'File 8/67 MUSCAT STATE AFFAIRS: MUSCAT – OMAN TREATY.' [‎53v] (111/316)

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resent-d if not disowned by the Sultan. Every argument was used, that '
there were millions of Moslems to whom their Imam was not l maQ
Sat this. was a political not f a rehgmus mat f an so on All to ^
avail till by chance I was able to quote to them the Hadith of the peace raad#
hv the prophet Mohomed at Hudaibiyah a year before the conquest of Meow
between him and the people of Mecca In the document he originally described
“ vfnlinmcd rasul allah . Ihe people ot Mec ca it pint * that this u.;
between men anu uic 5 v
himself “ Mohomed rasul allah . the people ot .Mecca repheci that this was
absurd if he was the prophet of God there was no question of making ■
Rbsura, it ne was me v,, * peace
■with him or not. The prophet saw the force of the argument and described
v:„,.„ir “ Molmmed bin Abdullah”. This direct appeal to their reliffin.,.
himself plain “ Mohomed bin Abdullah”. Tiiis direct appeal to their religi
history carried the day, and the word Imam was omitted from the body ot tie
, J , 1 * 1 . • nr o nrrnnoPfl hpf.u’ppn flip Snlfovi’n
;ioug
mstory cairiea mt; tun, auu u ^ ,, , , u * Ui me
document whicli simply read as conditions arranged between the Sultan s Govern,
mentand Isa bin S.tlih on behalf of the O n ani tribes. I explained to them
that I bad no objection to any one signing for or as an Imam-al-Muslimin,
The doonment was written and the signatures affixed and in the evening
the Sheikhs departed tor the interior to obtain the signature of the Imam, and
of the Sheikhs of the Beni Itiyam the Beni Ghafir and the Abri/in. Before
their departure I took a copy of the document signed and certified by Sheikh Isa
and took the precaution of warning him that the penal zakafc would not be liftej
till the document was returned.
Tlie signature of the Imam was obtained on the 28th September and fie
document returned to me on the 7 th October signed by the remaining Sheikhs.
The Imam also sent three letters addressed to his three Walis in Semail,
Muawal and Eustaq, authorising them to hand oyer all the gardens to the agents
of the owners.
In the meantime I had obtained a similar document from the Sultan'i
Government.
Both parties are being given copies of the documents certified by me.
i he peace was proclaimed on tbe 8 (h and already dates and Oman’s are
poming in. An enormous boom in trade is anticipated, and the merchants nre
prej anng to go into the interior.
w w r
Whether the peace will lost cannot be foretold, but it should lost at leai‘
or some tune. Bol upsides are tired and desire the resumption of normal inter
course ami trade. Both sides have got what they want. The 0 nanis mat
only
uo - MULS nave go.t what they want. The 0 nanis mav
say lave complete independence, the Sultan may say they only liavi*
nfrllh 10 ^ r , 9 Tne Sultan is relieved of the expense and responsibility
on—voo a Ulb .l' eat y d rebellious interior which ba*ed him, u bile he has len
omst ThA? ' 8 0n yreVe T^ eeTerg0t . WJsi;hft 6 P f ' r ^nt zakat on Ike
nicnt which .‘ n; ' 11 ‘^ ,a ’ t ^ge tlieir own affairs under their theoera*ic Govrn)-
though sucli fVv SSIJ '^ , e G^'fn'nent best tuiti-d to their peculiar condition
it front t nTonrt? W0 ^ b8 im P ossible 111 contact with the outer world,
Sultan’s Government . ma ‘ !!tenatlc ® of peace is the strengthening of the
payino it s W1T oil ' . 18 finan ® es are mw in order and the State is non
ivlth°a small levv ^/ 6 t 3 a - Sk f- et ° n ’ quite su!Bcient . of an administra'ion.
that the hi^r r d : r ic is probab!E
dolicacf'
tk®
He will inevita 1 ih''he*nwd°''^ Ca ' ^? enf * n .^ ie future will he of same delicac;
greatest tact and‘patience ‘’ s .,? n 1 '” t ' l! 1 'me:'mry over delicate questions and tk
ferenceaalanocEnTi- e be necessary. With the minimum of int«
- occasional hint much will be however smoothed over.
Gopies of the agreements in Araik
with English tr‘iislalioiis areattaP^
# Not.printed,
1,1 ! " C ‘ !<lme ifG od the compassionate, the merciful,
m nt
bin; IUCJ Ulj III/.
— ..t of Sdtan^aiyid T-Timnid ' !n tbo sott 'ement between the
al-Hrathi on behalf of th c 0 ^ 1 ^ ^ and 8, ' eikb Isa llin Salah
1 J manis who s'g*n thoiv r.a>vw»o
?’gn their names here thro