Page 83 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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Turkish influence should not extend. He did not., therefore, make any state­
ment on this point in his communication to thp Porte protesting against any
aggrossion on Oman.
17. In April 1893, Sir C. Ford statod officially to the Turkish Minister
for Foreign Affairs that Her Majesty's Government admitted Turkish sover­
eignty from Basrah to Katif.
18. The Sheikhs of Koweit belong to the Sabah family of the Uttubi J7fg‘jg!jg °/^oweit>
Arabs. Rahim bariglit appears to have been the first of the family who settled
in Koweit. That was about the middle of the 17th century probably,—if
Colonel Felly is right in the date assigned to the settlement. But from Major
Bruck’s report referred to above, paragraph l, it doos not appear.to have been
before 1716 A.n. It was the brother of the first settler by name Sabah,
who fortified the town and laid the foundation of tho present principality.
Ho was succeeded about 1702, by his son Abdullah, who ruled for over 50
years, and made Koweit ono of the most prosperous sea-ports iu tho Persian
Gulf. By his firm and tactful Government, he saved Koweit from external
attacks and internal troubles. Jabor, his son, succeeded him and followed
his policy with success, ire was the chief who ruled at Koweit at tho
time of Major Bruck’s visit in 1829 (referred to above paragraph 4). In
1854 Sheikh Jaber was still the titular ruling chief, when his age was said to
be 102, though his son Sheikh Sabah, was the practical ruler, being himself 70
years old at tho time. At the time of Colonel Polly’s visit in 1865, Sheikh
Sabah, son of Jaber, was the chief and was 80 years old.
Dowding says that Sheikh Mahomed bin Sabah was the chief in 1871, but
it is not known when he succeeded. From tho Gulf Administration
Report for 1892-93, it appears that Abdullah biu Sabah Chief of Koweit, died
in 1892 and was succeeded by his brother Mahomed.
[See for Genealogical Table, Appendix B.]

II.—Murder of Mahomed bin Sabah and his brother Jarrah by
Mubarak and Mubarak’s succession, 1896.
19. Shoikh Sabah thus appears to have died between 1871 and 1890 leaving
behind six sons.
1. Abdullah.
2. Mahomed. ] by the same mother.
3. Jarrah.
4. Mubarak.
5. Ahmed.
6. Jaber.
Abdullah, who appears to have succeeded Sheikh Sabah, died in 1892.
Mahomed then succeeded his brother Abdullah as Chief of Ko woit, but he was
not popular with the tribes, and scorns to have quarrelled with his other brothers
except Jarrah. The result was that a cons piracy was hatched against him and
Jarrah by the other brothers and they were assassinated in May 1896, and
Mubarak stopped into the vacant place. The event caused little excitement
locally, but a garbled account of it, connecting the murder of the two brothers
with a British intrigue, reached the palace at Constantinople, and caused some
sensation, Mr. Stavrides, Legal adviser to the British Embassy, heard of this and
drew up the following memorandum (dated 30th June 1896), which is interest­
ing as showing the ideas prevailing at the
ScorctE., November 1800, Noa. 181*187.
time of Koweit affairs in Constantinople,
and as having been the first report that attracted the attention of- tho British
Government to Koweit affairs :—
u I have just received information from a trustworthy source in connection with an inci­
dent which took place in tho port of Koweit, in tho Persian Gulf, which much disturb­
ed and occupied the palaco within these la9t days. In supplying this information
I considered that it might bo useful to preface it with a geographical and historical
summary of tho said country. Koweit, as you aro probably aware, is-a port of Arabia
near Bussorah. Its soil is sandy and without any culture; the population of the town
amounts to DO,000 60uls. Its inhabitants are fisher men, generally both for fish and pearls, in
the waters of Balireiu and Katar. Their trade is limited only to India, where they go and