Coll 6/67(1) 'Boundaries of South-Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎269r] (542/794)

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tribes. Towards the end of the month letters dated 28th January were received
from the Wahabi Amir, which were followed by the despatch of an envoy to Bushire
^ with definite proposals of peace.
Wahabi Undertaking of 2lst April 1866.
116. The Resident arrived at Bushire on 21 st April 1866 and interviewed the
Wahabi representative, w T hose assurances and wishes appeared to be in ail respects
satisfactory. The envoy gave the following written declaration to Colonel Belly :—
“I, Mohamed bin Abdulla bin Maneh, am certain on the following points:
“lam authorised by Imam Abdulla bin Feisul to request the Sahib, the
Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to become the medium of friendship between 0 - ], P "
Imam Abdulla bin Feisul and the British Government;
“ Secondly, I assure the Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. on the part of the
Imam Abdulla bin Feisul that he will not oppose or injure British subjects
residing in territories under the authority of Abdulla bin Feisul ; and
“ Thirdly, I assure the Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , on the part of Imam
Abdulla bin Feisul, that he will not injure or attack the territories of the
Arab tribes in alliance with the British Government, especially of the Kingdom
of Muscat, further than in receiving the zakat that has been customary of old.”
117. It will be observed that this declaration was volunteered by the Wahabi
representative and does not in itself constitute a treaty between the two parties.
Its acceptance was approved by the Government of India, and the Resident
thereupon wrote to the Wahabi Amir a letter from which the following is an
extract : —
“I have received Your Highness’ friendly letter by the hand of your p r g c i s
confidential servant, Md. bin Abdulla bin Mana and suite. § 115 ,
“ You state that you are desirous for peace, and your envoy has handed to
me a paper, copy of which I enclose and which has been approved by H.M.
Government. ... <
“ I hope this may find you in health, and if you have any difficulty send to
me a confidential agent, and I shall always be happ}^ to meet him on friendly
terms as I have been Md. bin Abdulla bin Mana.”
Basis of a Wahabi Claim that H.M. Government had entered into previous
Agreements with Wahabi Amirs, 1866.
118. The Resident, in reporting the result of his final interview with the envoy,
wrote : “ I asked the Wahabi envoys what the Amir meant by stating in his letters Political A
that agreements had existed of old between his Government and the British. The j une 1866,’
envoys replied that the Wahabi Amirs had, from time to time, received friendly Nos. 64-5.
letters from the British authorities, and that the Wahabi Government considers a
friendly letter to be synonymous with a Treaty Agreement. ...”
119. There were no further developments of importance between 1866 and the
fall of Baraimi in 1869.
Summary, 1840-1870.
120. At the beginning of this period the Wahabis were subject to the Egyptians.
Between 1843 and 1865 they reasserted themselves, re-established themselves
(though not apparently on the same scale or with the same influence as in the past)
in Trucial Oman A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , were deterred from annexing Bahrein only by British interference,
and conducted operations against Muscat. The Government of India found it
necessary to remind them of the independence of the Trucial Sheikhs, and of the
special relations between H.M. Government and those Sheikhs (1853, 1855) to
defend Bahrein against them, to intervene to prevent them from aggression on
Muscat, and to conduct effective expeditions against them or their proteges in 1861
nnd 1865-66. During the whole of period they appear to have paid tribute to
Turkey and notably in 1855, but also in 1359, they formally claimed to be Turkish
dependants, and in 1866 they appealed to Turkey. On the death of the Amir
Feisul in 1865 dissensions in the ruling house prepared the way for the invasion
of the Turks in 1870 and the fall of the Saudi dynasty. Throughout this period
the Trucial Sheikhs remain to a not inconsiderable extent under Wahabi influence,
hut retain their independence, and from 1845 to 1869 the Wahabis are in possession