Page 647 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

FOE THE YEAE 1918. 65

APPENDIX I.

TIIE ’AJMAN QUESTION.
At tho end of 1914-, fighting took place between Bin Sa’ud and Ihn Rashid which was
indecisive and ended in a truce. Among the tribes which had collected ostensibly for the
support of Bin Saud on this occasion was the ’Ajman, a bedouiu tribe from Husa, which
failed to appear at the appointed time and was therefore suspected of treachery. Later they
committed certain depredations and gave refuge to some rebellious cousins of Bin Sa’ud
knojvn as the ’Araif and in June 1915, Bin Sa'ud decided to organise a campaign against
them. He solicited aid from Kuwait aud Sir Mubarak despatched a strong force of local
tribesmen under his son, Shaikh Salim, but before their arrival B n Sa’ud made a night
attack on the ’Ajman, for which they were prepared, and was defeated, losing his brother
Sa'ud among the killed. Later, however, with the aid of Sir Mubarak’s force be managed
to hem the ’Ajmnn in near the coast a short distance north . of Qatif. Mere 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, desparing of escape,
opened negotiations for peace with Shaikh Salim who 6ent them to Kuwait, where their
submission was accepted by Sir Mubarak agaiu9t the wishes of Bin Sa’ud who dedred further
to avenge the death of his brother. This happened early in November 1915, and on the
death of Sir Mubarak, which took place at the end of the month, his successor, Shaikh Jabir,
in order to placate Bin Sa’ud ejected the ’Ajman from Kuwait territory and they dispersed,
the majority making for the north-west as they feared to return to their former haunts in
Hasa. The asylum given tos the ’Ajman tribe was one of the important factors leading to
the unfortunate estrangement which has lately existed between Najd and Kuwait. In
November 1916, a meeting took place at Kuwait between the three great chiefs of north-east
Arabia, Bin Sa’ud, Shaikh Jabir and the Shaikh of Mobaimuerah under the mjjfis of the Chief
Political Officer, at which they openly declared their allegiance to the British Government.
As one of the results of this meeting a truce was arranged between Bin Sa’ud and the
’Ajman who were then living with friendly tribes on the borders of the Occupied Territory,
and instructions were drafted defining the position of the fugitive Shaikhs with respect to all
the tribes under the protection of the British Government. On his return to Basrah, the Chief
Political Officer summoned the ’Ajman leaders and some of the more courageous came in to
Zubair and tbe proposed terms were accepted. They expressed little doubt that the rest
would come in on learning of the success of their own venture. Sultan Ibn Hethlain gave a
written undertaking that the tribe would not leave our territory wilhout permission, but they
eventually went off to Ibn Rashid.
In February 1917, Shaikh Jabir died and Salim reigned in bis stead. In tbe middle
of 1917, Bin Sa’ud who had already begun to tax the Awazim, an essentially Kuwait tribe,
induced them to leave Kuwait and settle in his own territory. Shaikh Salim’s reply to this
move was to make advances to the Shammar and ’Ajraan and by the beginning of October
1917, tbe latter had moved en masse into Kuwait territory. Much correspondence took place
between the two rulers, but Bin Sa’ud refused to restore the Awazim and when Colonel
Hamilton, Political Agent, Kuwait, visited Najd, he claimed that he was within his rights
in his action in connection with this tribe. He, however, knowing that he was in the
wrong, expressed himself ready to return the filched tribe if Shaikh Salim would turn out
the ’Ajman and cut off his relations with the Shaminar, the enemies of himself and the
British Government. Eventually an understanding was arrised at on these lines and the
Awazim were returned. Pespite this the’Ajman remained in Kuwait territory and, at the
beginning of 1918, the disposal of this tribe had become a burning question. In February
1918, it was decided that the most satisfactory settlement of the matter xyould be for the
British Government to take the ’Ajman under their protection at Zubair or elsewhere on
the Shamiyah side and, on March 6th, 1918, the following agreement was signed by
the Political Agent (Colonel Hamilton), Shaikh Salim- and Dhaidan Bin Hethlain
(the leading ’Ajman Shaikh) :—
“ After consulting the wishes of their friend and ally His Excellenoy Abdul Aziz Bin Saud
Imam of Riadh and Hakim of Nejd, Hassa and its Dependances. *
After paying due regard to the intercession on their behalf of His Excellenoy Shaikh
Sulim al Mubarak, Hakim of the Sultanate of Kuwait and its Dependances, in whose territory
and under whose protection tbe tribe of ’Ajraan are now dwelling, and having regard to the
general polioy of friendliness of the British Government towards the lulers, tribes and people of
’Iraq and the Jezirat-al-Arub, it las seemed good to tbe British Government to overlook the
breach of the agreement made last year with Sultan bin Hethlain and some sections of tl u
’Ajiuan and to enter into relations with this tribe for the second time. Therefore, the British
poverument is willing to accept the submission of the ‘Ajmau and to take them under its