'Historical Summary of Events in Territories of the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Arabia affecting the British Position in the Persian Gulf, 1907-1928' [‎39v] (85/188)

76
Darbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). held at Koweit on 20th November 1910, am! attended by Ibn Saud
the Sheikh of Mohammerah, Sheikh Jabir of Kovveit and Sir Percy Cox for
the purpose of investing the Sheikh of Koweit with the O.SJ., the three
G.of i, T.WrNov^r chl ® fs swore together to work with Bis Majesty's Government for the
1916, p. 4866/16. achievement of a common end.^]"
18 On the death on 5th February 1917, of Sheikh Jabir in whose
* Report on situation in weak hands to quote the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. ,Government in Koweit h r ir]
p O ^5 1 0/i8r oh 1 " )18, almost collapsed," His Majesty's Government approved the recognition as
p. 606/17. successoi of Jus brother Sheikh Salim, to whom an assurance similar to that
granted to his predecessor and quoted above was conveyed by the Vicerov
m March 1917. The new Sheikh was a man of very different calibre from
blieikn Jabir. IS arrow in outlook, bigoted in religious matters, tactless
m his personal relations, his marked individuality and strength of pnroose
none the less made it possible for the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. to report in the
Report by p. a ., p. 23.50/18. spring of .1918 that he had "established himself in a brief space of time
veiy securely in the Sheikhdom." Hut the qualities which helped him to
assert himself locally shortly set him at odds with both His Maiestv's
Government and Ibn Saud. L J
1J. Difficulty arose with the latter over the Ajman tribe, whom Salim
allowed m October 1917 to return to Koweit, and over the respective
^ f "L S ?6iS X D 0 e c 20 ^ f l bn Sail d the Sheikh to levy tribute on the Awazim tribe,
1917, p. 5131/17. ' ^ m-t t of v1 8' oroiis complaint by Ibn Saud at the end
of 191 j . In July 1918, Mr. Philby represented that Ajman activities
3ased on Koweit territory were causing widespread resentment in Neid
^ 1 ^ adld 8" to remonstrance from Ibn Saud as to the inadequacy of
, 4130/18 - support. Measures to meet this grievance—the location nf o
7 b ' le . col,1 S" ,l n Koweit territory, the stationing of a British post
IMS, p. 4193/18. at Safwan Wells, the occupation of Koweit itself—were under exami
nation when, m September 1918, Lord Allenby's victories in Palestine
made the lemoval of the blockade possible and temporarily eased the
situation, and no action was taken beyond warning the leading Sheiks that
if raids continued their subsidies would cease,
20. Difficulty w T ith His_ Majesty's Government arose over the strict main
tenance in Koweit territories and ports of the blockade imposed in C?) 19151
with a view to preventing the leakage of supplies to the enemy, whether in
Mesopotamia or in the isolated Turkish garrisons at Medina and elsewhere
in the Arabian peninsula--a blockade, not unnaturally unpopular with
Koneit merchants, the strictness of which was relaxed by Salim. The
Sheikh subsequently adopted an attitude so obstructive in the matter that
after prolonged consideration it was found necessary to warn him through
the Political Uesident, on 5th July 1918, that the assurances conveyed to
.hZlT i? f Cei T on w ® re conditional on his good behaviour, and that,
should acts contrary to the interests of (His Majestv's) Government"
I t„i . c.c. ii,re"non S !bk t V Tbe r "i 1 " 11 " T futu , re '" 1 K."' 0 " 1 ' 1 ^ held Personally
to s. ot s. for i., 5o«. csponsible.t llie hmt was not wasted; the Sheikh for the remainder of
Julys lO's.P.aiss/is. the war mamtained a less unsatisfactory attitude towards His Majesty's
! 'f ?Q> 0 rK ati ? a in tlle matter of blockade w'as
P. 4698/18. ' f o 0 §'Vf d f the end ot I 918 , b y th e grant of the C.S.I, and of a lump sum
. o o lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. , and by the cancellation of the claim of the Government
§ Tei from s. of s. for i. J? ., ia in ies P ec t of the loan of £12,500 made in connection with the
p SS 0ct ' 311918 ' We er su PP 1 y 111 1914 § (see para. 10 above).
(2).—1919-88.
of Ko'wpb' wlVrr'lI l:l |'l 0,1 i\r w ' U IIe( ' ess ^ated a decision as to the status
IQlt t • Majesty s Government had promised in Kovember
The clecSornf^ ^ ;. n . d ®P end 1 ent P""eipality under British protection,
ne declaiation of a British protectorate over the State as over Bahrein
no 'sunnort T ^ Civil f C —-ioner, B^d^d .net wUh
suppoit from the Government of India, who took exception to it
|| It has not been possible to ascertain the precise date.
P. 4069/19.