Page 100 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

Instead of strengthening his position in the interior of Arabia, Ibn
Thunayyan turned his attention to eastern Arabia and ‘Uman. He first
occupied al-Hasa and later indicated his intention to restore Su‘udl influence in
southeastern Arabia in letters sent to various chiefs in al-Burayml and on the
coast of‘Uman.787 Ibn Thunayyan informed them that he was sending Sa‘d b.
Mutlaq as his representative in ‘Uman, and asked them to unite with Sa‘d and
grant him all possible assistance.788 Some of the chiefs returned encouraging
letters and expressed willingness to submit to his authority.789 The
communication with the chiefs brought about a protest from the British
Resident who linked the former Su‘iidl presence in ‘Uman with piracy, and
deplored the possibility of a renewal of piratical activity.790 While Ibn
Thunayyan continued to maintain that the inhabitants in the areas in question
were his subjects, he declared his interest in cooperating with the British
government to preserve peace in the Gulf.791 He also informed the Resident
that he had ordered the ‘Umanls not to commit any maritime offences.792
While British objections hampered Ibn Thunayyan’s designs in one direction,
the arrival of Faysal in Najd brought the threat of confrontation and allowed
him little time to do more than defend his strongholds in central Najd. Faysal,
who had been in prison in Egypt since his capture by Khurshld Pasha in 1838,
managed to escape and return to Najd in early 1843.793 He first headed for
Jabal Shammar and there received the hospitality and support of that district’s
ruler, his old friend and dependent, ‘Abd Allih b. Rashid.794 From there,
Faysal made it clear that he was determined to re-restablish his rule over Najd,
and he invited the heads of towns and chiefs of tribes to rally to his side.795 He
succeeded in achieving an alliance with the people of al-Qasim, who had no
prior attachment to Ibn Thunayyan.796 The latter prepared to defend his
position but, unable to do much to counter the increasing support for Faysal,
he resorted to al-Riyad instead. Behind the fortifications he and his followers
managed to resist for some time. Finally, however, Ibn Thunayyan was seized
outside his castle, stripped of his arms, and thrown into prison, where he died a
short time afterwards, in July 1843.797
The occupation of al-Riyad and the seizure of Ibn Thunayyan made Faysal
the unrivalled ruler in the country. In recognition of this fact, delegates from
various parts of Najd arrived in al-Riyad on behalf of the settled population and
the Bedouin tribes to convey their acknowledgement of the newly established
government authority. 798
Faysal’s first act was to assure his countrymen of his determination to restore
peace and order, stressing that he anticipated their active cooperation in
working to achieve this objective. Like his ancestors, Faysal was convinced
that religious bonds and Shari*ah rules provided the best means of bringing the
people together under a central authority. He therefore inaugurated his reign
with a religious discourse which could be regarded as an outline of his local
policy.799 In this discourse, Faysal emphasized the importance of religion and
urged the people to hold fast to the basic principles of the Muslim community.
He also reminded the people of Najd that the zakah must be collected annually
and paid to the central government. Aware that cooperation and consultation
between ruler and ruled was essential to keep the country unified and the state
strong, Faysal beseeched the people to heed the government’s policies.
Furthermore, to assure the observation of Shari'ah ordinances within the
community, Faysal organized a group of religious individuals whose task was

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