'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [‎198r] (401/540)

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was a man of ours killed by a shot from the Turkish fort and we then left the
place. We always regarded the place as part of Mubarakh's " dira " and our
selves as his servants.
Read over and acknowledged as correct.
W. H. L SHAKESPEAR, Ca/>tam,
K uwait ;
Dated the 12th August igi2
.]
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. .
Statement of Ahmed bin AH Ateybi, aged about 58 years.
States:
We left Safwan some 2 or 3 years ago, as the result of a man of our's
being killed by a shot from the Turkish Fort. The soldiers said one of us had
fired at them but it was not true. When that happened we asked leave of
Mubarakh to free us of our duties to him at Safwan and let us return to Kuwait.
Most of us had homes in Kuwait too and only lived in Safwan for tillage purposes
at the right seasons. The date palms belong to the Nakib of Busreh, but
we used to look after them. I believe after waiting for a year for us to come
back he has put other men of his own into the place to look after the palms.
Our occupation was to raise wheat, barley, and vegetables, and look after the
Shaikh's people when they were in the vicinity as they often used to be in those
days before the Turks came. We did all the watering of the animals and such
like work.
Until the soldiers came, nobody worried us and all matters were referred to
Kuwait for settlement. When we left the place no one went there for a long
time, and as far as I know, there is nothing done in the agricultural way there
now.
K uwait ;
Dated the 12th August igi2
.]
Read over and acknowledged as correct.
W. H. I. SHAKESPEAR, Captain,
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. .
Statement of Nasir bin Musa, Ateybi, an old man of quite 60 years.
States :
I have been in Safwan since I was a boy, but have been now for the last
two years or more living in Kuwait. We left Safwan because the soldiers contin
ually oppressed us and finally killed one of our men. The incident came
about thus:
A Turkish soldier came from the fort and wanted to enter one of our huts—
my uncle's son's hut—and he of course told him to go away and tried to
prevent the soldier entering; there were words and then the soldier shot him.
His name was Mahomed, and he was a boy of only 15 years. We complained
to Shaikh Mubarakh as he was our Shaikh and he said we had better leave the
place altogether, and this we then did ; all of us came and settled for good in
Kuwait where most of us also had homes before.
We were in a way servants to Shaikh Mubarakh at Safwan ; passed on
strangers and messengers, and provided lodging, food and water for his men and
looked after his cattle. Our occupation ordinarily was the raising of wheat,
barley, vegetables and such like for our needs, whilst we also looked after the
date trees of the Nakib of Busreh. When we left the place there was no one
left there except the soldiers.
Read over and acknowledged as correct.
W. H. I. SHAKESPEAR, Captain,
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. .
K uwait ;
Dated the 12th August igi2. j
G. C. B. P., Simla.—No C. S3 F. D.-3I-8-I2.—44-C.G.S.