Complex sentence: His government was portrayed as weak; as the imam had to pay large stipends to various tribes in order to prevent them from plundering the land, local Sheikh s grew more assertive over time and demanded higher subsidies.
Split into simpler sentences: His government was portrayed as weak; as the imam had to pay large stipends to various tribes in order to prevent them from plundering the land. Local Sheikh s grew more assertive over time and demanded ever-higher subsidies.