‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎265v] (529/949)

6
Ahmed-bin-Saeed no successor has been considered to possess the spiritual
qualifications necessary to justify that title, and the descendants of Amed-bin-
Saeed have been known to their subjects simply as “ Saiyids,” and to us as
“ Sultans,” a term never used by Omanis. Whenever some firebrand arises
like the late Saleh-bin-Ali, and now his son Aysa, they can always rouse a cer
tain section of the population by the statement or pretence that they are
going to set up an “ Imam ” to be their spiritual ruler in opposition to the
“ Saiyid.” As a rule, these attempts are abortive and there is no practical
result, but this shibboleth, the “ making of an Imam,” works wonders in
the way of unrest and excitement among the ignorant tribesmen of the
interior.
S
Similarly, the present troubles may not have any serious result, but in any
case they are causing a good deal of anxiety and are having an injurious effect
upon the date export industry, upon which the prosperity of Maskat entirely
depends. When the Viceroy visits Maskat he will thus have ready to hand a
fresh case in point, and I believe it would have a sobering effect upon the
turbulent Bedouin element and would take the wind out of the sails of such
troublesome characters as Aysa-bin-Saleh and Hilal-bin-Amr, if the Viceroy
could make a statement to the Durbaris somewhat on the following lines.
After sketching the position which Great Britain has taken for generations
in preserving the peace and prosperity of the Gulf, His Excellency would
explain—•
That the British Government is only interested in what goes on in the
interior of Oman in so far as passing events affect British trading interests,
which are however very considerable. That it is found that mischievous ris
ings against the constituted authority of the Sultan, caused by no acts of op
pression on the part of the Ruler, but merely got up with the object of extort
ing blackmail from him or causing annoyance and unrest, do seriously affect the
trade of the ports and the interests of British merchants, and that whereas the
stock of Saiyid Turki and his forefathers have been on terms of close intimacy
and treaty relation with the British Government, and his descendants still are,
the British Government thinks that the time has come to make it known to
the public of Oman that as long as the descendants of Saiyid Turki continue to
act up to their treaty engagements to that Government and to conduct their
administration in a manner compatible with the advancing requirements of
civilisation, His Majesty’s Government will be prepared, should it see fit, to
protect its subjects and interests in Oman and to support the authority of the
Sultan in any way that may seem expedient, and to assist him by such means
as may appear called for, to suppress those disloyal and unruly subjects who
are the enemies as well of the public weal as of the ruling Sultan.
Such an intimation need not commit us in any way as between ourselves
and the Sultan, but would be very generally welcomed by the peaceable por
tion of the community and would strengthen the Sultan’s hands a good deal.
I do not see what exception the French could take to it, and I should think
they w r ould hardly be inclined to at the present time.
Three years ago when the Viceroy was at Karachi, when speaking to me
a decoration for the Sultan. about M.askat affairs, he said that if the
' Sultan continued to behave satisfactorily,
he would be prepared, before he left India, to consider the question of a
decoration for him. Since then Saiyid Feisal has, I think, on the whole, been
giving little trouble and in one or two matters has behaved distinctly well. The
present occasion is likely to be such a unique one and affords such an excellent
opportunity for giving it him with ceremony eclat that I venture to commend
the question to His Excellency’s consideration. It may be said that the Sultan
has already received sufficiently numerous marks of the Government of India’s
favour and generosity, and what has he done to deserve a further one ? To this
I would reply that he has perhaps done nothing positively or specifically, but
his general attitude has been satisfactory and, speaking negatively, he has* done
nothing not to deserve it. But, as a matter of fact, taking for granted that he is
not egregiously undeserving, I would not ask that the question be looked at so
much from the point of view of intrinsic merit, but rather as a means of “ hall
marking ” him as it were for ourselves and of further committing him to us