'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎150r] (306/396)

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TOE THE YEAR 1918.
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APPENDIX I.
THE 'A J MAN QUESTION.
At the end of 1914, fighting took place between Bin Sa'nd a.^l TK p v • i
indecisive and ended m a truce. Among the tribes whiVl, h i u which was
support of Bin Saud on this occasion was the 'Ajman a bedouin T f ostensibly for the
failed to appear at the appointed time and w.JherX e ^
committed certain depredations and gave refuse to somp ,Jl ir f tiea 9 hei y- Later they
kno^n as the ^Araif and in Jnne 1915 Bin L'Zd f ^ C0U " nS 0f . Bin S ^ d
them. He solicited aid from Kuwait and Sir Mubank dpsnnf 1° ? 1 ^ ani ® e a ca ™paign against
tribesmen under his son, Shaikh Salim but befo . flfp? / T? * 0rce o{ ! ocal
attack on the 'Ajman, for which they were prepared and w ,lll V ^ ^ ^ n m '| de a ni g' llt
Sa'ud among the killed. Later, howe^ P S tte aM „Tsir L' I'" 8 , blS br0ther
tobe m the 'Ajman in .ear the 'coast a short dis^ .lb' ' h T
besieged for some little time at the end o£ which they were badlv defeated 'hv tl R ^ k-iTf!
and other Kuwait tribes in an attempt to break tW.t^ .i y i ![ i y 5' e Ban . , Khalld
opened negotiations for peace with Shaikh Salim who® wn™ tb"mt» K "h
submission was accepted by Sir Mnbarak against the wishes of Bin Sa'ud who fnrcW
to avenge the death of his brother This bnnnpnari ^ i • at i . turtnei
death of Sir Mnbarak which took place at the end^of ,he s"ct"or slalkh Ta^
,n order 0 plncate Bin Sa'nd ejected the 'Ajman from Kuwait territory and tl eV dispeied'
H m ™ The Asylum e^vetT to r th'e^^A * ^ ^ ^-t- to thefr forme/haS in
fr as y™ g lven to the A]man tribe was one of the important factors leadinp-to
the "-fortunate estrangement which has lately existed between Najd and Kuwait ^In
November 1916 a meeting took place at Kuwait between the three great chiefs of Trth-east
Arabia Bin Sa ud. Shaikh Jab.r and the Shaikh of Mohammerab under the m n's of the C ^f
As on If fte C re 8 X their alI "e kMe *» «•» Bri&h Government
As ot the results of this meeting a truce was arranged between Bin Sa'ud and the
Ajman who were then h-nng with friendly tribes on the borders of the Occupied Territory
and instructions were drafted defining the position of the fugitive Shaikhs with respect to ill
pL:, i nfH protection of the British Government. On his return to Basrah, the Chief
7I f ind r Bnmm0,le ; lt 4 he l^ders and some of the more courageous came in to
wldd „ P, 1 ' 01108611 t , e ™ s were a^epted. They expressed little doubt that the rest
would come m on learning of the success of their own venture. Sultan Jhn Hethlain gave a
eventually ^fo^to lbn Eashid W0,lId leaVe 0U, ' te, ' rit0ry Wilh0Ut P e ™ issi »^ but they
of IQW r ^ rUa ^ 1 . 917 ^ h l lk . h J ^ bir ^ and Salim signed in his stead. In the middle
? a i U W i 0 a ? al 1 read y be g"n to tax the Awazim, an essentially Kuwait tribe,
duced them to leave Kuwait and settle m his own territory. Shaikh Salim's reply to this
I q T? 6 +T a8 i ^ advances t0 the Shammnr and 'Ajman and by the beginning of October
m7, the latter had movec ^ masse into Kuwait territory. Much correspondence took place
e w een e wo mlers, but Bin Sa'ud refused to restore the Awazim and when Colonel
milton 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. , Kuwait, visited Najd, he claimed that he was within his rights
in is action in connection with this tribe. He, however, knowing that he was in the
wrong, expressed himself ready to return the filched tribe if Shaikh Salim would turn out
I . . ^ an an(1 cut; ^ relations with the Shamraar, the enemies of himself and the
ntish Government. Eventually an understanding was arrived at on these lines and the
wazim we J e re turned. Respite this the'Ajman remained in Kuwait territory and, at the
0 '. e dl ' s P 0Sa ^ this tribe had become a burning question. In February
"R vVn WaS dec "' ed ^ rDOst satisfactory settlement of the matter would be for the
ntish Government to take the 'Ajman under their protection at Zubair or elsewhere on
n 8 d ** S A 1( ^ e and ' 0n March 6th, 1918, the following agreement was signed by
e ohtical Agent (Colonel Hamilton), Shaikh Saiim- and Dhaidati Bin Hethlain
(the leading Ajman Shaikh) :—
r ^er.consulting the wishes of their fiiend and ally His Excellency Abdul Aziz Bin Saud
of and Hakim of Nejd, Hassa and its Dependances.
o paying due regard to the intercession on their behalf of His Exer llency Shaikh
^ a im al Mubarak, Hakim of the Sultanate of Kuwait and its Dependances, in whose territorv
an under whose protection the tribe of ^Ajman are now dwelling, and having regard to the
general P 0 hcy of friendliness of the British Government towards the mlers, tribes and people of
raq and the Jezirat-al-Arab, it has seemed good to the British Government to overlook the
reach of the agreement made last year with Sultan bin Hethlain and some sections of ti e
Ajraan and to enter into relations with this tribe for the second time. Therefore, the British
jovernment is willing- to accept the submission of the 'Ajman and to take them under its