'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎8r] (20/143)

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A Precis of the Relations of the British
Government with the Tribes and
Shaikhs of ’Arabistan.
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CHAPTEE I.
British Interests in ’Arabistan, 1635—1800.
Direct British trade with Basrah dates from 1635, and was carried on
with occasional interruptions by the East India Company until its absorp
tion into the Government of India. But no direct relations with the Arabs of
Dauraq and Qubban seem to have existed until the piratical tendencies of the
Ka ah tribe under Shaikh Salman became so marked as seriously to threaten
British trade. With the assistance of the Turks and with the half-hearted
co-operation of Karim Khan the agents at Basrah attempted naval operations
m 1/65 against Shaikh Salman, but with no success. Two of their boats were
captured and taken up the “ river of Doraq ” (sc. Khor Buziyeh) (Saldanha,
p. 193). At this time the factors of the East India Company at Basrah
looked upon the Kaab as Turkish subjects, and applied to the Turkish
authorities for assistance in obtaining compensation for the losses they had
sustained. They expressed their inability to enter into direct negotiations
with the Kaab, since they were Turkish subjects. The local authorities did
their best to assist the factors, but with little result- Shaikh Salman was
anxious to be dealt with as an independent potentate; he made the release
of the officers and men captured with the two ships mentioned above (whose
names were “ Sally ” and “ Fort William ”) conditional upon the receipt from
the Basrah agent of a “ Treaty of peace to be continued on the old footing
between the Honourable Company and himself which was consented to, finding
that he would not discharge the gentlemen on any other terms.” =**=**
Having acquainted the Government (sc. Turkish) of all these proceedings
they approved of our sending it to him, but desired we would look (upon) the
said paper as a matter of form, only calculated on purpose to get our people
out of his hands, saying that there was no reliance to be had on his promises,
and that he would soon, as aforetime, render the treaty as of no validity.”
I heir fleet would continue with the Turkish fleet, as soon as it arrived
to operate against the Ka’ab, as their destruction was of the utmost import
ance to the trade of Basrah, and could not be effected without British assist
ance (Saldanha, p. 194).
In January 1766, the Bombay Council of the East India Company
decided on an expedition against the Ka’ab and six boats were despatched
for the purpose. The Basrah agent was instructed to demand compensation
and restitution from the Chief of the Ka’ab, in return for which the Com
pany would engage not again to interfere in his disputes, provided that he
did not interfere in their trade. It was anticipated that the treaty would
be acceded to with eagerness by the Chief of the Ka’ab, in which case the
Turks were not to be assisted by the Company’s ships in their operations
against him. But this was not to be expressly stated to them, and should
the Ka’ab refuse satisfaction the Company’s fleet would combine with the
Turks (Saldanha, p. 195).
In July 1766, it is recorded that the Ka’ab were looting villages above
and below Basrah, and an attack on the town was feared.
In April or May 1766, Captain Nesbitt, an officer in the Company’s
service, sent Lieutenant Dutton to make an armed reconnaissance of the “ river
of Doraq.” He himself attempted negotiations with the Ka’ab Chief, and
found him unreliable and faithless. In forwarding Captain Nesbitt’s report
on the 29th May the Resident at Basrah expressed the hope that he might be
able to effect a reconciliation between the Turks and the Ka’ab, otherwise it