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CHAPTER NINTH.

Murder of Slieikli Selman-bin-Diaij-el-Klialifa, a cousin of the Chief
of Bahrein and his party about 40 miles south of Katif- Question
of satisfaction and compensation for it
1900-1904.

4.79. As an instance of Arab inter tribal feuds and the incapacity of the
Turkish Government to control these unruly
Secret E., February 1901, Nos. 1-4.
tribes and their dilatory ineffectual methods
I in obtaining redress for the most daring crimes, is furnished to us in a case of
the murder of a party of Bahreineso, which has been the subject of correspond­
ence for some four years.
4S0. The facts of the case were first reported in Mr. Gaskin’s letter
No. 219, dated the 3 2tli Decomber 3900. The murdered Sheikh, on
the 38th November 1900, crossed to the mainland on a hunting expedition,
and took with him his two sons, Diaij and Bishir, a nephew named Abdul
Rahman-bin-Kashid, 20 followers and four companions, one from the Mona,
one from the Ajmnn, and two from the Beni Ilajir as a precaution against
molestation from the tribes to which they belonged. A party of about fourteen
men of the Dowasir tribe of Bahrein crossed at the same time and encamped
;
i near Sheikh Selman. On the 3rd December a largo body of the Almorra,
Bedouins came on their camels from the interior, and at nightfall, after
tethering their camels a few miles from Sheikh Selman’s camp, they surprised
the hunting party a littlo after midnight, and massacred them all except Bishir
and two followers who escaped with wounds. One of the Sheikh's negroes was
said to have killed three of the attacking party before he was killed. The
Dowasir lost one man who happened to he in the Sheikh’s tent, but the rest of
them managed to escape to their boats and offer no assistance to Sheikh
Selman. When Mabomed-bin-Abdul Wabab Pasha of Darin heard of tbo
carnage,'he went out with a number of persons and buried the victims.
481. It was generally thought that tho cause which led to these regrettable
murders was that, in 1S98, some Amameras of Bahrein, while engaged in
hunting on the mainland, were attacked by Almorra robbers, and two of
their number were killed. The Amameras to be even with tho Almorra
killed the son of their Sheikh in 1899, and the Almorra undertook the
recent massacre 1o avenge their Chief’s son. The Khalifa family of Bahrein
havo no hlood-fcud with the Almorra, and, though the Amamcia were resideuts
of Bahrein, their behaviour could not be considered as being sufficient ground
for the Almorra to commit the murders. It seemed that the hope of obtaining
plunder was the inducement.
4.S2. The Chief of Bahrein, in speaking to the Resident on the subject,
in December 1900, said that there were two courses open: “either that the
British Government should represent the matter to the Turkish Government,
and urge the Turkish authorities to give him redress, or that lie should be
allowed to organize an expedition to pursue and punish tho murderers.”
Lieutenant-Colonel ICcmball agreed to represent tho matter to the Turkish
authorities, through Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul at Basrah, but advised
the Assistant Political Agent at Bahrein to communicate on the subject with
the Kaimmakam of Katif. On the Government of India receiving tho Kcsidont’s
report on the occurrence, the Secretary of State was addressed by tclogram,
and it was said that tbo case appears to be one in which reparation by Turkish
Government must be insisted on. Only alternative would be independent
action by Sheikh, which Kcmbali has properly dissuaded. The tolcgram was
followed up by a despatch in whicli the suggestion as regards the necessity for
obtaining reparation with tho least possible delay was reiterated (Despatch
No. 7, dated the 17th Jauuary 1901.)