"مسقط" [ظ‎‎٢] (٤٠/٢)

9
India Letter,
No. 63, dated
2nd June
1890.
India Letter,
No. 85, dated
2nd June
1891.
Engagement
of 1891.
India Letter,
No. 57,
Secret,
26th May
1890.
Secret
Despatch,
No. 29, dated
24tli Oct.
1890.
Secret
Letter,
No. 129,
dated 2nd
June 1895.
H.C. 836/95.
To India,
No. 32,
Secret, dated
30th Aug.
1895.
H.C. 660/96.
Aitchison,
Vol. XI.,
p. 43.
Secret
Despatch
to India,
No. 48,
dated 19 th
Oct. 1894.
306, 357/99.
Governments, engaged " reciprocally to respect the independence of " the
Sovereigns both of Muscat and of Zanzibar. This declaration, so far as
Zanzibar is concerned, was abrogated in 1890; but, so far as Muscat is
concerned, remains still in force.
The present ruler of Muscat, Saiyid Paisul, was recognised by the Govern
ment of India in 1890, and the subsidy was continued to him. He at that
time gave most satisfactory assurances that he would be bound by his father's
engagements, and be guided by the advice of the British Government, whose
approbation he desired to secure. In the following year he executed a new
commercial treaty with Great Britain, and gave a formal undertaking " never
" to cede, to sell, to mortgage, or otherwise give for occupation, save to the
" British Government, the dominions of Muscat and Oman, or any of their
" dependencies."*
The position which Great Britain had thus acquired in Muscat in 1891
was part of a larger policy which had for its object a predominance along
the whole of the Arab coast from Aden to Bahrein; and, in pursuance
of it, protectorate engagements had been entered into with the coast
tribes from Bab-el-Mandeb to Ras Sair, viz., the Subaihi, Akrabi, Eadthli,
Aulaki, Wahidi, Dhuyaibi, Irka, Kaieti and Mahri, up to the boundary of
Dhofar, which latter had been an integral part of Muscat dominions since
1879. In 1890 the Government of India had proposed to assert a virtual
protectorate over Muscat, of which at least five-sixths of the trade was in the
hands of British subjects, but the Declaration of 1862 was considered to
stand in the way.
1895. —Early in 1895 a rebellion, which promised at first to be successful,
broke out in Oman, probably iu the interests of the Sultan of Zanzibar,
The Government of India sent a ship of war to protect British subjects, but,
in accordance with the lines of policy which had been indicated by Lord
Kimberley in his Despatch, No. 25, of the 31st March 1880, an attitude of
the strictest neutrality towards the rival parties was adopted ; and, when the
revolt finally collapsed, they insisted upon the Sultan levying from the re
bellious tribes an indemnity for losses sustained by British traders, and, it was
eventually arranged, by others. At the same time, however, a loan of
Rs. ( d O,000 was made to the Sultan. For the protection of our interests
against similar risks in the future, three alternative courses were subse
quently suggested by the local authorities, viz., (1) annexation; (2) a
protectorate; and (3) an intimation to the leading Sheikhs that Maskat and
Mattrah must not be attacked. The first two courses were held to be barred
by the Anglo-French Declaration of 1862, the abrogation of which it was not
considered opportune to propose to the French Government. The third
course Avas approved by Her Majesty's Government.
It is probable that the attitude of the Government of India on the occasion
of the rebellion in 1895 may have had something to do with a change in the
disposition of Saiyid Faisul, to which attention was drawn by Major Hayes
Sadler early in 1896; but another influence also was at work, which has
since that time caused much trouble.
In the year 1881 the French Government had availed themselves
of their right to appoint Consuls (secured to them by their Treaty with
Muscat of the 17th November 1844) to the extent of appointing a Consular
Agent at Muscat; but in 1894 they established a Vice-Consulate, and
transferred M. Ottavi from Zanzibar to fill the new post. In 1893 there had
arrived in Muscat a certain Arab named Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad,
Buwaihi, a native of Semail in Oman, who had been confidential secretary
to Sultan Seyyid Ali of Zanzibar and had been deported by Seyyid Ali's
successor, Seyyid Hamid, for anti-British intrigue. This man was taken
into Saiyid Faisul's service as munshi; and, on the arrival of M. Ottavi,
whom he had known in Zanzibar, he was permitted by the Sultan also to
enter the service of the French Vice-Consulate. Another sign of the
increased interest taken by the French Government in Muscat affairs, was
the visit of a French gunboat on the occasion of the rebellion, though it did
not actually interfere.
• This engagement was regarded as a Secret engagement
Salisbury mentioned its purport to M. Cambon (1781/99).
until early in 1899, when Lord