"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٩‎٣] (١٧٨٢/٣٣٦)

IS:.'
193
which remained almost continuously at war with both. In 1811 Saiyid
Sa^id took an active part in compelling the Wahhabis to relinquish their
hold on Qatar and Bahrain ; and the Wahhabi governor stationed in
Bahrain was at the same time actually made a prisoner by him, or by
his allies the A1 Khalifah of Bahrain. It is possible tbit the A1
Khalifah, as afterwards asserted by the Sultan of ^Oman, were moved,
whether by gratitude or by considerations of expediency, to admit their
political ^opojjdence upon Masqat. Irom 1813 onwards the 'Omani
ruler was in correspondence with Muhammad ; Ali Pasha of Egypt in
regard to measures to be taken against the Wahhabis and the Qawasim;
and in that year and in the next, having failed to secure the active
support of the British, he made efforts on his own account to reduce the
Qasimi capital of Ras-al-Khaimah; but the only result was a treaty,
soon disregarded, by which the Qawasim bound themselves to refrain
from preying on the inhabitants of certain coasts claimed by the Sultan
as under his protection.
The attitude of the Government of India towards the Wahhabis and
the Qawasim during the critical years immediately following the expedi
tion of 1S09-10 was undecided; and, largely in consequence of their in
decision, the fruits of that considerable effort were in the end altogether
lost. The Wahhabi envoy who visited Persia in 1811 or 1812 did not fail
to make overtures to the British Resident at Bushehrfor the establishment
of mutual amity and commercial relations between their respective states ;
but the Government of India seemingly hesitated to pronounce on the
question until 1814, when they decided, without prejudice to the mainten
ance and even encouragement of friendly intercourse, to avoid entering into
a treaty with the Wahhabi Amir. The Sultan of ■'Oman, before embarking
on his expedition of 1814 against Ras-al-Khaimah, tried to persuade the
British authorities in India to make common cause with him against the
Qawasim, and argued that the Agreements of 1798 and 1800 between
himself and the British power constituted an offensive-defensive alliance
under which it was impossible for them to ignore his request; but the
validity of his contention was not admitted, and no naval or military
assistance was afforded him. The British Resident in the Persian Gulf,
however, under orders from Government, accompanied the "'Omiini fleet
to Ras-al-Khaimah upon two occasions ; but no opportunity apparently
presented itself, as had been hoped, for intervention by him with advan
tage to British interests. Towards the end of 1814, in connection with
demands made by the British Resident for reparation in a particular case,
an emissary bearing letters from the Wahhabi Amir and the Shaikh of
22
5 0 inan agram*
the Wahhabis
in Qai ar and
Bahrain,
1811, and
war between
hitn and the
Qawasiic,
1813-1814.