‘Précis of correspondence relating to Zanzibar affairs from 1856 to 1872. Prepared by Captain P D Henderson, attached to the Foreign Department’ [‎85v] (10/114)

Events preceding the arbitration by the Government of India.
No further correspondence regarding the succession to the throne of the
deceased Imam appears to have been received from Zanzibar. Syed Majid
remained in undisturbed possession of Zanzibar and the African possessions ;
his brother, Syed Thoweynee, ruled at Muscat, and a third brother, Syed
Toorkee, at Sohar.
2. Expedition fitted oijt by Sted Thoweynee against Zanzibar.
His consent to abide by arbitration of British Government .—In Decem
ber 1858 the Native Agent Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. at Muscat informed the Bombay Government that
Syed Thoweynee, the ruler of Muscat, was fitting out an expedition against his
brother, Syed Majid, at Zanzibar. The cause of hostilities was said to be the
failure of the latter to remit the sum of 40,000 dollars, which, by an arrange
ment made in 1856-57, Syed Majid had agreed to pay annually to his brother.
Captain Jones, the Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , was thereupon directed by the
Bombay Government to proceed at once to Muscat and endeavor, by friendly
counsel and remonstrance in the first instance, to prevent Syed Thoweynee
from resorting to violence, and to persuade him, if he had any claim to prefer
against his brother, to address the British Government on the subject.
On the 3rd February 1859 the Bombay Government wrote that the report
communicated by the Native Agent Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. had been confirmed by an Arab officer in
the Muscat service then at Calcutta.
a The Arab Captain/^ they said^ " stated that Syed Thoweynee had been instigated by
the French to attack his brother, who has incurred their displeasure by his honest desire to
act up to his engagements with the British Government for the suppression of the slave trade.
" It is not necessary to suppose that this is not the case. Judging, indeed, from the
letters addressed to Syed Majid by the Governor of Bourbon, a copy of which accompanied ray
letter to the l oreign Department, it is by no means incredible ; but it is evident that the
general impression that Syed Ihoweynee is countenanced in his aggressive projects by the
1 rench colonial authorities must strengthen his hands, especially in the absence of any indi
cation of an opposite policy on the part of the British Government/'
^ ith regard to the remonstrances that Captain Jones had been desired to
address to Syed Thoweynee, the Bombay Government said that, should the
latter persevere in his intention,—
the fact that our remonstrance has been unheeded, while we have done nothing at
Zanzibar to afford a moral support to Syed Majid, will tell in favor of Syed Thoweynee rather
than against him; for there can be little doubt that there is at Zanzibar a party hostile to
Syed Majid and his policy of good faith, and favorable to Syed Thoweynee and to the slave
trade." J
In order to hold Syed Thoweynee in check and to afford protection to
British subjects at Zanzibar, the Assaye was ordered to that port. The instruc
tions issued by the Bombay Government were approved by the Government of
India.— ( Cons., 25^ February 1859, Nos. 46-50.;
. before the reply of the Supreme Government could reach Bombay, news
arrived there from Muscat, dated 27th January, to the effect that Sved
Thoweynee was then on the point of sailing for Zanzibar with a force of 2,500
men. ^ llie Bombay Government, fearing that their instructions to the Resi-
ent m the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. would not reach him in time, despatched, on the 11th
February, to Muscat the Vunjah with Lieutenant-Colonel Russell, Military
Secretary to the Governor, as bearer of a letter to Syed Thoweynee, contain-
ing remonstrances against the proposed expedition, and proposing that the
matter should be submitted to the arbitration of the British Government. In
a minute recorded by Lord Elphinstone on the subject, it was mentioned as a
ground for the proposed intervention of the British Government,—
" it must always be the interest of our Government to preserve the peace and to prevent mari
time war among the Arab Chiefs, which soon degenerates into piracy."