File 4535/1928 Pt 8 ‘ – PERSIAN GULF – QUESTION OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PROTECTORATES OVER KOWEIT, BAHREIN, MUSCAT, TRUCIAL COAST.’ [‎68r] (129/194)

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fl.p's u® ? a p S ' - 9 " 30 ) lhe necessity of taking drastic measures to preserve
the Suhau s Government on the coast from complete collapse was recognised
by the Government of India and His Majesty's Government; a loan”from
Indian revenues was made to Ills Highness to enable him to put his house in
I ?> v ? f nal ! y ’ T p . ress,,re was pnt on the Omani tribes through the
ohtical Agent with a view to securing a settlement between them imd the
Sultan After much correspondence, the Imam was persuaded to resume
negotiations, and a meeting took place between him and 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 bib on the J5th September 1919.* 441 ^gem,
49 \ery great difficulty was experienced in arriving at agreement It
was only after negotiations had been broken off, and definite action taken to
show not only that the support of the Sultan by His Majesty’s Government
uas a leality, but that the Sultan was in a position to retaliate effectively
on the Omanis by the taxing of their produce when it came down to the
coast for export, that any advance was secured. A British Adviser was
appointed to the State,f a British warship, which actually inflicted punish!
muit at Masuaaluf was despatched to support the Sultan’s authoritvon the
coast, and prohibitive duties were imposed on Omani produce with the
^th sSember'piif aft thR Ima 'V Va f 1 m ' lrdered llis tlab ^,§ and that on
reached^between\hfcon^icHng S parties!?| neg0tiati ° n ’ “S™*
• ^ a ( Uuder the terms of settlement, the Sultan undertook^ not to interfere
m the internal affairs of Oman (no formal admission of Omani indepen
dence being given); not to impose taxation in excess of 5 per cent on
commodities brought into the coast towns from Oman ; to allow members of
he tribes to enter and leave Muscat and the coast towns in saTety and
fieedom , and to return fugitive criminals on demand.
ol. 1 be tribes, on the other hand, contracted to remain in Deace and
amity with the bultau s Government, with which they were not to mterfere •
not to attack the coast towns ; to impose no restrictions on trade: to under
take that travellers to Oman on their lawful business should be free and
sale; to turn out fugitive criminals and evil-doers; and to dispose of the
e aims of merchants and others against them according to the Sharah law.
q if a » ree *f ient > which, as will be seen, involves recognition by the
bultan of the practical independence of the Omani tribes, has, on the whole
woiked well since 19JO. Action had to be taken in 1922 by His Maiestv’s
| Upi J 0rt oi the M «scat Government against one of the Omani\ribes
(the Yal baad on the Batineh coast),- 1 -- hut, broadly speaking the situation *.
has stabilised itself, and the Omani tribes, while they would'no doubt
constitute an immediate menace were the support of His Majesty’s Govern
ment "’indrawn, have ceased, at any rate temporarily, to interfere with and
harass the Sultan’s Government. 1
P. 37‘JO/Ui: tel.
1464 S. from Viceroy
to S. of S. for I.,
Oct. 22 191!),
P. 6724/19, 7:169/19.
t Tel. from S. of S.
for I. to Viceroy,
Jan. 16 1920,
P. 8544/19, 5039/20.
X Admiralty to f.O.,
April 21 1920,
P. 3140/20.
§ Viceroy to S. of 8.
for I., 9945, Auk. 10
1920, P. 6107/20.
|| Viceroy to S. of S.
for I., 1180 S., Oct. 9
1920, P. 7486, 8294.
G- of I. Deep. 37,
Mar. 31 1921,
P. 1969/21.
ir 1
V.—Foreign Relations of Muscat, 1908-1928.
5,j. During the first part of the period now under consideration the
existence of treaty relations between France and Muscat was, as will he
onr Tr' 1 ’ P f alaS D ‘ lo a ' ove ' of 1110 first importance from the standpoint
ot His Majesty s Government in connection with the suppression of the arms
traffic. It is unnecessary to enter into the details of the relations between
the two countries since the substantial consideration which led to French
interest in Muscat disappeared with the amicable settlement reached between
His Majesty s Government and the French Government on the suppression
of tlie arms trahic m February 1914. But the settlement in questkAdid
not involve the abrogation of the French Treaty with Muscat of 1814, or of
• ‘ llg 0 ‘ rcl " f ‘ Declaration of 1802, and the continued existence of these
instruments .is of sufficient importance in present circumstances to call for
brief notice m this Memorandum. 0
.54 As will be seen from the precis of the Muscat 1’reaties referred (o in
para. 2 above the Sultan of Muscat has a Commercial Treaty with France
dating from 1844. There is further the joint Anglo-French Declaration of