Coll 30/23 'Persian Gulf. Koweit: Status. Position vis a vis Iraq and Ibn Saud. Boundaries of Koweit' [‎302r] (604/695)

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* Shaikh Abdill'h as-Salim next came into pro
minence in May 1923. Ibn Sa^ud had sent* one
Saiyid Hamzah al-Ghauth to Kuwait to represent
him at a Conference at which ii was hoped to
come t) an understanding regarding the vexed
question of the Njad Customs with a view to the
re-opening of trade between Najd and Kuwait.
The negotiations proved entirely abortive and
Saiy d Hamzah left Kuwait for Riyadh on the
19th May. He was accompanied, however, by
Shaikh Abdullih as-Salim as representative of
Shaikh Ahmad, who had written to Ibn Sa ; ud
that he saw no hope of c'tiling to an agreement
on the terms proposed by Saiyid Hamzah, so he
Lad decided to let him return, and send a deput i-
tion of his own, headed by Lis cousin. Shaikh
Abdullah returned to Kuwait on 27th June, aM
it became known that he had come to a private
understanding with Ibn Sa’ud, by which the
latter was to recognize him as bis agent in
Kuwait, with whom alone he would correspond,
and was to allow trade between Najd and Kuwait
to be re-opened in return for the whole of the
customs dues on exports from Kmvait by land
(other than those for Kuwait subjects or for
’Iraq), which Shaikh Abdullah was to collect and
remit to him.
Shaikh Abdullah at first urged Shaikh Ahmad
to settle the matter himself without consulting
his people at all, but he refused to do this, and
several meetings were held. Shaikh Abdullah
nearly succeeded in persuading the people to take
up his plan, and urge Shaikh Ahmad to agree to
it, but some stood out firmly against it. shaikh
Ahmad, after vacillating for several days, finally
wrote to Ibn Sa ud rejecting his terms.
Since then Shaikh Abdullah as-Salini has kept
quiet, and spends most of his time at his house at
Sha’b, outside the town.
The only other members of the Subah worth
noting are Shaikh Salman al-Hamud, who is
rather a distinguished looking man of fortv-six.
There is nothing in him, however, and he drinks.
II is father was a younger brother of Shaik
Mubarak.
Shaikh ’Ali al-Khalifah, a grandson of Sh dkh
Abdullah who was Ruler from 1866 to 1892, is a
fat, cheery man of forty-four, who wears ringlets
like a Bedouin and lives largely in the desert. He
is the chief commander of the Kuwait forces in
war, and the recognized expert on all things
military. He is noted for his enormous appetite.
Outside the Subah family, the people who have
the most influence over the Shaik are :—
Khan Bahadur Mullah Salih, his chief secre
tary, who is a foxy, intrigueing little man, with
plenty of brains.
Khan Sahib Abdul Latif, bis Director of Cus
toms. A very pleasant man of undoubted ability,
but not fastidiously scrupulous.
Abdul Aziz as-Salim, his agent in Basrah,
where he normally lives. This man is a born
intriguer, and it is common knowledge in Kuwait
that he used to work—if he does not still do so—
in Shaikh Abdullah’s interests against Shaikh
Ahmad.
♦Enclc. 1 tr Serial No. 1 in file No. 438(ii)—X. of 1923.
The above three individuals are actually in the
Shaikh’s employ. The foil nving are influential
notables:—
Saiyid Hamid Bey an-Naqtb, a son of the late
Naqib of Basrah and brother of the famous
8aiyid Talib Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . He lives p>rtly in Basrah
and partly in Kuwait, and owns property in both
places. Unlike his brother he does not go in for
politics, and, despite his high birth, he does not
dispise business. To him belongs the credit of
m iking the motor road from Kuwait to Zubair,
and of farming the Kuwait-Iraq Motor Trans
port Comp my. He is also the Ford agent in
Kuwait. He is a well educated man, with
charming manners and I an sure that what
influence he has is for good.
Hilal al-Mutairi is the leading pearl merchant
of Kuwdt. Born and brought up in the desert
with his tribe, he was fortunate at pearl diving
when a young man, settled in the town, and is
now by f ir the richest man in the place. He is
still a Kedouin at heart : he has a very fine house,
but I do not believe there is a chair in it—his
reception rooms being furnished with rich carpets,
cushions and camel-saddles alone. At the time
of the recent “ revival ” when the Mutair became
Ikhwan, he wavered for some time as to whether
to join the movement himself or not, and got so
far as to discard his head-rope and bind his
kerchhf with a turban instead (the outward
emblem of the Ikhwan). He soon made up his
mind, however, and went back to the head-rope.
Still, he is very strict, and strongly disapproves of
smoking, etc. He has never lost touch with his
tribe, and no Mutair i ever < omes to Kuwait with
out go ng to his house. He is consequently very
well informed regarding the desert. He is an
elderly man and his views are somewhat old
fashioned, but on the whole his influence is for
good.
Shamlan al-Ali is the second largest pearl
merchant in Kuwait, and is closely associated
with Hilal al-Mutain. Like him he has
great influence. He took a very strong line in
opposing Shaikh Abdullah as-Salim’s Customs
scheme in June 1923+—in fact, but for him it is
probable that Shaikh Abdullah would have got his
way, and Shaikh Ahmad been forced to agree to
Ibn Sa’ud’s terms.
Hamad bin Abdullah as-Saqar owns the biggest
bort-building establishment in Kuwait, and has
also interests in Iraq—in fact for the last year or
two he has spent much more of his time there
than in Kuwait. He had a very bitter hatred
against the late Shaikh Salim on account of the
needless wars he had inflicted upon Kuwait, and 1
think it is quite probable that he would have
brought about a revolution before long if Shaikh
Salim had not died w T hen he did—he had already
sounded the 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. as to the possibility
petitioning Government to depose him. It was
Ham id as-Saqar who championed the proposal
that the people w r ould not tolerate another absolute
Ruler; and he was president of the Council which
was elected at the beginnig of Shaikh Ahmadis
rule—but which never functioned
fSub-enclo. to Enclo. to Serial No. 7 in file No. 438(ii)—
X. of 1923.