!['File 8/67 MUSCAT STATE AFFAIRS: MUSCAT – OMAN TREATY.' [‎57v] (119/316)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000881.0x000027/IOR_R_15_6_264_0119.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'File 8/67 MUSCAT STATE AFFAIRS: MUSCAT – OMAN TREATY.' [‎57v] (119/316)")
'File 8/67 MUSCAT STATE AFFAIRS: MUSCAT – OMAN TREATY.' [57v] (119/316)
The record is made up of 1 volume (154 folios). It was created in 14 Oct 1920-27 Jul 1934. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
G7
without protest has done more to alienate the interior audio prevent the Saltans
irom re-establishing their authority than all the rest put together. In otner
words it has been support wrongly applied, in money an 1 not in essentials,
interference in external affairs which must have serious,y reacted upon
internal peace and no palliative except money which was thrown into the sea or
Avorse by those into whose hands we put it.
The result v as that we were reduced to the absurd position of supporting
by arm d force under our treaty obligations a ruler against whom most of his
subjects were in open rebellion, v\ho was theoretically independent and ^et who
W'ould be driven into the sea in a day if it were not for us.
The immediate causes of the 1913 rebellion were an outbreak of religious
fanaticism coinciding with the sloppage of the importation of arms.
2. Events from Colonel Bonn’s first meeting with the Oman Chiefs in i915
till Major Haworth’s meeting with the same in September 1919.
In January 1915 the Imam accompanied by Sheikh Isa bin S ilih-a 1 -TIarithi
and many Oman Sheikhs attacked in force our defences at Bait-al-Ealaj guard
ing Mattrah. The attack was beaten olf with serious loss to the Omanis who
learnt their lesson there once and for all. The Imam however remained in
indisputable possession of the interior and a constant menace to tbe coast towns
which he would probably have taken had it not been for tbe certainty that he
would be driven out in a few davs with the advent of a British m m-of-war.
*
In May Lieutenant-Colonel Berm, 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.
, sent a circular le t r
to the Oman Sheikhs asking for a conference in which peace might be arrangel
between the Sultan and the Imam. This did not meet with a very warm res
ponse in the interior, but after considerable correspondence a meeting was
finally arranged and took place at Sib on the 15th September 1 15 between
Colonel Benn and Sheikh Isa as tho-representative of the Imam’s party.
This meeting was entirely abortive. In the Sultan’s mind was the para
mount idea that he would eventually recover his authority in the interior,
in the minds of the representatives of the Imam their unassailable
position as conquerors and their mcril pv-ition as Ibadhis obeying the
dictates of religion. The two most important points demanded by tho
Saltan were the return of the Semail forts and the recognition of his temporal
supremacy in Oman. These were categorically refused by the Omanis who
demanded that the Sultan should reform his government according to their
ideas, that they should be given subsidies, arms and so on.
I^o reconciliation was possible and the negotiations were broken off.
Prom this date till 191.S no further steps wore taken towards a settlemen*.
The Imam backed up by the two great Chiefs Sheikh Isa bin SaUh-al-Harithi,
head of the Hinavyi confederal ion and Sheikh Hamiyar bin Nasir-al-Nabhani,
head of the Ghafiri contidefation consolidated his power in the interior. On the
other hand the Smtnns Government sank from bad to worse, because involved
in hopeless debt and reached an unparalleled degree of ineptitude.
In March 1918 during tbe absence of the Sultan four relations of Sheikh
Isa s came down into Muscat and were seized by Siiyid Nadir who was acting
iOr the Sultan and imprisoned. This resulted in letters from Sheikh Isa to the
. , ^ 1 itical A 0 ent as king for their release. The Sultan in return
insisted on the return of the valuable gardens seized by the Omanis, and the
1 o itical Agent declined to interfere except on these lines and the matter was
drooped.
. In i the meantime 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.
Major Haworth had realised the
iraperatnre necessity of taking drastic measures to preserve the Sultan’s Govern
ment oil the coast from complete financial and actual collapse, and a loan to
]m\ k ui&an s deo s and arrangements to obtain the services of an experi
enced Customs official were made.
Our a ictories in the great war now made the occasion a suitable one for
again approaching the Omanis with a view to a settlement and the Political
About this item
- Content
This volume concerns relations between the Sultan of Muscat and Oman and the tribes of interior Oman. The volume contains multiple copies of notes produced in October 1920 by 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. and Consul at Muscat, providing a British perspective on the history of political affairs in Muscat and Oman from the late 18th century to the present day (ff 6-22, ff 49-53 and ff 56-60). The notes attempt to summarise the underlying causes of the tense relations between the Sultan and the Omani tribes, before going on to document events during the period October 1919-October 1920, which culminated with the re-establishment of peaceful relations, following the conclusion of an agreement between the two parties (the Treaty of Sib, concluded on 25 September 1920). Related items include multiple copies of the English text of the 1920 agreement (ff 23-26, ff 53-55, and ff 60-62), and a Photostat copy of the Arabic text of the concluding part of the Treaty (f 154).
The volume also documents the Sultan's relations with the Omani tribes in the years following the treaty. There is a series of letters written in 1924 between 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. and Shaikh Isa bin Saleh [Shaikh ‘Īsá bin Ṣāliḥ al-Ḥārthī], who makes a request to import ammunition and protests against taxes that he claims contravene the Treaty of Sib. The correspondence dated 1932-1934 largely concerns the murder of a Muscat Government clerk at Sib, and the Sultan's frustration with the evasive response of Shaikh Isa bin Saleh on the matter. Also discussed in this part of the volume is the question of whether the Treaty of Sib will be renewed.
In addition to the treaty text mentioned above, the Arabic language material mainly consists of correspondence between the British and Muscat authorities and various shaikhs and subjects of interior Oman (English translations are included).The volume includes copies of correspondence originally written in 1919. There is no material covering the periods 1922-1923, 1925-1931, and no material dated after 1934, with the exception of a note at the rear of the volume, which is dated 16 October 1961.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (154 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 156; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'File 8/67 MUSCAT STATE AFFAIRS: MUSCAT – OMAN TREATY.' [57v] (119/316), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/6/264, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100070535087.0x000078> [accessed 25 April 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100070535087.0x000078
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100070535087.0x000078">'File 8/67 MUSCAT STATE AFFAIRS: MUSCAT – OMAN TREATY.' [‎57v] (119/316)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100070535087.0x000078"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000881.0x000027/IOR_R_15_6_264_0119.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000881.0x000027/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/6/264
- Title
- 'File 8/67 MUSCAT STATE AFFAIRS: MUSCAT – OMAN TREATY.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:22v, 28r:32v, 38r:39v, 41r:45v, 49r:52v, 56r:59v, 63r:63v, 66r:66v, 69r:70v, 72r:72v, 75r:79v, 82r:82v, 85r:90v, 93r:99v, 121r:122v, 125r:142v, 145r:153v, 155r:155v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence