1113
OMAN.
An independent State in South-eastern Arabia extending along a coastline — S.E. and S. W. — of almost 1,000 miles from the Gulf of Ormuz and inland to the deserts. Area, 82,000 square miles ; population, estimated at 500,000, chiefly Arabs. The capital, Maskat and the adjacent town of Matra have together about 24,000 inhabitants. Maskat was occupied by the Portuguese from 1508 to the middle of the seventeenth century. After various vicissi- tudes it was recovered in the eighteenth century by Ahmed bin Sa'eed, of Yemenite origin, who was elected Imam in 1741, and whose family have since ruled. The present Sultan is Seyyid Feysil bin Turki, second son of the late Seyyid Turki bin Sa'eed bin Sultan, who succeeded his father June 4, 1888, and was formally recognised by the British Government. In the beginning of last century the power of the Imanfof Oman extended over a large area of Arabia, the islands in the Persian Gulf, a strip of the Persian coast, and a long strip of the African coast south of Cape Guardafui, including Socotra and Zanzibar. On the death of Sultan Sa'eed in 1856, one son pro- claimed himself Sultan in Zanzibar and another in Maskat. Eventually the rivals agreed to submit their claims to the arbitration of Lord Canning, Viceroy of India, who formally separated the two Sultanates. Subsequent troubles curtailed the area of the state in Asia. The island of Kishm or Tawilah, near the entrance of the Persian Gulf, formerly belonging to the Imam of Oman, is now under Persian government and is ruled by a Sheikh, but the port of Basidu at the western extremity of the island is British. FurtUer south on the Persian coast of the Gulf of Oman is tlie Port of Jask formerly belonging to Oman, but now British. The closest relations have for years existed between the Government of India and Oman and a British Consul and Political Agent resides at Maskat.
The revenue of the Sultan amounts to about 300,000 dollars. The popu- lation is poor ; inland the Sultan's authority is merely nominal and there is little security for life and property. In some coast regions there is the possi- bility of considerable agricultural development. As to the mineral resources of the country little is known.
Commerce is mostly by sea, statistics being given only for the port of Muskat, but large caravans under protection carry on traffic with the interior.
Total exports 1911-12, Rs. 43,55,806 -chiefly dates Rs. 17,48,016 ; frtiit, Rs. 77,774 ; fish, Rs. 14,083 ; limes, Rs. 87,990 ; pearls, Rs. 44,960 ; mother-o'-pearl Rs. 54,800 ; cotton goods, Rs. 1,37,930 ; hides and skins, Rs. 36,105. Total imports for 1911-12 Rs. 60,19,800 ; chiefly rice, Rs. 11,24,698 ; coffee, Rs. 2,54,496 ; sugar, Rs. 1,56,536 ; piece goods, Rs. 7,17,910 ; silk and silk goods, Rs. 39,050 ; twist and yarn, Rs. 2,15,550 ; wheat and other grain, Rs. 54,691 ; arms and ammunition, Rs. 17,91,829.
Total imports from United Kingdom Rs. 9,61,218 ; India, Rs. 31,55,176 ; Persia, Rs. 84,106; America, Rs. 1,07,435 ; France, Rs. 13,788; Turkey in Asia, Rs. 21,440; Belgium, Es. 9,27,450; Germany, Rs. 4,67,474. Trade is mainly in the hands of British Indians, and the imports and the exports are mostly from and to India. All imports are subject to 5 per cent. ad valorem duty. There are no export duties ; imports for re-export by the importer within 6 months are not subject to transit duty.^
1 Some of the above figures of imports and exports iuclade trade carried on by sailing vessels.
