"تقرير عسكري عن شواطئ الجزيرة العربية المطلة على الخليج الفارسي، البحرين، الأحساء، قطر، عُمان المتصالحة وعُمان" [‎١‎٢] (٢٢٦/٢٦)

1 9
CHAP. I. HISTORY—OALO.
in wth C T.r ri ^ e T SU0Ce8Si0 " rise to a ""1 war
Rostaq, hiS ^
to maintain himself in CVnfv i n ' f however able
hell, of a remarkable
Nasir of tile Beni* Glnfir t h" el " ^fohaminaii bin
true ImamTdeceaso io 172? 'l «f th,
** هذه التواريخ تقريبية had arisenTardly inferior fe M^b? the
This ja. Kbaiaf bin MnbaSi ^leYit^ B^ni ^a'
-r Ktc ? - N r *
S fn, campaigns in almost etr^'t otth™"tnSy S
had many enc-ounters with his adversary Khalaf Fn a
kid The orL 6116 ' 0f S0har ' in 1728 ' ^th leaders were
illed. The ongm composition, and even the names of
the modern Hmawi and Ghafiri factions are traced to
lie Liibal combinations formed in this civil war bv + I ip >
genius of Khaiaf the Hinawi and Muhammad the Ghafiri
Since that time certain tribes have for political purposes
changed their denomination, Ghafiris becoming Hinawis
and vice versa. * - nia£iWls
mJhl A 1 !! 861 !? K dyn c St ^ 0f 1 tlie AIbu Said ^ as founded in
nf hi i ima + 1 V u 0 Was elected Imam 011 account
of his patriotism and bravery in expelling the Persians
The family acquired the title of " Seyyids " which their
descendants, have used ever since. The gradual increase
m the number of rival and aspiring " Seyyids " has been
a fertile source of internecine feuds which have arrested
the progress of the country.
Up to 1793 the temporal ruler, who was also the spirit
ual ruler of the country, had, in accordance with the prin
ciples of the Ibadhi sect, been elected by the people. In
1793, however, Seyyid Sultan usurped the throne and pro
claimed himself Imam, thus dispensing with the formality
of election, and causing the tribes to look on the titu
lar ruler as an usurper. The transfer of the capital from
Rostaq in the interior to Muscat on the coast, which took
place^ about this time, relieved the fanatical tribes of the
interior of the direct control to which they had been
accustomed. The relations with infidel foreign Powers
which followed the transfer of the capital to Muscat and
the progressive degeneration of the ruling house further
weakened the position of the Sultan (as he now came to
be called by the English) vis-a-vis the Omani tribes. A