Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [‎547r] (1100/1154)

muscat and Prance, 1770-1934
1770-189].
13. There appears to be no recorded F 1
certainly none of any importance) before the second hT^r Wi f. h Muscat (“d
In the second half of the eighteenth century intermitt lp ei t,'hteenth century. Lor. I 416
with the rulers of Muscat through the !wi> A* 8 ”*, w ere estaUishid 4 28,430, ’
Mauritius, dhose relations were tempomril* A 8 ®®* 8 at , ®«^»dad and in tib* ^ «8.
renewed m 1785. Relations remained Z er altfr? P T Pted m 1781 ’ but ^re
the Sultan entered into an agreement vrith Great Brito/ 7 UP ! t0 lu which y ear
to co-operate with her against France. Overtu^ ™dertook
in 1799 were rejected, and the Sultan in 1803 declined F the . l<ren S, 11 Government
or a French 'Consul who had been anVointed 7 M t0 / e k Cei ™ a ? rencl1 ™ssion
however, a treaty was concluded between Muscat and the V ^ fu 1807,
Mauritius. A revised treaty was substituted in ixm i r re p C ^ ^ a P^ am -General at
sent to reside at Muscat, where he remained until 1810 Consular Agent
a short time predominant in MuscarrapneaTed\/itl the t m ® U 1 f ce ! now for
v G r “** I- i8w - 3S.r«"““. d
established. A commercial convention finally came into existence and (after prior
reference by the Sultan to H.M Government) a regular Commercial Treaty was
concluded with France m 1844 No French representative was, however, accepted
in Muscat up to the death of Saiynl Said m 1856, and while the French authorities
in Mauiitms appear^ to have attached importance to maintaining the connection
of France with the tmltanate, those relations were of no special significance
14. There were no developments of importance between 1844 and the conclusion
of the Anglo-4 rench Declaration of 1862, which was, of course, concluded without
reference to /Muscat, noi did the french Government show any signs of greater
interest in Muscat between 1862 and 1891. In 1874 a French Vice-Consul appears Muscat Pre-
to have been appointed to Muscat (under the terms of the French Treaty of 1844), cis, § 205,
but the appointment never took effect. In 1881 a British subject (who was already
acting as Consul for the United States of America) was appointed to act as French ° r ' ’ ’ ’
Consul, but the period for which he held this post is not clear.
1891-1899.
15. From 1891 onwards there is a marked increase in French interest in Oman.
At about this period France and Russia had entered into a combination for the Lor. I, 547 .
purpose 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
joint policy of their own in that region. In Oman the task of opposing British
interests devolved on France. In 1891 the French Government protested (without
foundation) that the rule of succession to the Sultanate of Oman had recently been
altered under the advice of the Government of India. In IbOo an undertaking was
given in the French Chamber that a \ ice-Consul should be established at Muscat,
and unsuccessful endeavours were made by a Irench subject to obtain a site oi a
coal shed at Sur.
16. In 1894 a French Vice-Consul was appointed and took up his post. Between
1894 and 1899 no effort was spared to increase French prestige m Muscat ut the
expense of H.M. Government. In J895 a Trench war vessel rea ^eD^ a ‘ °, 7
a few davs too late to assist the Sultan in dealing with insurgents ^ q
authority.' In 1896 France protested against assistance given by H3b -o«.
to the Sultan *0 re - establls ^ ll |y 6 a " t “Vh™? thUthemselves offered the services
rebellion; and m 1898 they acquired wi ou pi ^ difficu i t situation which
a site for a coaling shed in Musca note J on tll( j Bunder Gisseh incident in
resulted is described m more detail m t considerable diplomatic
paragraphs 30 to 36 below Suffice to the Suhan by
discussion and as the result of the g elled t h e lease and agreement. was
H.M. Government, the Sultan in 18 p ments 0 n the basis of the division
reached between the klfcoTernmenfwhh the Sultan’s approval, of an area which
iTsZlwTCn occupied' by British coaling sheds
The f ^“^enchLckrarion of 1862 the French
17. Since a period prior even to the £ . ^ t p e i r flag to Muscat vessels
had been in the habit of granting the protection