Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎767r] (1550/1814)

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ATTACK ON MASCAT. @)
Tribesmen Heavily Defeated.
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A communique states:—“For over a year
certain Arab tribes _in Oman have been threat
ening the Sultan’s capital of Muscat. The long
expected attack was delivered at 2 a.m. on
January 11, when the tribesmen advanced
against the line of picquets by which Muscat is
protected. The fighting continuedT until 1 p.m.,
when the enemy withdrew, having lost 500
killed and wounded out of a force estimated to
number 3,000.
“The rebel forces were led by Issibinsalih,
the chief supporter of the self-styled man who
seeks to oust the present Sultan from the
religious and temporal lordship of Oman.
Issibinsalih is reported to have been wounded.
“The picquet line was held by portions of the
95th Russell’s Infantry and 102nd Grenadiers.
At three picquets our troops used the bayonet.
Our losses were one British officer wounded
(Captain S. B. Coates, 102nd Grenadiers) six
sepoys Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. killed and fourteen wounded/’
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION.
It will be remembered that in July, 1913, the
s Sheikh Abdulla of Oman began a, war against
" the Sultan of Oman, and that Rostak and
? other places were taken. The Sultan’s troops
* were unable to quell the rising and attacks on
Matra and Muscat were threatened. The British
cruisers P'elorus and Philomel and the sloop
Odin went to Muscat and a detachment of the
2nd Rajput Light Infantry was ordered thither
from Bushire to protect British interests. The
Rajputs later in the year were relieved by 400
men of the 102nd Grenadiers.
; The whole history of this rebellion in 1913
• revolved round the question of dates. A new
1 “Imam” had arisen and, with the support of
1 the son of the leader of a former rebellion,
swept the Sultan’s garrisons from various
little forts far from the coast. The loss of
these positions did not matter very much;
but the pretender then gained possession ^ of
Semail, the second town in Oman, . which
stands in a spacious fertile valley which pro
duces most of the dates for which Muscat is
famous. The Sultan of Oman sent his son to
defend the fort of Semail, and for some weeks
a determined siege was stoutly resisted. Then
the ammunition of the defenders ran out, and
the Sultan hearing of their plight, started in
his yacht for Sib to bring up reinforcements.
Before he could take effective measures, his son
had by agreement evacuated Semail and was
marching t© the coast. The valley of Semail
commands the approaches to Muscat and
Matra, and the Sultan had hardly returned to
his capital when parties of rebels were seen
hovering close by. They did not* dare to
attack on the coast, for they had a wholesome
dread of the guns of the British warships ; and
the subsequent arrival of the Rajputs further
prevented them from getting nearer to Muscat.
In answer to a question in Parliament in
May last, the Under-Secretary of State for
India said : —A rebellion against the Sultan of
Muscat has been in progress for nearly a year,
and His Majesty’s Government have been ob
liged to take measures for the protection of
towns on the coast where they have important
interests. During April th© rebels occupied
forts at Kuriyat and Barka, which His Ma
jesty’s ships bombarded at the request of the
Sultan, and dislodged the rebels. So far as I
am aware there were no casualties on his
Majesty’s ships ; British Indian troops have
not been engaged. According to my latest in
formation, which is, however, not more recent
that April 25, it was improbable that the rebels
would again attack the coast townsl The
situation in the interior was uncertain, though
the rebels were reported to be disheartened.
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