IOR/R/15/6/60

The file contains extracts from work diaries, letters and reports related to tribal disturbances in Oman, mainly in Sur and Ja'alan [Ja'lan]. Rebelling against the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, the Amirs of Ja'alan [Emirs of Ja'lan] Bani Bu Ali claimed the right to rule over Sur and to pay no customs or any other taxes. They are stated in the correspondence as ‘openly flouting the Muscat Government and claiming what amounts to complete independence, claiming further the right to deal with neighbouring tribes by force and the right to settle intertribal disputes of other tribes by force.’ This led to further inter-tribal disturbance and difficulty over the building of the new custom house. The Political Agency at Muscat, the Political Residency at Bushire, and the Muscat Government discussed the actions to be taken in response to the issue.

The file includes correspondence from the Amirs of Ja'alan reporting on their endeavours to settle the fights of the Janabah tribe. The file also includes petitions from the Sur Hindu traders (ff 40-53), complaining about the closing of the inland route from Sur, and about ill-treatment from the Shaikh who took over Sur, and how he enforced various taxes on their properties.

The Political Agent raised concern about the amount of complaints which were received from Sur on a daily basis, and the necessity of getting the Wali of Sur to submit a full report of the situation there. The file also contains correspondence between the Political Agent and the Council of Ministers regarding the possible candidate to appoint as the new Wali of Sur.

The majority of the file is dated 1924-1925.