Page 477 - PERSIAN 2B 1883_1890_Neat

RESIDENCY AND MU8CAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR 1887-88. 0

29. At the given signal the Bedouin Araba of the vioinity entered the bazaar of El-Bidaa
and plundered the shops of the Persian* dealers residing there, driving them all from the place.
Tho British Indian traders on this occasion were protected by Shaikh Jasim's relative*, but
their turn was to come.
80.' In tho month of August two Indian traders wore wantonly and cruelly wounded by
the Bedouins in El-Bidaa, and immediately afterwards piracies commenced off the ooast of
Katr.
81. In the summary of Bahrain affairs it has been stated how these disorders were
eventually checked, and it is only necessary here to remark that compensation to the wounded
Indians was included in the amount levied from Shaikh Jasim.
32. No redress has been obtained by the Persians for tho losses sustained by them during
the plunder of ELBidaa, when all the Persian tradere were forced to remove from the place;
but an appeal on the subject was made by the Persian to the Turkish Government.
88. The Wali of Busrah, Nafiz Pasha, visited El-Bidaa in the corvette Zohaff in the
month of F«*b-nary and promised Shaikh Jasim a title and decorations. A supply of coal also
has bee*- . to El-Bidaa by the Turkish authorities, and the Turkish guard at that place is
about to be strengthened.
34. The nscal petty and desultory warfare has occasionally been kept up between Shaikh
Jasim’s adherents in El-Katr and the Monasir and other Bedouins of the border land of 'Oman.

5.—NEJD AND EL-HASA
35. Subordinate to the Turkish "Wilnyet" of Basrah is the somewhat pretentiously
tended GoTJurninent c£ “ Nejd.” The Mutaserrif holding
this p?st has his head-quarters at Hoofoof, the capital of El-
Hasa, and his charge is really restricted to the province bearing the latter name. To the
westward between El-Hasa aod Nejd (or the '‘uplands") intervene the MDahna” or
“ Nafood,” the great red sand dunes, and at present these mark the limit of Turkish authority.
To the north-west of Riadh, the capital of Central Nejd, is the flourishing province of “ the
mountain," Jebel Shammer, ruled by Muhammad ibn Hashed, who more or less owns alle­
giance to Turkey. The Wahabee Amirs o£ Riadh have long been weakened by family dis­
sensions and isolation from tbe seaboard owing to the Turkish occupation of El-Hasa,
36. Up to hst year, Abdallah bin Feysal was recognised as Amir, or head of the. Al-
Su'ood family, bat his authority was limited to Rudh itself.
37. tost autumn mtelfigenoe was received that his nephews, the 6ons of Sn'ood bin
Feysal, had seized and imprisoned Abdallah, and there were rumours of an intended assem-
blage of tribes in view to an attack on the Turks in El-Hasa.
38. Letters were written by Muhammad bin Su'ood to the Chief of Bahrain and to the
various Arab Shaikhs of 'Oman, announcing his accession as Amir of Nejd. But the triumph
of Muhammad bin Su'ood was short-lived, for the more powerful Amir of Jebel Shammer,
Muhammad bin Rashed, speedily marched against him up to the gates of Riadh, which
place capitulated after a short defence. Abdallah bin Feysal was then released and re-instated,
and Muhammad bin Su’ood retired to EJ-kboij. It seems, however, to have been arranged
that Alxlullah should accompany Muhammad bin Rashed back to Jebel Shammer, his younger
brother Muhammad bin Fejsri acting as Governor of Nejd, assisted by an Agent of Ibn
Bashed.
39. Thus, the authority of Muhammad bin Rashed has apparently been extended over a
large portion of Central Aribia, nud is now supreme from the confines of Syria to tbe great
ted sand desert east of Nejd.
40. The forces of Ibn Rashed are too formidable aod well appointed to allow of any suc­
cessful resistance on the part of the adherents of the Wahabi* Amirs, and it is of some
importance to note that the Shammer Chieftain is, nominally at least, the -vassal of Turkey.
He at once eommunicated tiie news of his victory to the Turkish authorities, by whom H
received with the utmost afishefioa.
'*