'File 9/5 Vol. 1 Naval & Shipping: A. British Navy: (5) Khor Kuwai' [‎7r] (18/384)

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agementJ
Muscat and France, 1770-1934.
1770-1891.
Muscat Pre
cis, § 205,
footnote.
Lor. I, 525.
13. There appears to be no recorded French connection with Muscat (and
certainly none of any importance) before the second half of the eighteenth century. Lor. I, 416,
rimarily £ t p e secoru ] half of the eighteenth century intermittent relations were established 428 > 430 >
ith Muscg^p t } )e ru lers of Muscat through the French Agents at Baghdad and in the 462 > 468 -
who ha^J aU ritius. Those relations were temporarily interrupted in 1781, but were
n, and hL new ed in 1785. Relations remained generally friendly up to 1798, in which year
etween gultan entered into an agreement with Great Britain under which he undertook
led leudr C0 _ 0 perate with her against France. Overtures made by the French Government
the inte^ 1799 we re rejected, and the Sultan in 1803 declined to receive a French mission
Award C a p>ench ’Consul who had been appointed to Muscat by Napoleon. In 1807,
and shou| lowever> a t rea ty was concluded between Muscat and the French Captain-General at
t an ami u ^ au ntius. A revised treaty was substituted in 1808 and a French Consular Agent
sent to reside at Muscat, where he remained until 1810. French influence, now for
the Awa* shcat time predominant in Muscat, disappeared with the capture of Mauritius and
d necessafteunion by Great Britain in 1810. From 1815 onwards relations were again re-
e separaptablished. A commercial convention finally came into existence and (after prior
is does n eference by the Sultan to H.M. Government) a regular Commercial Treaty was
if Americ included with France in 1844. No French representative w r as, how r ever, accepted
immedia n Muscat up to the death of Saiyid Said in 1850, and while the French authorities
erection fc Mauritius appear to have attached importance to maintaining the connection
house aif France with the Sultanate, those relations were of no special significance,
se it won 14. There were no developments of importance between 1844 and the conclusion
istructed of the Anglo-French Declaration of 1862, which was, of course, concluded without
houvenel reference to Muscat, nor did the French Government show any signs of greater
the Frencnterest in Muscat between 1862 and 1891. In 1874 a French Vice-Consul appears
>endence lo have been appointed to Muscat (under the terms of the French Treaty of 1844),
declaratiolut the appointment never took effect. In 1881 a British subject (who was already
f Zanzibaicting as Consul for the United States of America) was appointed to act as French
paramoutonsul, but the period for which he held this post is not clear.
^ ffuJ 1891-1899.
15. From 1891 onwards there is a marked increase in French interest in Oman.
Vt about this period France and Russia had entered into a combination for the Lor. I 547.
mrpose of diminishing British influence in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and of promoting a
pint policy of their own in that region. In Oman the task of opposing British
above, wfcterests devolved on France. In 1891 the French Government protested (without
(signed ooundation) that the rule of succession to the Sultanate of Oman had recently been
4e 4 of tliltered under the advice of the Government of India. In 1893 an undertaking was
rties “ shajiven in the French Chamber that a Vice-Consul should be established at Muscat,
with thejnd unsuccessful endeavours were made by a French subject to obtain a site for a
less houseual shed at Sur.
16. In 1894 a French Vice-Consul w'as appointed and took up his post. Between
.894 and 1899 no effort was spared to increase .French prestige in Muscat at the
Muscat. ,xpense of H.M. Government. In 1895 a French war vessel reached Muscat only
te Sultan i few days too late to assist the Sultan in dealing with insurgents against his
‘ssors nevjuthority. In 1896 France protested against assistance given by H.M. Government
the Britie the Sultan to re-establish his authority in Dhofar, on the grounds that it was
endenciesjontrary to the Declaration of 1862. In 1897 they themselves offered the services
die termsa French w 7 ar vessel, which were, however, declined, to suppress the Dhofar
mnicated rebellion ; and in 1898 they acquired, without prior reference to H.M. Government,
unicated \ site for a coaling shed in Muscat territory. The difficult situation which
h 31 behresulted is described in more detail in the note on the Bunder Gisseh incident in
pas contraparagraphs 30 to 36 below. Suffice it to say that after considerable diplomatic
liscussion and as the result of the deliver} 7 of an ultimatum to the Sultan by
d.M. Government, the Sultan in .1899 cancelled the lease and agreement was
34. *eached between the British and French Governments on the basis of the division
annection^lween France and H.M. Government, with the Sultan’s approval, of an area which
been placed since 1874 been occupied by British coaling sheds.
is^of Frac The, French Flag Question, 1899-1905.
•resent tin Since a period prior even to the Anglo-French Declaration of 1862 the French
lad been in the habit of granting the protection of their flag to Muscat vessels—