Coll 6/67(1) 'Boundaries of South-Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎176v] (357/794)

8
Lor. I 1097
Lor. I, 1096.
Lor. I, 456.
Lor. 1, 457.
Bo. Sel.,
XXIV, 316-
9, 437.
Lor. I, 687.
Nejd Precis,
§35.
Bo. Sel.
XXIV, 317-
319 ; 465.
38. In 1834 Turki was murdered. He was succeeded by his son, Feisal bin
Turki. In 1837 Mehemet Ali sent an expedition into Nejd to reduce the Wahabi
Amir and replace him by the pretender Khalid. After two years of fighting, the
Egyptians accomplished their object in 1839. The Wahabi Amir surrendered in
1838, and was sent a prisoner to Egypt. In 1840 the Egyptians again withdrew f
from Hasa, leaving the puppet Amir Khalid as its tributary Governor.
39. The principal events in the relations between the Wahabi Amirs and H.M.
Government and the rulers of Eastern Arabia during this period are described
below.
Wahabi Relations with Muscat, 1824-1840.
40. Between 1824 and 1830 the Sultan of xMuscat was principally busied with
unsuccessful endeavours to reduce the Sheikhs of Bahrein. In 1829 he suffered a
severe defeat at the hands of the Bahreinis and made peace with them. In 1831,
in the hope of forwarding his designs in Bahrein, he sent an embassy with
presents to the Wahabi Amir.
41. In 1833 the Sultan, with the encouragement of the Government of India,
made a general agreement with the Wahabis, by which he undertook to pay a
zakat of 5,000 dollars a year. A condition of the agreement was that each should
hold possession of his coast according to the limits then existing ; the Muscat coast
extending to Jaalan, and the coast of the Amir to Qatif. Reciprocal assistance was
also promised in putting down rebellion. There is nothing to show for how long
the tribute continued to be paid.
42. No other events of importance affecting Muscat took place until 1839. In
face of the Egyptian invasion and the threat which is constituted to Eastern Arabia,
the Sultan of Muscat, with a view to promoting his designs in Bahrein, which he had
never abandoned, was then at first disposed to co-operate with the Egyptians, but
on becoming aware of the hostility to Egyptian advance of the British Government,
he associated himself with the views of the latter and refused a demand for
assistance made upon him by the Egyptian Commander in Nejd.
Wahabi Relations with Trucial Oman A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , 1824-1840.
Wahabi Overtures, 1824.
43. Immediately on the revival of the Wahabi power in 1824, the Wahabi Amir
opened correspondence with all the Sheikhs of the coast, inviting them to renew
the relations which had existed prior to the overthrow of the Wahabis by Ibrahim
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . The Jowasimi Sheikh of Shargah appears forthwith to have opened
negotiations with the Wahabis. “ This measure he did not attempt to conceal, but
assigned self-preservation as his only motive for adopting it.” Matters do not,
however, appear to have proceeded far, and in November 1825 the Sheikh enquired
of the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. wdiether Great Britain w T ould help him to maintain his
independence against the Wahabis. He was informed in reply (see paragraph 52
below) that he was the best judge of his own interests, but that no connection or
authority would be accepted in excuse of predatory proceedings, while action
against Muscat would be considered unfriendly by H.M. Government.
Disputes between Muscat, Abu Dhabi, and Shargah over Baraimi, 1824-1826.
44. It may be recorded that in 1824-25 considerable difficulties arose locally
between the Sultan of Muscat, the Sheikh of Shargah and the Sheikh of Abu
Dhabi, over the occupation of the towers of Baraimi, which had apparently been
re-occupied by the Trucial Sheikhs on or shortly after the downfall of the Wahabis
in 1818.' :i: ’ By a solemn treaty the towers in question had previously been declared
neutral, and on their occupation by Shargah the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi, whether in
concert with or independently of the Sultan of Muscat is not clear, had taken up the
matter. In December 1824 a reconciliation was negotiated by the Resident, under
which the Sheikh of Shargah was to destroy the towers, the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi *
* It should, however, be noted that Lorimer (I, 450) records a successful raid “ at some time,
apparently, between 1821 and 1828 ... by Saad bin Mutlaq, Wahabi, from Baraimi on the Hajriyin
tribe ” to avenge their slaying of his father Syed bin Mutlaq (paragraph 19 above).