File 756/1917 Pt 1 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 1 to 65’ [‎437r] (878/1240)

inasmuch as prisoners are normally released and live to fight
again another day, there was no hope that Ajaimi was put out o£
court for good and all. So little depressed was he by his late
defeat, that not more than two months later he engineered a raid
by Ibn Rashid on the Arail section of the Dhafir at Tugayyid,
while he himself and the Muteir defeated the Suweit section at
El-Qusair.
Meanwhile, greater events than any tribal dissensions were
looming over Arabia. Turkey had declared war on Great Britain,
and the Turks, who were joined by Ajaimi with 250 sowars, were
gradually driven from Fao and Basrah. But other events, not
of such significance to the world at large, though of greater
purport to the Jezirat el-Arab, began to develop—-events
which introduce us to elements and dissensions not within the
scope of this account, which concerns chiefly the Shamiyah
desert. But it will be useful to describe one great struggle, so as
to explain certain elements whieh can never be altogether out of
relation with the Shamiyah. This is a famous fight between
Ibn Saud and Ibn Rashid.
The events -which led up to it are somewhat as follows.
Ibn Saud delivered an ultimatum to the Muteir, who are really
one of Ids own tribes, though they had of late joined Ibn Rashi
or Ajaimi indifferently, when these offered occasions for plunder.
He demanded their return to his suzerainty on pam of permanent
hostility The Muteir were willing to return to their old
allegiance, and celebrated their decision by pilfering a caravan ot
1,000 camels, which was on its way from Zubeir to the followers
of Ibn Tawala, chief of the Aslam section of the Shammar.
They were then ready to return to their own country and pm
forces with Ibn Saud. At the beginning of their war with
Great Britain the Turks had tried to persuade Ibn Rashid to
attad an Saud in force. Ibr, Kashid, -‘hing o,h co lected
his forces Meanwhile, the Turks changed then mmds. It
occurred to them that if they could persuade Ibn Rashid to keep
his forces in the Iraq, and Ibn Saud to attack KoweR they would
at the same time completely overawe the Arabs of the Iraq an
overthrow a great stronghold of British influence It was
overtnrow S cal”upon the notonous Seyyid iahb to
according y . 11 c i . , induce him to co-operate,
proceed °n a mission to ^Sa^dyo^nbuce ^ ^ his
At that moment ^ >7 and whil e he was still hesitating
services on extava an j declaration of war precipitated
to abate his demands tne su ^ ous sitllation> from which
matters and placed him d o providential means of
the placed himself into com-
muXation with ke” British authorities, and was allowed to
proceed to India via Koweit. . ,
Meanwhile, wh.n
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