Page 370 - Records of Bahrain (1) (i)_Neat

358
Records of Bahrain

857

unfriendly conduct in locating Bashir-biu-Rahmah on Tarut Islai
opposite to the town of Qatif, where he was joined by a majority of tb
Al Bfi Samait, the constant allies of his father and the
invclerac
foes of the "Atbi rulers of Bahrain.
Supremacy of In 1833 Shaikh "Abdullah of Bahrain was encouraged by the dena­
tho Wuhliftbi
A mir repu­ ture to Masqat of Bashir-bin-llahmah, who soon found his position c
diated by tho
Shaikh of Tarut untenable in consequence of the enmity of the people of Qatif, i
Bahrain, throw off his allegiance to the Wahhabis. As tho Shaikh had bee
1833—1836.
careful, before venturing on a complete rupture of relations, to assur
himself of the neutrality of the Saiyid of 'Oman, and as he ws
supported by the Arab tribes of the mainland, especially the "Amas
section of tho Bani Kluilid who immediately began at his instigation t
harrass the Wahhabis in Ilasa, the ruler of the Riyadh was unable t
make any effective rejoinder. In 1834 Shaikh "Abdullah assumed tb
offensive and blockaded the Wahhabi ports of Qatif and "Oqair. Tb
assassination of the Wahhabi Amir a little later, by his nephew Mashari
was generally attributed to the machinations of the Bahrain Shaikh, wh
celebrated the event with firing of guns and other demonstrations of joy*
and who immediately profited by it to obtain possession, not withou
some expenditure in bribes, of the Island of Tarut opposite to the town o.
; Qatif. In 1835, on the failure of- an attempt by the now—Amir, Faisal
bin-Turki, to recover Tarut, Shaikh ’Abdullah resumed tho blockade o!
Qatif and "Oqair, which lie had suspended, and began to plunder tb-:
shipping of both places.
Doroc8tio In 1833, at the time of his breach with tho Wahhabis, ShaikL
affairs of lit
Al Khnllfah "Abdullah with his sons Mubarak and Nasir had for some timo been
family, 1833* residing in Qatar to watch the proceedings of tho enemy; but 1*5
1836-
seems thereafter to have returned to Bahrain, By the death of
his nephew and colleague Shaikh Khulifah-hin-Salman, which
occurred on the 31st of May 1834, Shaikh "Abdullah soon afterwards
became sole ruler of Bahrain ; but 60 headstrong and impatient of his
authority did his near relations, including his sons, now become, and so
corrupt was his partiality, so undue his leniency and so exccssivo his
general misgovernment when left to himself, that tho internal affairs of

the Shaikhdom soon began to wear a most serious aspect.
In 1835 the people of Huwailah in Qatar revolted against him and
Rebellion in
Qatar, 1836. entered into a correspondence with the Wahhabis; one of his sons rebelled
iu concert with the Huwailah insurgents and began, with the assisUnco
of some hundreds of Wahhabis, to commit depredations upon-tho
sea-borne commerce of Bahrain ; and another sou named Ahmad, after

: