"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٢‎٠‎٧] (١٧٨٢/٣٥٠)

207
this juncture between Hahmah and the Al Khalifab, and the British
Resident having declined to intervene except on a condition— to which
Rahmah would not agree—that the people of Qatif should be included in
any peace arranged, hostilities were resumed and ended with the destruc
tion of Rahmah and his vessel in a set combat with a ship commanded
by one of the Al ]vhalifah. in his closing years Rahmah was rather a
petty territorial ruler, with head-quarters at Dammam, than a pirate; and
he had always carefully abstained from offences against the British
Government and British subjects ; but his death none the less conduced
to the establishment of a more settled state of affairs in the Persian
Gulf.
On the withdrawal, in or about 1824, of the last of the Egyptian Eevival of
garrisons from Najd, the power of the Wahhabis and their influence in JueS^n'the
Persian Gulf affairs began to revive; but their name no longer inspired ^04 33 Gulf '
an almost superstitious terror as formerly, and their policy and aims now
resembled very closely those of ordinary mundane states. In 1825 the
Shaikh of Sharjah professed to be seriously alarmed by the progress of
the Wahhabis and sought British support; but it was not until 1880,
when, after a contest with the Bam Khalid lasting about six years, the
Wahhabis recovered possession of Hasa, that they became once more an
important factor in the Persian Gulf. At the end of 1830 a threatened
combination between them and the Sultan of ; Oman so alarmed the
Shaikhs of Bahrain that, after vainly soliciting help from the British
Government, they made submission to the Wahhabi Amir and undertook
to pay him tribute in future; and there was much excitement upon the
Pirate Coast, where the Shaikhs of 'Ajman and Umm-al-Qaiwain openly
professed themselves partisans of the Wahhabis, but these latter did not
make any immediate attempt to profit by the situation. Friendly ad
vances, which reflected his moderate and civilised character, were made by
the Wahhabi Amir Tnrki-bin-' , Abdullah to the Bombay Government in
1831; and, though no treaty was concluded in accordance with his sug
gestions, he did not fail to receive a courteous answer to his communica
tion. In 1883 the Sultan of 'Oman, having failed to enlist the active
co-operation of the British in resisting the encroachments of the Wahhabis
upon his dominions, followed the example of the Bahrain ShaiKhs by be
coming tributary to the Wahhabi Amir, with whom he also entered into
a compact for mutual aid against rebellious subjects; and in 1834 the
Wahhabi representative at Baraimi interfered in a struggle which was
in progress between the Shaikhs of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, the two