سياسي رقم ٢٢٤ لسنة ١٨٧٤، تحيل نسخةً من إحدى رسائل المقيم السياسي في الخليج العربي، يرفع فيها تقريرًا أعده الوكيل السياسي في مسقط حول وضع صاحب السمو السيد تركي [و‎‎٥‎٩‎٩] (١٠/٥)

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Enclosure No. 1.
No. 1262-259; dated BusliirC; 31st October -1874.
From—L ieut.-Col. E. C. Ross, H. B. M/s Poltl. Resident in the Persian Gulf;
To—C. U. Aitchison, Esq.; C. S. I.; Secy, to the Govt, of India; Foreign Dept.
Having requested the Political Agent at Muscat to report on the political
position and prospects of His Highness Syud Toorkee generally, I have been
favored with an interesting letter numbered and
No. 449-181, dated 16th October 1874. -i , n • T
dated as per margin, a copy o± which 1 have the
honor to forward for the information of His Excellency the Viceroy and Gover
nor-General of India in Council.
2. Concurring generally in the opinions expressed by Major Miles, I have
added my own remarks to his report in the form of marginal notes.
JV.It .—Copies forwarded to Bombay Government and India Office direct.
No. 449-181, dated Muscat, 16th October 1874.
From— Major S. B. Miles, Her Britannic M/s Poltl. Agent and Consul, Muscat,
To— Lieut.-Col. E. C. Ross, Her Britannic M/s Poltl. Resident in the Persian Gulf.
I have the honor to submit the following report on His Highness Syud
Toorkee’s position and prospects in compliance with the request contained in
paragraph 2 of your letter No. 1122-560 of the 25th September 1871.
2. Eor the first three years of Syud Toorkee’s rule since his succession in
January 1871 to the commencement of the present. year, the only serious
rivalry and opposition His Highness had to contend with was his nephew Syud
Salim bin Thoweynee, who endeavoured to oust his uncle and recover possession
of the throne from which he had been driven by Azzan bin Ghais. In Decem
ber 1872, however, Salim tired of the struggle retired to India, Syud Toorkee
was left in undisputed possession, and the country enjoyed comparative tran
quillity. Up to this time Syud Toorkee had suffered great pecuniary embar
rassment owing to the insufficiency of his revenue to cover expendituie. Being
an open-handed man, unaccustomed to control his monetary affairs, and having
a Minister who was as unscrupulous as he was rapacious, his difficulties only
increased. The Minister Thoweynee bin Mahomed however seems to have been
an able man and contrived to keep the tribes quiet and the country m tan
order notwithstanding. Thoweynee was dismissed in December 1872 and was
not replaced. Shortly after, early in 1873, His Highness, through Sir B Erere s
mission, received the guarantee of the Zanzibar subsidy and payment oi t ic
arrears that had accrued. Here was Toorkee’s great opportunity had le in
availed himself of it to consolidate his power and establish himsell hrmly in
his position. He was, however, too shortsighted apparently to see the value ot
his husbanding his resources and forming a reserve, or too weak to control Him
self, and so long as the money lasted there was an unceasing fiow to the interior.
The tribes came in in shoals for presents, and their demands being comp le
with thev remained quiet and contented. The subsidies paid hal -year y o e
tribes were raised to nearly double what they had been m the days of Syud baeecl.
This was the palmv time of Syud Toorkee’s rule, but it could not last. A bad
feature was that having no Minister or influential adviser to gui e im e ^
depend on menials and low favorites for advice and counsel ^d thus estmn d
his chief friends and supporters. Matters were m this state when m 7
< 3 vnd Toorkee was prostrated by a painful and dangerous illness, and 0
Kg S f p™dKs de.^ Sheikh Saleh hi,, AU MM^ w***
been feeer at Muscat during the reign of Azt.n bin Gha.s and Sjud Tooritee s
most bigoted enemy, made a sudden descent on Muscat m the hope^ot ta^g
it by surprise and with a view of regaining tie serve ?, ” w Uh him for the
branch of the family, a young scion of ulnel, toons, i»
purpose. After a bloody conflict outside Muttra with His Highness tioop ,