‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [‎6r] (11/92)

PRfiCIS OF KATAK APPAIRS.
(1873-1904.)
Introduction.
The salient features of the events in the Katar peninsula during this
period of its history are as follows. Saud and his brother Abdullah, sons
of the late Chief of Nejd, Feysal, had been engaged in a civil war, in which
Turkey took the side of Abdullah. In aiding him with troops, the Turks
availed themselves of the opportunity to extend their dominions along the
Arabian littoral of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. as far as Katif. They occupied Bidaa and
quartered a body of troops there. They even claimed the island of Bahrein as
tributary to them. They aided the Bedouin tribe of Beni Hajir to make raids
on that island and the town of Zobarah on the Katar coast opposite it, where
the Beni Naim tribe had placed itself under fhe protection of the Chief of
Bahrein. They also encouraged Nasir bin Mobarik, the leading member of the
rival branch of the family of the Sheikhs of Bahrein, in his piracies against the
coast of Bahrein and Katar. They further gained over to their side Jasim, son
of Mahomed bin Thani, Chief of Bidaa, and connived at his outrages against
British Indian subjects. In this period we find such outrages against British
subjects frequently recurring at Bidaa. The British Government took
measures to put down the piracies and punish the perpetrators of the out
rages. The introduction of the Turkish element into the Katar peninsula tended
thus only to give a fresh impetus to disorder in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The British
Government had therefore, though after some vacillation arising from a regard
to the susceptibilities of the Porte, to make up its mind to deal directly with
the piratical tribes of the Katar coast, where the Turkish Government claimed
jurisdiction, without regard to the Porte's claims Sheikh Jasim, under Turkish
encouragement, attempted to settle his own tribe at Odeid; but the Bri
tish Government opposed this attempt, since that town was an hereditary
appanage of the Chief of Abu Thabi, one of the Trucial chiefs that are entitled
to British protection. The Turks attempted to create a new settlement of a tribe
under their protection at Zobarah and employed Sheikh Jasim to gain their
purpose, but in this attempt too they were frustrated by the timely action of
the British Government. At first the British Government were Inclined to
view the presence of the Turks with some complacency, expecting they would
co -operate with the British in maintaining order in the Gulf. But it was soon
found that the Turkish jurisdiction in Katar was merely nominal, and it being
a source of disorder on its coast and menace to the independence and peace of
the Chief of Bahrein and the Trucial chiefs in the Oman, the British Govern'
ment took every opportunity to disclaim the Turkish claim to that jurisdic
tion, though occasionally their disclaimers were not very distinctly and clearly
expressed. The precis below will trace the progress of the events foreshadowed
above.
Turkish movements in Katar,—1873.
2. There had been at this time rumours of movement of Turkish troops to
Letter No. 37, dated leth Angast 1873. Ojair from Katif ; but Major Grant, First
Pol. a., December 1873, No. 412. Assistant Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , who had been
asked to make enquiries, reported to Colonel Ross on 16th August 1873 that the
rumour was incorrect and that the fact was that a detachment of some
] 00 men had embarked at Katif to accompany the Turkish Officer Hossein
Effendi to Zobarah on the mainland, some 20 miles south of Bahrein. In
a conversation with Major Grant, the Chief of Bahrein claimed the Naim
tribes, living near Zobarah, as his subjects under treaty, and stated that when
he became Chief of Bahrein, the Chief of the Naim tribe had in Colonel Felly's
presence acknowledged subjection to Bahrein under treaty. Major Grant wrote

‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [‎6r] (11/92)

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‘Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.’ [‎6r] (11/92)

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