Page 145 - Records of Bahrain (1) (ii)_Neat

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Muhammad-biu-Mubarak, a grandson of Shaikh 'Abdullah, upon the
other. At length, in June 1842, tho elder chief completely defeated the
younger by attacking him simultaneously on land and sea; Manfimah
fell into the hands of Shaikh 'Abdullah ; and Shaikh Muhammad, escap­
ing with a few followers to Qatar, proceeded to Ilasa and thcnco to
Riyadh to seek aid of tho Wahhabis. Tho town of Manamah was
sacked by the Bedouin auxiliaries of the victor, after which the old
Shaikh crossed over to Qatar and gave up IChor Massan also to partial
plunder.
Shaikh 1 Abdullah then began to rebuild Zubdrah in Qatar, which had
lain during a number of years entirely deserted.
Blruined The relations with the Wahhabis of Shaikh 'Abdullah, whose success
relation* of was moro apparent than real, were at this timo oxtromcly unfriendly. On
Sim Ah
‘Abdullah tho one hand Shah', a chief of the tiani Ilajir and a relation and staunch
with iho adherent of Shaikh ’Abdullah, was detained as a prisoner by the
Wahhftbia.
Wahhabi Amir; and on the other three-fourths of the population of Saihafc,
of which place the headman had been arrested by MJmr-biu-Ufaisan,
the Wahhdbi Governor of Ilasa, had migrated to Bahrain, and a blockade
of the Ilasa coast was maintained by the navy of Bahrain. These
circumstances inclined the Wahhabis to mako common cause with Shaikh
Muhammad; but for the moment they woro unable to afford him
material assistance.
Permission At this juncture 'Isa-bin-Turif, tho Al Bin-’Ali fugitive, and Bashir-bin-
Sln-Tarif ami Rahmah visited the British Resident at Bushchr together and requested
Baihir'bin* permission to ally themselves with Shaikh Muhammad and to embark
Rfthuiah to
oin Shaikh on regular hostilities against Shaikh ’Abdullah, The required sanction,
duhaiumad, iu view of tho old Shaikh's unsatisfactory behaviour in 1839 and again
ntimatiou of in 1842 at the sack of Manamah, was duly given, on condition that the
he aamo to ltcstrictivo Line should be respected. 'Isa-bin-Tarif, it may bo obsorved,
ibaikh
\bdullnh. was strongly suspected of haying fomented tho recent dissensions in
Bahrain; whilo Bashlr-bin-Rahmah, who could contribute 300 or 400
fighting men to tho expedition, alleged that ho was provented by Shaikh
'Abdullah from enjoyiug tho produco of his paternal estates near
Dammam.
In November 1842 Captain Komball, tho Assistant Rosidont, was
sent to Bahrain to warn Shaikh 'Abdullah of tho porraission for actiou
grauted by tho British authorities to tho hostilo coalition. This communi­
cation was received by tho Shaikh with constornation, almost with
incredulity ; ho represented that, in the absence of most of his fleet and
subjects, ho would bo unable to copo with his assailants; ho hinted that