"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٥‎٨‎٧] (١٧٨٢/٧٣٠)

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further-reaching than at any previous period in the reign of Saiyid Faisal
himself or, perhaps, it might be added in the reign of his father Saiyid
Turki. After 1900 the Sultan showed more energy than before in touring
and in the general work of government; and, as in the case of his father
and grand-father, his judgment gained in balance and his character in
weight and sobriety with the lapse of years. Like Saiyid Turki, how
ever, Saiyid Faisal was subject to fits of despondency ; and in 1903 before
the Viceroy's visit, and once again later, he was so harrassed by the cares
of state as to talk seriously of abdication. The assassination of Salaiman-
bin-Suwaihm in 1907 was a severe blow to the Sultan, and the first
news of that event was received by him with consternation.
From the dynastic point of view the situation in 'Oman was not Dynastic
unsatisfactory. In 1903 Muhammad, the elder brother of Saiyid Sir
Faisal^ in whose favour he was passed over in 1888, showed that he enter
tained hopes of the succession in case the Sultan should predecease him
or resign j but he had no following, and his ambitious ideas were dis
couraged by the British representatives from the first moment of their
appearance. Saiyid 'Abdul 'Aziz, the uncle of the present Sultan, died
at Bombay in April 1907, and his heirs were so little formidable to Saiyid
Sir Faisal and his family that their return to Masqat was permitted
without hesitation. Since 1903 it had been clear that the Rustaq
branch of the A1 Bu Sa'idi family equally did not possess any
strong member likely to become a dangerous competitor for the
throne of 'Oman ; and interest therefore centred chiefly in Saiyid
Taimur, the eldest surviving son of the Sultan, who had always
been treated as heir-apparent. Saiyidah 'Alaiyah, the mother of Taimur,
was a daughter of the former Sultan Thuwaini-bin-Sa id, and t -ie
pedigiee of the youth was thus unexceptionable upon the maternal side.
Saiyid Taimur may be considered to have entered on public life in
1901 a; the age of 16, when on returning from a tour in the interior
he was received by his father with a salute of 13 guns and on the fol
lowing day paid a visit alone to the British Political Agent. In
December 1904 he was married to a daughter of 'Ali-bin-Sahm-bm*
Thuwaini,* a second cousin once removed of his own; a complimentary
*'Ali-bin-Salim first arrived in 1898 from Zanzibar, whence he had been
expelled for political intrigues, and lived at Masqat for some years upon the bounty
of the Sulian; eventually, in the beginning of 1904, the Government of Zan Zl b»r,
in etmseqience of a request made by Saiyid Faisal to Lord Curzon during the visit
of tfce lattjr to Masqat in 1903, agreed to permit his return to East Africa. Ali-
bin-Salim, however, shortly sought leave to go back to Masqat, and it was grante
him in September 1904.