHAKESPEAR, Lt.,
(late) Officiating 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. ,
Ma skat.
This story is absurdly exaggerated.
Why should the Sultan show a heated
spirit? It rested with him to say
whether the Sheikh should come or
not, and he, probably wisely, declined
to receive him. Taimoor tried to per
suade his father to allow the interview,
but the latter was firm. Taimoor was
disappointed, but I am told by everyone
that he was little more.
The usual gift, and a polite intima
tion that he could come to Maskat.
N.B. —As already reported by me
the Sultan has recently refused to allow
Seyyid Taimoor to proceed to Samayil
to interview Sheikh 'Isa in connection
with the murder of the Wali Sulaiman.
Taimoor has shown no disappointment
at this, and his relations with his father
and myself were never more cordial
than they are at the time of writing
although he knows as well as I do who
it was who really prevented him from
going.
(Sd.) W. G. GREY, Major,
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. l Maskat,
G. C. Press, Simla.-No. C.-.18 F. D.-3-6-07.- 61.-J.D.

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Content

The volume contains correspondence and other papers on a range of political subjects, chiefly communicated by 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. at Muscat (Percy Cox until 1904; Major William Grey thereafter) to the Political 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. .

The file begins with correspondence related to the Sultan of Muscat's new steamship, but expands to encompass a greater range of matters of a political nature taking place in Oman. These include: debts of and loans to the Sultan of Muscat by the British Government and various individuals (f 44); a report from Cox (October 1903) of Sultan Faisal bin Turki's desire to abdicate (ff 54-56); numerous memorandums of interviews taking place in November 1903 between the Sultan, 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. (Charles Kemball), Muscat Agent (Cox) and the Viceroy of India (Lord Curzon) (ff 59-62, 64-67 68-73). During one interview the Sultan is bestowed the honour of Knight Grand Commander of the Indian Empire (G.C.I.E.) (f 65); reports on French activities, including the departure of Roger Laronce and the arrival of Beguin Billecocq as French Consul to Muscat (f 112), French naval vessels in the Gulf (ff 158-59, ff 217, 223); and German (f 176, 181) and Russian (f 173) consulates in Muscat.

Numerous papers in the second half of the file relate to the 1907 murder of Sulaiman bin Suwailim, Wali of Dhofar, and a trusted associate of Sultan Faisal bin Turki. A number of reports from Grey inform Cox (who is now 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. ) of the circumstances surrounding the murder, and negotiations between Sheikh Faisal and Sheikh Isa bin Salih of the Al-Harth tribe to bring the perpetrators (believed to belong to the Siyabiyin tribe) to justice.

Extent and format
1 file (250 folios)
Arrangement

An index to the file is included on the inside front cover of the volume, ff 2-3. The index is arranged by subject, with page numbers referring to the volume's foliation. These page numbers become increasingly inaccurate and unreliable in relation to those subjects in the second half of volume (from f 150). Most of the subjects referred to in the index have their own cover page in the file. The items within each subject are arranged in chronological order. The arrangement of the subjects themselves are in chronological order (earliest to latest), based on the date of the first item of correspondence contained therein.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The volume has been foliated from the front cover to the last page with circled pencil numbers in the top-right corner of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page. There is evidence of an earlier foliation system which uses red or blue pencil numbers in the top-left of versos and top-right of rectos. Foliation anomalies: 165A.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'File 59/15 C (A 15) Muscat Miscellaneous' [‎238r] (484/508), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/553, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023724878.0x000054> [accessed 24 April 2024]

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