Page 807 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY, 1020. 73

Meanwhile, on the 18th May, an encounter took place at Hamdb, fifteen
miles east of Jariyah, where Shaikh Da’ij, who was in charge of Shaikh Salim’s
flag in the dosort, was surprised and routed by Faisal ad-Dawish, the paramount
Sheikh of the Mutair, and a party of his Iklivan tribesmen. The casualties
amongst Da’ij’s men were heavy and he himself narrowly escaped, his camp
and a large number of camels falling into the hands of the Ikhwan.
Ibn Sa’ud’s version of the incident, as given by his agent in Bahrain and
in a letter, dated 26th May, to the Political Agent, Bahrain, was that Jariyah,
which ho maintains is in his territory and not that of Kuwait, was a recognised
camping ground of the Mutair, and that he had recently given permission for
a section of them, under Ibn Shuqair, to 6ettlo there. The Shaikh of Kuwait
had sent them camel raiders, but without any letters, to tell them to go away.
Ibn Shuqair had replied that Ibn Sa’ud, and not the Shaikh of Kuwait, was
his Chief and that ho would refer to him. Shaikh Salim had been very angry
on hearing this and had declared war on the Mutair. He had issued a prohibi­
tion against the export of grain, etc., to Ibn Sa’ud’s subjects, and ordered
Shaikh Da’ij to take action against the Mutair. Ibn Shuqair, fearing for his
women folk had appealed to his kinsmen for help, and had also written to Ibn
Sa’ud, who had ordered him not to proceed north of Jariyah, but to defend
himself if attacked there. Da’ij had then camped at Hamdh, and had sent out
a patrol from there towards Jariyah, which had given rise to the fight.
The Shaikh of Kuwait, on the other hand, maintains that Faisal ad-
Dawish’s attack on Da’ij was entirely unprovoked.
On the 1st June he sent a deputation to Baiyadh, with a letter to Ibn
Sa’ud complaining of Dawish’s action and asking him to order Dawisli to
return the property which ho had taken and to make restitution for the men
whom he had killed. He said that, as Dawisli wras Ibn Sa’ud’s subject, he was
reporting the matter 'co him instead of taking action himself. He reminded
him of the long standing friendship between the Sa’ud and Subah families, and
said that he felt sure that, once he knew the true facts of the case, Dawish’s
action would annoy Ibn Sa’ud oven more than it did him. The deputation
returned to Kuwait on the 2nd July accompanied by Nasir bin Sa’ud al-Frahan,
who was the bearer of a long letter from Ibn Sa’ud, dated th e 2lst June. He
said in it that he had not ordered Faisal ad-Dawish to attack, nor wished him
to do so, but had, of course, known that the Mutair were concentrating and
taking defensive measures. As God had ordained the incident, however,. he
was not 80rry, for reasons which he would explain : Ever since 8alim had
becomo Shaikh of Kuwait, not a month had passed without his experiencing
worry at his hands for no reason whatever. During the past three mouths
there had been five such cases, viz:—
(1) He had sent a mounted force to threaten the people of Jariyah
without first communicating with him.
(2) When Ibn Sa’ud’s Agent at Kuwait had gone to Riyadh, he had
sent him a verbal message by him, and had not had the courtesy
to write a line.
(3) He had sent him no message when some Mutair and Ajman had
been caught raiding at his instigation.
(4) He had issued an order in Kuwait prohibiting all exports to Ibn
Sa’ud’s ports.
(5) He had declared wrar on the Mutair.
He asked for an explanation of these five points, and said that if Shaikh
Salim had any claims to put forward which he did not know, let him state
them. If he claimed that the British had given him Jariyah, he was quite
willing that they should decide tho matter as he knew how to answer them.
In the°old days there had never been any friction between the Sa’ud and Subah
families regarding their frontiers and tribes, as tho former had controlled the
tribes and the latter had remained in Kuwait itself. Then, when evil days
fell on Nnjd and the country u'as split up, one portion coming under the Turks
and in part under the ’Ajman, and the other under Ibn Rashid, people who wore