Coll 20/39 'Muscat: Tours of Political Agent; General Situation in Oman; Including assistance to Sultan of Muscat - RAF support' [‎116v] (233/283)

'I
Sultan; but the Qnanis appearea to consider it unaffected by the change of
rulers (PZo46/33 PZo37 1 /3^- flagged on collection 20/2). The present
Imaai, Luhairmad Bin Abdullah al Khalili, who lives xainly at the ancient capital
of Rastaq is believed to be almost entirely under the influence of Sheikh Isa
Bin Saleh al Harthi. He acknowledges the Sultan’s suzerainty, but is in fact
independent. The Sultan’s influence in the hipterland has increased however
in the last few years, partly by contact with the Sheikhs of the various tribes,
partly by his control during the war of imported goods and partly oecause the
establishment of an R.A.F. air base at Salalah gave the tribes visual evidence
of the strength of H.KG.’s support.
In i\.arch of this year Colonel Galloway, who was then 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.
Muscat, visited the Jabal Akhdhar and stayed with Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamid, son-
in-law of the Imam, from whom he learnt tha^ the Imam was dangerously ill and that
Sheikh Sulaiman Bin Hamiyar al pabhani and SheiKn Isa Bin Saleh al Hart hi had met
and apparently hatched a plot to divide Cman between them on his death
(iixt. 191 <4/^-5 below]:. After the meeting, where Sheikh Ali Bin Abdullah al Beni
Bu Ali was also present Sheikh Sulaiman Bin Hamiyar went to Sur and from there
sent a message on behalf of the Sheikhs to the Sultan that they wished to see him.
The Sultan agreed to receive a representative in Dhofar and by him returned a
message that he would lieak his journey to l.uscat at Sur and see Sheikh Sulaiman
Bin Hamiyar there (Hxt. 2247/45 below). The Sultan arrived at Sur on 4th May
and persuaaed Sheikh Sulaiman Bin Hamiyar and Sheikh Ali Bin Abdullah to go to
Muscat as his guests; once there he did everything in his power to impress them
(Ext.3494A-5 below).
Both Sheikhs have declared that they will take no part in the election of
a new Imam; as has Sheikh Isa Bin Saleh of the Sharquiyetu Meanwhile the Imam
has written to the Sultan saying that he is sending an emissary to Muscat to
discuss important questions. Hxactly what is behind all this is impossible to
see from here. Colonel Galloway suggests in his letter of 4th June (Ext. 3075/45
below) that the Sheikhs wish to abolish the Imamate and the Sultan hopes to extend
his influence over the hinterland probably relying on a H network of agreements"
with the various Sheikhs. The outcome is of importance to us however for two
reasons - oil and locusts.
In the Winter of 1936-9 Petroleum Concessions Ltd., who hold oil concessions
from the Sultan in respect of Muscat and Dhofar sent survey parties into the
hinterland, one of which travelled .under the auspices of the Sultan, to the
Baraimi oasis via the Batineh Coast, Ibri, Yanqul, Jabal Kafit and returned via
Sohar (PZ.m- 70/39 flagged on Collection 30/110(3)). They were forced to travel
too rapidly to make an effective survey, hov/ever, and had hoped to return to
that area in the Winter of 1939-40, but that project and any further exploration
had to be abandoned owing to the outbreak of vrar (PZ. 5742/39 fl&ggeu on
Collection 30/110(3)). The Company now wish to resume operations and propose
to send a small mapping party to the Jabal Fayah - Baraimi — Jabal Hafit area
a proaching it from the North, and possibly endeavour to penetrate inland from
points along the coast between Ras al Hadd and Masirah (Ext. 1758/45 flagged on
Collection 30/110(4)). The 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. considers that they should be
asked to postpone the second half of this programme as "any attempt to penetrate
the hinterland from the uscat side this Winter ’would fetter the Sultan's freedan
of action"‘(2xt*3^57A5 flagged on Collection 30/110(4)). The success of
Petroleum Concession Ltd.’s operations in this area may well depend largely on
the outcome of the present negotiations with the Sheikhs and the amount of
protection the Sultan is able to give them.
The Inter-departmental Camnittee on Locust control proposed that locust
reconnaissance parties should penetrate Chian both from the North and the South
Iasi Summer (Ext. 2242/45 flagged on File 6705 / 41 ). The Sultan refused
permission for the Northern recomaissance nowever in view "of the delicate
situation in the hinterland" (Ext.3073/45 flagged on File Ext. 6705/41 )•
The Locust Committee are anxious that such a reconnaissance should take place
this Autumn and Mr. Thesiger who is to be in charge of this operation is
leaving London for the Gulf next month, where he is to consult the
Political Authorities and possibly the Sultan in the hope that the situation
may by then be sufficiently stable to allow the penetration into the
hinterland of a party of locust experts (Ext. 3805/45 flagged on File
Ext. 670p/4l )•
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