Report from the Select Committee on Slave Trade (East Coast of Africa); together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 832922498

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-79587

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report from the Select Committee on Slave Trade (East Coast of Africa); together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index

Place of publication:: [London]

Publisher:: [The House of Commons]

Year of publication:: 1871

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XXIV, 242 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). 165 * Appendix B, reply to Query 38. t Letter No, 1 of 1860, paragraph 13. the ruler of Muscat(«). lu fact, without that aid I do not perceive how Syud Thoweynee can Appendix, Ko. 8. continue long to administer the government of Oman. Hence, as so many grave consider- ations are involved in the prompt and regular payment of the stipulated subsidy, I trust that the Rio’ht honourable the Governor General (should his Lordship coincide in the view here taken of the subject) will attach such sanctions as he may deem expedient to ensure the faithful discharge of that obligation by his Highness Syud Majeed. 50. I shall now proceed to notice briefly several collateral points connected with the main subject of this report. And first—Colonel Rigby’s recommendation that some steps should be taken to provide for the future succession to the sovereignty of Zanzibar m the event of that state being permanently severed from Muscat. He writes thus ‘ I think it will be extremely advantageous to the future prosperity of the Zanzibar state, if some an-ano-ement as to the future succession can be made in the event of Syud Majeed being decla^d its independent chief ; for this prince has no male issue, and I think it not likely that he will have any. I think that it might be left to the choice of all the family oí the late Imam, or Syud Majeed might nominate one of his brothers to succeed him, subject to the ratification of the principal chiefs at Zanzibar. If the members of the Syud s f^^^v could be induced always to admit in future the claims of primogeniture, I think it would be a very great advantage. At present the subject is always in doubt, and leads to quarrels and assassinations in the family.”* I fully concur with Colonel Rigby in believing that oreat advantages might reasonably be anticipated if any such arrangement could be mad^ In fact, I once entertained some hope of being able to effect it,t but increased experience of the peculiar political constitution (if it may be so called) of these petty sovereignties, and of the intractable temper and inveterate prejudices of the Arab tribes on all matters in any way connected with their inherited rights, to say nothing of their cross venality, has induced me, however reluctantly, to abandon the idea as impracticable. There would, indeed, be little difficulty in securing the consent of Syud Majeed’s brothers at Zanzibar, and of the principal chiefs there, to almost any scheme for providing for the succession which might be proposed to them by us ; but no such concurrence would be regarded on their part as depriving them of the privilege of acting in direct opposition to their most solemn obligations in a matter of this nature, or of bartering whatever influence they micht possess in the election of a new sovereign to the highest biddei. Hence, unless the British Government undertook to guarantee the arrangement and enforce com pliance with its provisions, no pre-organised scheme of the kind is kkely to succeed better than the custom which has hitherto prevailed among the tribes of Oman. And as I do not conceive that Her Majesty’s Government is disposed to entangle itself with respon sibilities of that nature, I judge that it will be far more expedient to Wve such questions to be settled by the people without any interference on our part. Failing male issue, Svud Majeed’s present idea is, should the sovereignty be awarded to him, to associate one of his brothers with himself in the administration, so that, in the event of his death, the neonle from having been accustomed to regard that brother as his successor, will be pre- ^»idtoraRfyhiscHhn ^ the Myenflgn^\ Under p^ndhu' cmcums^nces ofthe Government ind people of the Zanzibar territories, his Highness scheme is, m my opinion, as good as any other that could be adopted. 51. Another point which I deem it desirable to notice is Syud Thoweynee s grievance, submitted by him to the late Lord Elphinstone, that Syud Majeed had wrongfully assumed the guardianship of the younger orphan children of the late Syud Saeed at Zanzibar, and had either appropriated, or taken into his hands, the management of their shares their father’s inheritance.^ It is undoubtedly true that Syud Majeed has taken on himself the office of o-uardian to his younger brothers and sisters who are under age, and has so far appropriated their property as to borrow and use it ; nevertheless, he openly acknowledges his liability to them to the extent of seven lacs of crowns.% He, moreover, justifies this uroceeding on the ground of having been appointed an executor of his father’s will con- lointly with Bint Seif and Mahomed bin Salem, and maintains that, as the former has cinpp died and the latter retired to Mecca, the entire responsibility of executing his father’s will devolves on him. By the only will of the late Syud Saeed, hitherto forth- ÄatÄ:; S: Bint Seif are dead, and Mahomed bin Salem has declined to act Syud ihoweynee, as the eldest brother, demands that the “ property of the orphans shall be given up by Majid and deposited with a trustworthy person, in whose custody all parties may feel satisfied that it will be safe.lf On the other hand, Syud Majeed avers that, on the death of Khaled, his father appointed him a joint executor with Bint Seif and Mahomed bin Salem, and he promises to obtain the said will from the latter, and to have it forwarded, through the f Letter No. 205 of 1869, Persian Department. § Appendix K, paragraph 10. II Muscat llepoit, Appendix G. ^ Letter No. 2C5 of 1859, Persian Department. (a) Zanzibar. The revenue of Zanzibar is estimated at - - - " ■ Svud Majeed's outstanding liabilities,independent of seven lacs of crowns borrowed from lus orphan brothers (for the greater part of which, however, he holds their shares of the movable and immovable property which fell to them by inheritance from their father), at - Muscat. The revenue of Muscat is estimated at Svud Thoweynee's liabilities at - 0.116. X 3 Crowns. 206,000 327,000 129.600 81,000

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