1874.] E. C. Ross —Annals of ‘ Oman—'Book VI. 165 
souls went to perdition from following the opinions and advice of the fool¬ 
ish. 
The Imam, having gone on an expedition to el-Shemal, on his return 
was forbidden entry to Nezwa by the inhabitants, on which he went to 
Yabrin. 
The Ima'm Seye-bih Shlta'h. The majority of the people of ‘Oman 
then assembled, and conferred the Imamate on his brother Seyf-bin Sultan; 
but I conceive that most of them entered into the matter from fear of con¬ 
sequences, and that some suffered for refusing to join in the plot. 
Seyf then went against his brother, and took all the forts of ‘Oman, 
except Yabrin which he besieged, and fighting continued until Bel‘arab died 
in the castle. His adherents begged to be allowed to quit the place unmo¬ 
lested, and Seyf consented. I imagine that some of the learned continued 
to regard Bel‘arab as Imam up to the time of his death, looking on Seyf 
as a rebel against his brother. 
After that, Seyf subdued all ‘Oman and ruled justly, protecting the 
weak from the strong, and inspiring the tribes of ‘Oman and other countries 
with fear. He made war on the Christians in every country, drove them 
from their abodes and uprooted them from places where they had establish¬ 
ed themselves. He wrested from them Bender-Mombasah, Jeziret el-Kha- 
dhra, 21 Kilvvah, Battah, and other places belonging to them. 
‘Oman became very prosperous, and the Imam constructed many aque¬ 
ducts, and planted date trees and other descriptions of trees. The Imam 
amassed much wealth, and possessed many male and female slaves, for he 
was very greedy of wealth. ‘Oman was strong and prosperous under his 
sway, and he went on in this manner until he died at el-Rostak and was 
buried there. His death occurred on Friday night, three days before the 
end of Ramadhan, A. H. 1120 [A. D. 1708.] 
The Ima'm Sulta'n-ein Seye-bih Ma'lik was then elected Imam and 
governed firmly and diligently, warring against the foes by land and by sea. 
He attacked the Persians in several places, and drove them from their pos¬ 
sessions. He also built the fort of el-Hazam, and removed from el-Ilostak 
to that place. He expended all the wealth he had inherited from his father, 
and moreover borrowed lacs from the property of the mosques and religious 
endowments. He attacked and took el-Bahrein; and neither the people of 
‘Oman, nor of any other country, ventured to stir against him. At length, 
he died in the fort of el-Hazam, on Wednesday five days before the end of 
Jumadl el-Akhir, A. H. 1131 [A. D. 1718], and was buried there. 
Thereupon there occurred a difference between the el-Ya‘arabeh and 
the heads of the tribes, who were clannish and touchy. They wished to 
elect in the Imlm’s place his son Seyf, who was still of unripe years. 
But the men of learning, as well as the daughter of the Imam Seyf, 
