'Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government' [‎441] (483/733)

WAHABEES. 441
Saood, who, having joined the Kahtan, and other tribes in the interior
had with them refused to acknowledge his supremacy, and was prepar
ing to establish his position by force of arms. The Beni Khalid and
Amayir Tribes, in consequence of these rumours, had been encouraged
to attack Kateef and Lahsa, but had met with a repulse.
Hostilities continued to be prosecuted, and early in 1832 the
Amayir* seized a boat belonging to Bahrein, lying off Kateef, laden
with dates for the latter place. Of thirty Kateef people on board, they
killed twelve, and took the remainder prisoners, with a view to their
ransom. After plundering the boat of all property belonging to Kateef
t ley permitted it to depart, without offering molestation to the Bahrein
men either in person or property.
The affairs of Nujd about this time, owing to internal dissensions,
a. d . 1833. became in a most unsettled state, and the power
. . Toorkey bin Saood, the Wahabee, threatened
so rapidly to decline, that the Governor of Kateef sought the protection
of the Chief of Bahrein, and offered to transfer his allegiance ; but this
temporary diminution of his authority, occasioned by the opposition of
is relative and competitor, Musliaree, who claimed a prior right bv
descent, and stated himself to have escaped from confinement in Egypt
qmc dy gave way to the superior energy of his character.
The Zukat or tribute of five per cent, began to be exacted, and his in-
uence to be completely established over the inhabitants of the coast •
but, unlike his predecessors, he opposed himself to the wishes of the
Joasmees, and other lawless tribes, desirous of his sanction for the re-
newal of piracy, which they supposed would have ensued on the revival
of his power ; whereas they found, that instead of reaping the profits of
old times, arising from plunder. Shaikh Toorkey was inclined to take
liom them a portion even of the little they had.
The measures adopted in urging the demands against the Joasmees,
now virtually Wahabee dependents, for the restitution of the property
(or its value) plundered from a vessel belonging to a British subieet, by
some men of Khan (three of whom had taken refuge at Aboothabee),
* This W k was described to eonsist of about families, separated into tbe two divisions
of Bedomns and flsbennen. The latter, who were at war with Kateef, oeenpied the smaU
aland of Jmnah, a few miles to the north of Bahrein. They were the weaker of the two divi
of the sir ? T , mi l ies ' had themselves abont an e q „aI nnmb r
qu^el eldint tbeT ^ "T ^ ^ the Kateef originated in"
q arret regarding the discontinuance of certain payments formerly exacted hv the Rml
Amayir. Several on both sides were killed ; but those who fell on the Le of the teefbein! o
gi eater lank, a claim was made on their behalf for the balance of tbe priee of blood Both nartie
appealed to Toorkey bin Saood, the Wahabee Chief, who recommend tb m to make p'e e