'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA. PART I - The Persian Gulf.' [‎33v] (71/92)

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of a permanent Agent at Koweit would be a departure from the status quo ; that
for the present the Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. or one of his existing officers
was the best channel of communication with Koweit ; and that, if closer touch
with Koweit should subsequently be found necessary, it could best be established
by temporary visits of a selected officer to Koweit, repeated at intervals until his
residence became practically permanent. This being the position of affairs,
Lord Curzon, in January 1904, proposed to send as Indian medical subordinate
to Koweit to establish and hold charge of a British post office, for which the
Sheikh had expressed a desire, and to render medical services, of which the
town stood in urgent need. The proposal was approved by the Home Govern
ment, and an undertaking was obtained from the Sheikh not to permit the
establishment at Koweitof a post office of any other foreign country, but when
the scheme was on the point of being carried out, it had to be postponed to
avoid prejudicing negotiations which were then proceeding for the evacuation
of Bubiyan by the Turks. Meanwhile, in May 1904, Sir N. O’Conor had
renewed his suggestion that a political officer should be appointed to Koweit,
the ground of his recommendation this time being that the Turks persisted in
actively supporting Ibu Rashid ; and the Government of India immediately
announced their readiness to give effect to the scheme. In June 1904 His
Majesty’s Government accorded their sanction, and at the beginning of August
Captain Knox, the first 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. , arrived at Koweit, the Hospital Assist
ant being still detained at Bushire as the time was not considered suitable for
the opening of a British post office; in October however he was permitted to
join the Politioal Agent, but only in bis medical capacity. In November 1904
the Porte objected to Captain Knox’s presence in Koweit as an innovation
affecting the status quo ; they were told that, though his sojourn was tempor
ary, His Majesty’s Government reserved the right to send an officer to Koweit
whenever they chose. In view of other questions pending w ith Turkey, how
ever, His Majesty’s Government considered it expedient to direct Captain
Knox’s withdrawal. Lord Ampthill, who at this time was acting as Viceroy
of India, deprecated the immediate withdrawal of Captain Knox ; and, the
circumstances wffiieh had made haste desirable having also ceased to operate.
His Majesty’s Government agreed to a delay. Eventually in May 1905 Captain
Knox fell ill and w T as withdrawn until the following October, when he returned
and tbe Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. was established on a permanent footiug.
In September 1904 several cases occurred of unwarrantable interference
with Koweit boats by the Persian Imperial Customs, and a protest was made
by the Government of India which brought the status of Koweitis in Persia
into discussion. This question is still unsettled ; but it seems that the Persian
Government, while in principle not a verse to the protection of Koweitis in Persia
by the British authorities, are reluctant to concede the point in practice lest by
doing so they should give umbrage to Turkey. In July 1903 the Sheikh of
Koweit agreed, on the advice of the British Government, to adopt a distinctive
colour, for Koweit shipping, resembling the Turkish flag but differentiated from
it by the addition of the word “ Koweit ” in Arabic characters, and to require
a special form of certificate of nationality to be carried by Koweit vessels.
The Viceroyalty of Lord Curzou synchronised almost exactly with a great
Central Arabia. internal struggle in Nejd or Central
Arabia, by which tbe political situation
there was in the end completely transformed. Nejd is a large tract of country,
completely surrounded by deserts, and falling naturally into the three divisions
of Jabal Shammar or Northern Nejd, Kasim or Middle Nejd and Southern
Nejd which has no distinctive name. The political predominence in Nejd
has rested for more than a century with one of two rival families ; during most
of that period it was held by the Wahabi family of Ibn Sand, who are the
hereditary rulers of the southern division, but in recent years it has belonged
to the Shammar family of Ihn Rashid whose seat is in the north at Hail, the
local chiefs in the intermediate district of Kasim have ordinarily occupied a
position of semi-independence between the two. In 1899, however, the power
of Ibn Rashid had been for several years supreme throughout Central Arabia,
and the middle and southern tracts had sunk into mere dependencies of Jabal