Page 91 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911_Neat

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RESIDENCY FOR TITE YEAR lOOO-lOtXT.
In Dooomber Sheikh Abmad-bin-Thani was murdered by his own Beni
Hajir servant in consequence of a personal grievance. It was widely suspected
that Sheikh Khalifa, the eldest eon of Sheikh Jasim, was privy to the crime,
and considerable resentment for a time was displayed by the sons of Ahmad
against him. The old Chief proved himself quite capable of dealing with the
emergency. The elders of the Beni Hajir tribe were intimidated into sub­
missively resorting to 8hoikh Jasim's camp and promising that they would
hunt down and execute the originator of the trouble. An untoward event
occurred at tho close of ono of the audiences, when a slave of the deceased
Sheikh Ahmad suddenly murdered Sheikh Salim-bin-Sliafi, the head of the
Beni Hajir (Makhadbdhaba) tribe. The connection of the Bim Thani family
with this dastardly deed was however at once emphatically repudiated, the
slave was disgraced, and the air became much cleared in consequence.
A few weeks later, the murderer of Sheikh Ahmad, by name Bin
Muammam, was shot dead in Dthahatan by Bashir, the nophew of Salim-bin-
Shafi, and the feud was declared closed. The two most noteworthy consequences
of these events are that the power of Sheikh Jasim is now greater than it
has been for several years past, and that Sheikh Khalifa has lost to his
younger brother Abdallah the succession to the Sheikhship of Doha, with the
attendant claim to the Chiefship of the principality on Sheikh Jasim’s demise
or abdication.
The slightness of the Turks* bold on the principality has been evidenced by
the urgency with which they pressed Sheikh Jasim to nominate Sheikh Ahmad’s
successor, and by their scrupulous care not to interfere in the matter them­
selves. At the same time the foreign political relations of the Sheikh of Doha
may be considered as entirely dominated by the Military Commander of the
Turkish fort.
Toe principal features of the year in the Turkish Sanjak have been the Has*,
hot weather visit of Amir Abdul Aziz-bin-Saua to the vicinity cf Hasa,
and the see-saw struggle between the customs-farmers and Haji Mansur territories.
Bzska-b in - Juma\
JSejib Pasha was Mutesarrif throughout the year, having succeeded Syed
T&lib in February 1905.
The downfall of the latter official bad been caused by his tyrannical
freainMKst of Hasi Mansur, the local Agent of the Dayira Saniya, which had
culminated in tho pillaging of the Haji*s house and the imprisonment of his
brother Abraad-bin-Juma*.
The departure of Syed Talib did not however deter the customs-farmers,
Bin Paris and Bm Akhwan, from continuing hostilities, for all the military
authorities of Hasa and Katif still adhered to their side, as also did Ibrahim
Eflendi, who officiated as Kaimmakam of Katif during the earlier part of
the year.
In September a new Kaimmakam, Nejib Bey, arrived in Katif, and in
October the Tabur Aghasi (Military Commandant.) of Hasa, Mahmood Beg,
came down to carry through the settlement, of the quarrel in favour of the
customs-farmers. The Kaimmakam finding his position impossible resigned,
and Haji Mansur accompanied by other influential merchants went up to
Basra. There he brought about the recall of the Tabur Agbasi, the Kazi of
Katif, the Port Officer and the Zabit of Police. He returned to Elatif about
the 17th December with another Kaim makam, Ahmad Effendi, but even
then, bis troubles were not at an end, for in January the Military Zabit
arrested a number of his servants for going about armed.
In February an Armenian Inspector of the Ottoman Public Debt, "Mon8.
Beylikdjian, who is also believed to have some connection with the Dayira
Saniya, came down from Baghdad to Katif to enquire into the irregular
manner in which reports and remittances were reaching him. He apparently
came to the conclusion that the enemies of Haji M ansur were responsible.
It is possible therefore that more changes may shortly bo made in th»
personnel of the Sanjak.
The visit of Bin Saood to the Jafura deserts south and east of Hasa
occurred in July and August. About the time of his arrival two caravans