‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muscat Political Agency for 1886-87.’ [‎338r] (9/60)

RESIDENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. FOR 1886-8?.
EJrHasa.
About the same time a messenger arrived in Bahrain from Path Ah* Kh p
S „ .1 L,, b..™ B ,, Shaikh K,.. h.h ,h, uhihles
o-h«, .h.,,
The Subhme Porte having made representations to the British Government, intereedino-
for the release of Shaikh Mnhammad-bin-Khalifah from Aden, in view to hi retiring to
spend the —dor of h.s days m the holy places of Arabia, the Government of India decided
to release the Shaikh on the 16th February, on the occasion of the celebration of Her
Majesty s Jubilee, and this was accordingly done. It does not appear that Muhammad-
hin-Khalifah personally cared whether he resided at Aden or at Mecca, his only wish bein"-
to return to Bahrain—a wish which could not well be acceded to.
4.—NEJD, EL-HASA, EL-KATR,
The Province o£ Tsejd appears to have been singularly tranquil during the past year,
Nejd. ail< ^ 110 news of any interest has been received
thence.
An uneventful year in El-Hasa. Nazeeh Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. ,
the Muteserrifj was relieved in March by Saleh
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. .
Interest in the events of this district chiefly centres about El-Bida'a and its vicinity,
El-Katr. an ^ between Shaikh Jasim-bin-
Muhammad Thani and his Bedouin followers on
the one side, and his CjuonddM adviser, -Vluhainmad-bin-Abdul Wahab, and certain seceding
coast Arabs on the other.
Dissensions have, during the past few years, been rife amongst the Arabs residing under the
jurisdiction of Shaikh Jasim of El-Bida^a, and bodies of seceders first settled at El-Foweyrat
on the Katr Coast, where they are to some extent under the protection of the Noeym tribe
who maintain intimate friendly relations with the Chief of Bahrain.
In the year 1885 a body of the Wakrah Arabs consisting of about 100 men of
the tribes Al-bu-Ainain and Al-Jehran, owing to disputes with their own Chief and with
* Ghareyah or Ghareyat. Shaikh Jasim, left Wakrah and settled at a place
named El-Ghareyah * in Katr^ A coalition has
thus been formed to resist Shaikh Jasim, and during the past year Muhammad-bin-
Abdul Wahab, having quarrelled with Jasim, identified himself with the opposing faction.
A conference took place between Jasim and Muhammad-bin-Abdul Wahab in presence of
the commander of a Turkish gun-boat at El-bida'a, when the Turkish officer suggested that
Jasim should let the people of Ghareyah remain in peace under Muhammad-bin-Abdul
Wahab. Shaikh Jasim was much annoyed at the proposal and incited his adherents to attack
El-Ghareyah, but they were beaten off with the loss of a few men of the Beni-Hajir.
Muhammad-bin-Abdul Wahab entered on a course of intrigue with the Turkish officials
of El-Hasa, apparently with the object of ousting Shaikh Jasim and obtaining for himself the
post of Kaim Makam of El-Katr under the Turkish Government. He is said to have advised
the institution of a Turkish custom house at El-Bidk, a measure which seems to have been
favourably considered by the Turkish officials whilst the inhabitants warmly protested against
it.
Muhammad-bin-Abdul Wahab, who had transferred his residence from El-Bida'a to
Ghareyah, proceeded on a visit to El-Hasa, whence he returned in May,Ojair, accompanied
by a tody of about 50 Turkish gendarmes, of whom 20 were said to be for the protection of
Ghareyah and the rest for the relief of the garrison of El-Bida. It was reported that the
Muteserrif of El-Hasa had proclaimed Ghareyah to be Turkish territory. Subsequently the
commander of the Turkish gun-boat Zohaff landed at Ghareyah, and made notes of the
leading inhabitants, &c.
Shaikh Jasim greatly resented the position assumed by Muhammad-bm-Abdul Wahab,
with the aid and support of the Turks, of Governor of Ghareyah, and threatened to withdraw
from El-Bida'a with his adherents and to commence hostilities against Muhammad-bm-Abdul
Wahab.
In July it was reported that Muhammad -bin-Abdul Wahab has visited Shaikh Jasim at
El-Bida'a, and that terms of reconciliation were arranged between them with the cognisance of
the Turkish commander. The Turkish corvette Zohaff fired a salute of 21 guns in honour
of the occasion, but the terms agreed on were kept secret.
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