'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎43r] (90/386)

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Shammar, ruled by nominees of the Shammar Amir, In consequence of its
natural inaccessibility and economic unimportance. Central Arabia has at most
times lain beyond the purview of the British and Indian Governments; but
during the period now to be considered the situation was somewhat modified, in
this respect, through an alliance between the Sheikh ot Kovveit and Ibn Saud
and through the espousal of the cause of Ibn Bashid by the Turks.
In 1900, as already mentioned in the history of Koweit, Ibn Saud left that
place for Central Arabia and Sheikh Mubarak made a remarkable incursion
into Nejd, by which, though in the end it was unsuccessful, the power of Ibn
Rashid was severely shaken. The Shammar Amir soon afterwards applied to the
Turkish Government for redress, and an Ottoman Commissioner was deputed to
Basrah to report on the situation; but his proceedings were dilatory, and Ibn Rashid,
w r ho had been favourably impressed by the advantages that the Sheikh of Koweit
derived from his connection with the British Government, made overtures for an
understanding between himself and the British Power. The views of the Amir, as
represented by his agent at Basrah, were that the British Government should
undertake to supply him with arms in return for payment and should depose
his enemy the actual Sheikh of Koweit, while he on his part would agree to
abstain for the future from interference in Koweit affairs and would guarantee
the safe construction by British enterprise of railways across Arabia. In June
1901 Lord Curzon stated his opinion that, while to concede the Amir’s requests
was impossible, his sympathy should not be alienated ; and he suggested that a
British officer should be sent from the side of Akaba to interview the Amir and
ascertain more particularly his views and the nature of his personality ; it might
even be advisable, he considered, that the British Government should undertake
to restrain the Sheikh of Koweit in future from hostilities against the Amir and
to use their good offices to prevent Turkish aggressions on Nejd. His Majesty’s
Government, however, feared that a mission might give rise to complications
with Turkey and that anything in the nature of a protectorate might involve
obligations which could not be discharged without resort to material force, and
their approval was therefore withheld. Before many months had passed, as ave
have seen in the history of Kow'eit, the hope of amicable British relations with
the Amir had vanished; and Ibn Rashid had rejected, in somewhat arrogant
terms, an offer of British mediation between himself and the Sheikh of Koweit.
At the beginning of 1901 the Government of India contemplated the despatch
of Muhammadan agents to obtain reliable information regarding the political
and religious conditions prevailing in Central Arabia, the obscurity of which
was a cause of hesitation in policy, but execution of the scheme was deferred on
account of the disturbed state of the interior.
After the beginning of 1902 the progress of Ibn Sand’s arms in Nejd
was extraordinarily rapid. In January the Wahabi capital of Riadh was recover
ed by his son, Abdul Aziz, and the adjoining districts of Kharj and Harik were
soon cleared of the adherents of Ibn Rashid. These reverses caused the
northern Amir to appeal again to the Turks, whose apprehensions he did not
fail to excite by insinuations that the British Government were assisting Ibn
Saud and had designs of their own in Central Arabia. In April a further
success was gained by Abdul Aziz and the majority of the Bedouins came over
to the Wahabi cause. In May 1902 Ibn Saud in person left Koweit for his
hereditary capital of Riadh, at the same time despatching a letter to the British
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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. in which he made a virtual request
for British protection and intimated that he had declined overtures from a
Russian official at Koweit because he preferred that his relations should be
with the British Government. The action of the Resident in abstaining from
replying to this letter was approved by the Government of India, and he was
instructed that no encouragement should be given to Ibn Saud. Such was the
position when a counter-movement in force was suddenly attempted by Ibn
Rashid, who swept southwards and occupied Dilam, the capital of Kharj. On
the 1st of November, however, he was totally routed at a great battle in Kharj
and fled northwards leaving his camp in the hands of the Wahabis; he then
established himself in the district of Kasim, besides which little now remained