'File X/2 Bin Saood, Koweit [Kuwait] & Ibn Rashid' [‎106r] (213/1058)

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who now rules Nejd. Soon after his accession Faisal was attacked by the Egyp
tians under Khurshid Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and being defeated was taken away a prisoner to
Cairo. Faisal, having succeeded after some years in obtaining a pardon, return
ed to Nejd and was at once acclaimed as Imam. He also renewed the old treaty
with the British Government and established his rule over the whole of the territory
formerly under the sway of Turki bin Abdulla. He reconstructed the fort of
Baraimi in Oman and with the concurrence of the British Government received
a tribute from the Sultan of Maskat of $ 15, 000 per annum. Though at this
time Faisal was in frequent communication with the British Government he
was not permitted to assist Mahomed bin Abdulla to his rights in Bahrein,
the British Resident having already placed one of the Khalifa family in power.
The British Government however, in proof of its amity, punished the Bahrein
Shaikh when he proceeded to make attacks on the mainland of Katif and
Hasa which were then Wahabi property.
It was at about this time that the British Government showed how close were
their relations with Nejd by sending one of their officers (Colonel Lewis Felly)
to Riadh and he renewed the old treaties and friendship though not by an actual
written document. Soon after this visit Faisal died and Abdulla his son suc
ceeded him and though he at first kept up the former friendly relations with the
British Government was fool enough to make overtures to the Turks, after he had
quarrelled with the English about Baraimi and Maskat and because he was also
in difficulties with his brother Saud, who held part of Nejd and was better
liked by the people. Finally Saud defeated Abdulla, who then went to Midhat
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , Vali of Baghdad, and got him to invade Nejd on his behalf. When the
Turks came to Hasa all the As-Saud family were at feud with each other and the
Turks therefore easily seized Hasa and Katif, but they went no further west
towards Nejd. The Turks would never have been able to come by land and it
was not right on the British Government’s part to have allowed them to come
by sea, as British ships have always guarded that and refused to allow armed
expeditions on it. Saud represented this to the Resident at Bushire and threw
himself on his protection, but as the English would not listen to his representa
tions he tried to make an arrangement with the Turks, who promised much but
did nothing. In their usual way they wanted Saud to come in person to Baghdad
so as to imprison him there and then take the whole of Nejd ; and, w r hen they
had agreed to his brother Abdur Rahman bin Faisal going in his place with the
promise of a safe conduct they did actually imprison the latter. By this time
the Arabs had seen that the Turkish officials, high and low, were not to be
trusted and so joined Saud with a view to an attack upon Hasa in order to
recover by force what they could not get by diplomacy. Saud, however, was
afraid to venture this for the Turks would probably kill his brother in Baghdad,
and also because the English would not stop Turkish troops coming into Hasa by
sea. When Abdur Rahman was released after three or four years captivity at
Baghdad and landed in Hasa he found that the Arabs loathed the Turks and
were ready to join him against them. As the Turks were weak owing to sickness
and deaths he attacked Hasa fort but before it could be reduced the Turks
brought more troops and he left for Riadh. Saud then died and Abdur Rahman
became Imam but there was continual war between him and his brother Abdulla
bin Faisal who still loved the Turks. Abdulla gradually became stronger and
finally was acknowledged as ruler ; he made peace with all his relatives except
his brother Abdur Rahman. It was during these years of trouble between the
sons of Faisal themselves and between the As-Saud and the Turks in Hasa
that the Ibn Rashid family of Hail, formerly vassals of the Wahabi ruler, became
so strong and eventually took Kasim and Boraidah. Abdulla bin Faisal tried to
re-assert the power of the As-Saud but Mahomed Ibn Rashid was too strong.
At the same time there were more dissensions between Abdulla and his relatives
so that Abdulla became weak and the sons of Saud bin Faisal took the power
from him ; but, Mohamed Ibn Rashid to help Abdulla attacked Riadh, took it
and thus became ruler of practically all the country formerly belonging to the
Wahabis. He also took Abdulla bin Faisal off to Hail. Abdur Rahman bin
Faisal then made an effort to restore the power of the As-Saud, and succeeded
in re-taking Riadh from Ibn Rashid’s people but he was not strong enough to
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