'Negotiations with Ibn Saud regarding Boundaries of Saudi Arabia' [‎14r] (27/58)

indopcndorit ninaed, and tbs treaty of Sib in 1920 osfc&lijBhea in
their view their oaoplcte independence of the Sultan* and It a e eng
unlikely that they v/ill readily foro&o this hy voting hia in as
their Inas^ or hy agreeing to any measure which will restore the
Sultan* s jurisdiction.
In 1948 when nary other Shaikhs visited the Sultan* one
old Shaikh, of this tribe* Khalfan bin Othoan* another close friend
of /lined bin Ibrahin* the Minister for Interior* cone to Muscat*
and neither ho nor his brother have over visited Muscat or not the
The tribe as a whole is not numerous and its nonbers are
employed mostly in tending oonols and in cultivation*
E L lit'J Hvi (including /il bu Shanis).
The Nain tribe vras fbmcrUy the most numerous and powerful
':ribe of the central portion of the Cs-ion pronontoxy partly nonadio
and pax*tly settled in both Trucial and Sultanate Cfcjan* A branch
^ of the tribe also migrated to Bahrain and Qatar generations ago*
The Ka'im are divided into -hvo main subdivisions*
/J. bu Iliaraiban and Al bu Shrmis.
For years the tribe has boon torn by internal dissension
and both thedjr influence and population are now much depleted.
The total strength of the bedouin and settled portion of
the tribe in Sultanate Onan* that is in Ehahiroh district and the
sanawhat disputed Jn.u tract in which the Buraimi Oasis lies* and
which is regarded by the Na , in as their headquarters* night be about
five thousand* mustering perhaps two thousand rifloa| but they
could never bo regarded as one force. Settled in undisputed
Sultanate territory are perhaps two thousand* with about eight
hundred rifles*
Of those the A1 bu Shanis division has altogether brolcen
away from the Naim and nay for all practical purposes bo regarded
as a separate tribe* with their headquarters also in the Buraiai
area.. ^ bedouin section under Shaikh Mohammad bin finljn bin Rahnah
lives around Sanainah and Qabil* south of Buroini# A settled
portion* under Shaikh kashid bin Hamad al Shamis lives in Honosah
near- Buraini* whilst another section* who unlike the others* are
Hinowis* is settled around Lhank (Bhahirah district) under Shaikh
Matar bin Salim al Azizi.
The bedouin section of the Al bu Shamis could muster about
four riflos; tl^e other sections ore negligible. Their
total population nay bo one thousand* The Sultan claims influence
over toe .1 bu Shams and has stated that he pays then annual
a-Uavo-noes and fines thsa for disturbances or disorders occur!nr in
tr-o^ terviteay. is no evidence of either oSca
Uu ^ ccnt: it is doubtful if in fact the Sultan or Imam
^ tho ° 5 , coiltrca # and/tribe is virtualOy independent,
though at least portiona are settled in undisputed Sultanate
terrxtary Dhank). Shaikh Mohannad bin Salim bin Rahnah is
bcliovoo. to have visited, the Sultan in 1948 and to have offered to
?^m e fc * LLar0ra at ^ disposal for Rs. 25*000/-
Sultan seams to have been unimpressed
and to ^ sent him owt^r with a present of M.T. Dollars 5 OO/-
With