Page 407 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

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FOR THE YEAR 1015.
Ueutcr’s telegrams and tbo <(Illustrated War Nows ** have been regularly
translated and issued to the Shaikh and people, and tho only Arabic nows-
naners which como regularly to Kuwait aro the “ Basrah Times’* and the "well
jcnown “AiMuqattara'’of Cairo. There has been during the past year a
satisfactory increase in pro-British feeling in the town.
Lord Bardingo of Pen6hurst, Viceroy and Govornor-Gencral of
India, visited Kuwait in H. M. 8,
Viceroy’* Vfrit
“ Northbrook” from January 31st to
February 2nd, 191G. During the morning of Eobruary 1st Shaikh Sir
3lubarak-as-Subah, Shaikh of Kuwait, and Shaikh Abdullah bin Isa of
Bahrain, were received by His Excellency and decorated with the K.C.S.L,
and C.I.E., respectively; and in tho afternoon a return visit was paid _ by
the Viceroy attended by the members of his staff after which tho party visited
the bazaar and the Bedouin camping ground. On Tuesday, Februaiy 2nd,
X/ord Hardinge inspected the Government concession at Bandar Shwaikh and
tho Mission Hospital. His Excellency’s visit was greatly appreciated by the
Shaikh and people of Kuwait.
Captain Shakespcar, C.I.E., whose deputation to Bin Saud, the Amir
of Nejd, was mentioned on page G2 of
B*n Saud and Nojd Politics.
last year’s report, reached the Amir’s
head-quarters at ICbafsa, about 330 miles South-West of Kuwait, on 31st Decem­
ber 1914, and at once opened negotiations with him for the establishment of
treaty relations as desired by Government, but, on 24th January, he was
unfortunately killed in a fight which took place between Bln Saud and Ibn
Rashid with whom were the Shammar tribesmen, near Atawi South-East of
Hail. Exact details of what occurred have been difficult to obtain, hut it
seems almost certain that Bin Saud recommended Captain Shakespcar to with­
draw to a neighbouring Ml from which to watch the encounter, and that
enemy cavalry there attacked and slew him, paying no attention to his protests
and explanations that he had not come out to fight. The battle had no decided
result, and a truce was subsequently arranged between, the rival chiefs which
lasted until the end of the year.
Among the tribes which had collected ostensibly for the support of Bin
Saud on this occasion was the Aj’man,, a Bedouin community from Hassa,
which failed to appear at the appointed time aud was therefore suspected of
treachery. Later they committed certain depredations and gave refuge to
some rebellious cousins of Bin Saud known as the Araif; and finally, in the
month of June, tho Amir decided to organise a campaign against them.
He wisely solicited aid from Kuwait, and Sir Mubarak despatched a strong
force of local tribesmen to Hassa under his son Shaikh Salim, hut before the
arrival of this reinforcement Bin Saud made an abortive night attack on the
Aj’man for which they were prepared and in consequence was defeated, losing
his brother, Sa’ad, among the killed. Later on, however, with the aid of
Sir Mubarak’s force he managed to compel the Aj’man to retire to the north-east
and hemmed them in near the coast, a short distance north of Qatif. Here
they were besieged for some little time at the end of which they were badly
defeated by the Bani Khalid and other Kuwait tribes in an attempt to break
through, and then, despairing of escape, opened negotiations with 8haikh
Salim with a view to peace. Shaikh Salim sent them to Kuwait where their
submission was accepted by Shaikh Mubarak against tho wishes of Bin Saud
who was desirous further of avenging his brother’s death.
This took place early in November : at the end of the month Sir Mubarak
passed away, and his successor, Shaikh Jabir, in order to placate Bin Baud,
ejected the Aj’man from Kuwait territory, and they are now said to have
dispersed, the majority making for the north-west as they fear to return to
their former haunts in Hassa,
The campaigns described above have kept the neighbouring Bedouin
tribes well ocoupied during tho year and
Gonoral conduct of the tribe*.
. raids havo been fow in numbor and, with
one exception, unimportant compared with those of ordinary times In
the Sammar from tho Hail district raided, in Kuwait territory, about 400 camels.