h granted the town and district
with the fort of Shamil and the town of Min[=a]b, together with the islands
of Kishm, Hormuz (Ormus) and L[=a]rak, to the Arab tribe of the Beni
Ma'[=i]ni in return for a payment of a yearly rent or tribute. About 40
years later Sultan bin Ahmad, the ruler of Muscat, having been appealed to
for aid by the Arab inhabitants of the place against Persian misrule,
occupied the town, and obtained a firman from the Persian government
confirming him in his possession on the condition of his paying a yearly
rent of a few thousand tomans. The islands were considered to be the
property of Muscat. In 1852 the Persians expelled the Muscat authorities
from Bander Abb[=a]si and its district, but retired when Muscat agreed to
pay an increased rent. By a treaty concluded between Persia and Muscat in
1856 it was stipulated that Bander Abb[=a]si town and district and the
islands were to be considered Persian territory and leased to Muscat at an
annual rent of 14,000 tomans (L6000). The treaty was to have been in force
for twenty years, but in 1866 the Persians took advantage of the
assassination of Seyed Thuweini, the sultan of Muscat, to instal as
governor of Bander Abb[=a]si and district a nominee of their own who agreed
to pay a rent of 20,000 tomans per annum. Further difficulties arising
between Persia and Muscat, and the ruler of the latter, then in possession
of a powerful fleet, threatening to blockade Bander Abb[=a]si, the Persian
government solicited the good offices of the British government, and the
lease was renewed for another eight years upon payment of 30,000 tomans per
annum (then about L12,000). This was in 1868. In the same year, however,
the sultan of Muscat was expelled by a successful revolt, and the Persian
government, in virtue of a clause in the lease allowing them to cancel the
contract if a conqueror obtained possession of Muscat, installed their own
governor at Bander Abb[=a]si and [v.03 p.0311] have retained possession of
the place ever since (see Curzon, _Persia_, ii. 424).

Bander Abb[=a]si has a lively trade, exporting much of the produce of
central and south-eastern Persia and supplying imports to those districts
and Khorasan. It has telegraph and post offices, and the mail steamers of
the British India Steam Navigation Company call at the port weekly. Great
Britain and Russia are represented there by consuls. From 1890-1905 the
total value of the exports and imports from and