File 2698/1913 'Muscat: rebellion against the Sultan' [‎59r] (126/434)

No. m, dated Maekat, the 31st July (received 11th August) 1913 (Confidential).
From— Major S. G. Knox, C.I.E., 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. and His Britannic Majesty's
Consul, Maskat, " J
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department, Simla.
I have the honour to submit herewith the copy of a letter No. 123, dated
the 27th July 1913, with enclosures, which I have addressed to the Political
Itesident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
Enclosure.
No. 123, dated Maskat, the 31st July 1913 (Confidential).
From— Major S G. Knox, C.I.E., 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. and His Britannic Majesty’s
Consul, Maskat,
To— Lieutenant-Coloneu Sir P. Z. Cox, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., 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. and
His Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
I have the honour to submit herewith an ad interim report bringing
the history of the rising of the Imam of Tanuf up to date.
2. A copy of this letter, with its enclosure, is being forwarded to the
Hon’ble the Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department.
Sub-Enclosure.
(Confidential.)
EFFORT.
Report on the history of the rising of the Imam of Tanuf brought forward to the 31st July
1913,
The present lull in active operations seems to afford a good opportunity
for presenting a history to date of the Imam’s rising and for taking stock of
the present situation of affairs.
Causes of rising.
2. It now transpires that, practically ever since the establishment of the
warehouse in September 1912, the principal Abbathi Shaikh, Abdullah bin
Hamad as Salimi, has been quietly at work, sowing disaffection among the
Omani tribesmen. His method has been to misrepresent the warehouse as a
subtle device of the English, who had bought over the Sultan to their purposes,
for depriving the Omani tribes of modern weapons, and especially of ammuni
tion, so that they might reduce them to impotence and then ride rough shod i
over them.
3. It has also been suggested that a more recent cause, which may he
compared to the match that set alight the combustible material carefully
prepared by as Salimi, was the converting to his own uses by Saiyid Faisal of
a portion, estimated at dollars 18,000, of the estate left by the lately deceased
Kazi of Sohar, Muhammad bin Saif ar Eahaili. The late Kazi was, for this
country, wealthy and respected and he died leaving a son his sole heir r Saiyid
Faisal’s action, though high-handed, was not, in the customs of the country,
unusual but, probably on account of his personal unpopularity which seems
unquestionable, gave great umbrage to the “ Mutawwab ” or religious party,
who seem to have considered, though it is uncertain on what grounds, that the
money should have been devoted to the support of the poorer brethren among
them. The immoveable property is nominally in charge of the son.
History of rising.
4. The first results of these machinations were the alarmist reports that
reached Maskat in the third week of May 1913 that Shaikh Abdullah as
Salimi had set up his son-in-law, Salim bin Rashid as “Imam of the
Muslimin , \ It was alleged subsequently that Salim bin Rashid, styled al
Kharusi, had to he appointed to this honourable position with threats of being