Page 29 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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by steadily pursuing liis fixed objeot of universal dominion along the const.
Ho recommended direct reprisals upon the ports from which the recent piracies
had been effected the pirates,*'he added, "of the Eastern Archipelago, of
Tunis, Algiers, of ItifF, and Saleo liavo all had thoir visitation, and n humane
Government has over questioned the legality of such reprisals." There was
some correspondence on this occasion between Feysal and the Resident. Feysal,
after justifying his proceedings on the ground that the Sheikh of .Bahrein was
ono of his own feudatories whom for various misdeeds he had a perfect right
to chastise, protested against British intorforeneo in the following terms:—
«• Between the Wahabi Amir and the British Government Treaties have
been made by the several authorities, authority after authority ; and, in accord­
ance with troaties between the Wahabi Amir and tlio Sultan Abdul Mejid,
there are matters whioh every one is precluded from meddling with, unless on
special grounds." To this the Resident replied by declaring that the British
Government recognised Bahrein as an independent Chiefship and was prepared
to oppose all foreign agency, including that of His Highness tho Amir, by
every means in its power; ho also pointed out the inconsistency of Feysal
claiming to be dependent upon Turkey at the same time that Fey sal's Lieute­
nant at Katif was committing piracy on vessels hearing the Turkish flag.
Upon receipt of the Resident’s reports tho Resolution adopted by the Govern­
ment of Bombay and approved by the Government of India, was to insist on the
expulsion of tho refugee Sheikh Mahomed bin Abdullah from the Wahabi
port of Damaum, where for 16 years his incessant intrigues for the recovery
of Bahrein had been an element of disquietude extending over a considerable
portion of the coast.
64. In June 1861 the Resident in compliance with the Government
Resolution above mentioned wrote to Amir Feysal, requiring him to eject
Mahomed bin Abdullah, the refugee Shoikh of Bahrein, from Demaum, and
reoommending him to enter into a peaceable convention with the Sheikh,
whom by our recent treaty we had recognised as the rightful ruler of Bahrein.
65. Five months haying elapsed without any reply from Feysal, the Re­
sident in November 1861 again took the Squadron down to Bahrein, and
after “ an hour’s firing, in whioh no casualty occurred on either side," com­
pelled Mahomed bin Abdullah with all his faction to flee from "Demaum.
“ From all I could learn," writes the Resident, “ the Wahabi authorities and
traders on their coast were inwardly pleased at the long ponding question being
thus settled, although His Highness the Amir could not, with due regard to
Arab hospitality, openly compel Sheikh Mahomed bin Abdullah to relinquish
the shelter he had oCTered him. In any caso His Highness’s castle and
garrisons, both at Memaum and Katif, forbore to molest us in any way, and on
our part orders were issued to respect them so long as they continued inactive.
XIX.—(1) Wahabis ports Attacked. (2) Blockade of Wahabi ports by
the Chief of Bahrein. (3) Blockade raised on British interfer­
ence, 1861.
6?. The papers of 1861 show an exceptional state of affairs, the British
Government this time interfering to protect not Bahrein from the Wahabis,
hut the Wahabis from Bahrein. The Sheikh seems somehow to have imbi­
bed the idea that he could find better alliances for himself than that of Eng­
land. First ho hoisted the Turkish flag ; then he threw himself into the hands
of Persia; and finally, in reliance ou Persian aid and a vague rumour of
French vessels approaching, he proceeded to blockade the ports of his old enemy
the Wahabis, harass the trade and pearl fisheries of Demaum and Katif, and
enter upon a course of general piracy. Those strange proceedings brought the
Resident with the whole Gulf Squadron down to Bahrein ; and in the end order
was restored, and the Sheikh compelled to enter into a Treaty with the British
Government. In this Treaty it was expressly declared that the Sheikh of
Bahrein was an independent power.
XX—Turkish Protest against British proceedings, 1862.
67. These strong measures elicited a remonstrauco from the Turkish
Governor General of Baghdad, Ho wanted to know by what right we had