Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎208r] (415/678)

B. 127.
This document is the property of Her 3£ajesty , s Secretary of State for India.
Confidential.
1800 .
EOWEIT.
Historical. —Koweit (or Crane) is a large town of some 20..000 to
25,000 inhabitants (one authority, M. Stavrides, puts the population
at 50,000), situated on the north-west shore of one of the best harbours in
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . It has for long been regarded as the possible terminus of
a projected Euphrates Yalley Railway.
When in 1871 a Turkish force was sent to the assistance of Abdullah bin
Eeysul, Amir of Nejd, against his brother—an expedition which was under
taken in spite of representations by Her Majesty’s Government, and which
resulted m the establishment of Turkish suzerainty in El Hasa and Ivatif
the Koweit Sheikh was an active ally of the Turks, who subsequently,
accordino- to Colonel Telly’s report, established a custom house at Koweit.
The suzerainty of the Sultan over the portion of the littoral of the Persian
Gulf north of Ojair (a place opposite the island of Demam, just south of
Katif) has never been formally acknowledged by Her Majesty’s Government.
There are indications, however, that the British Government would have
been ready to welcome Turkish authority on that part of the coast if
effectually exerted in the interests of order. Tenacious, however, as they
have shown themselves of their shadowy rights, the Turks have done nothing
towards establishing their authority in any part of the western sea board of
the Turkish Gulf; and have confined themselves to the location of small
garrisons at Katif, and at El Bidaa (where the British Government has
declined to recognise their authority), and to the grant of the titles of
Kaimakam and Mutessarif to certain local chiefs.
1896.
Attention was prominently drawn to Koweit in 1898 by a memorandum
written by M. Stavrides, Legal Adviser to the British Embassy at Constan
tinople, who represented that much excitement had been caused in the
Sultan’s entourage by a report that Mubarak, a son of the late Sheikh of
Koweit, had at the instigation of the British Resident* murdered his brother
and usurped the chiefship. M. Stavrides described Koweit as an independent
Arab State, but stated that, owing to the possession by the ruling family of
landed property near Busrah, the Sultan had usually accorded his sanction
to the succession of each Chief to the throne, and granted to him the title
of Kaimakam. A visit of H.M.S. “ Sphinx” to Koweit in July 1896 con
firmed the report of Mubarak’s usurpation. Commander Baker reported that
Koweit, though nominally independent, was in reality greatly under Turkish
influence, more especially since Mubarak’s accession, and that the Turkish
flag was flying there.
In December 1896 the Consul at Busrah reported that he was satisfied that
Koweit subjects were concerned in a piratical attack on the British dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean.
“Haripasa.” It was at first proposed, and the Indian Government were
inclined to favour the proposal, to hold the Turkish and Persian Governments
responsible—a proposal which would, m the circumstances, ha\e involved a
recognition of Turkish authority over Koweit; but it was eventually decided
not to adopt this method of procedure on the ground of the improbability
that any satisfaction would be obtained by it.
1897 .
The Sheikh of Koweit was eventually seriously warned by the Resident
that he would be held responsible for the misconduct of his subjects.
In February 1897 a proposal was made by the Constantinople Sanitary
Board to establish a Turkish quarantine station at Koweit. The Government
of India had no objection, but nothing appears to have been done to carry
out the proposal efiectively, though a so-called sanitary authority is stationed
■there.f
* This was of course absolutely denied by the Resident.
S. 36. ^
Foreign
Office to Sir
A. Layard,
No. 13, dated
5th Jan.
1888.
Political,
612/96.
805/96.
To India,
No. 54
(Secret),
dated 18 th
Dec. 1896.
India,
No. 147 of
1897, En
closure 2.
Political,
1722/97.
225/97.
Telegram,
12/2/97.
jConsul
Wratislaw’s
Despatch
No. S9,
dated 25th
Aug. 1899.
(Political,
2425/99.)