Page 123 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

elements of this large tribe in his father’s time. Thus, they joined Su‘ud
willingly and, with a contingent of Dawasir, engaged in the first battle against
‘ Abd Allah loyalists at Mu‘iala, a hamlet fifty miles west of Sulayyil, the major
settlement in Wadi al-Dawasir. Meeting defeat, the force fled towards eastern
Arabia and then to al-Burayml, where Su‘ud resided until 1870, when he
resumed his armed struggle for the throne with more energy and stronger
support. 1017
In the early years of his rule, Amir ‘Abd Allah resolved to defend the legality
of his administration, preserve the unity of his country, and continue his
father’s policy towards the frontiers and neighbouring states. In an attempt to
liquidate his opposition, ‘Abd Allah despatched his uncle, ‘Abd Allah b.
Turk!, to conduct a raid against the ‘Ujman tribesmen at their camping-
ground near al-Hufuf. The attack was harsh, and the tribesmen suffered great
losses in property. 1018 Amir ‘Abd Allah himself led another force against
al-Dawasir in southern Najd, for they had previously fought on Su‘ud’s
side.1019 Although many of their homes were destroyed and some wealth was
confiscated, no serious fighting took place.1020
While Su‘ud’s rebellion continued to be seen as a potential threat to the
existing regime, capable of materialising in any form at any time, it was
momentarily averted and frustrated by the successful punitive expeditions
against the defecting tribes. Amir ‘Abd Allah became increasingly occupied
and absorbed by domestic affairs and, from time to time, found himself
involved in affairs relating to eastern Arabia and ‘Uman. However, political
uncertainty, lack of time, and the dwindling of the Su‘udi position in central
Arabia (which affected the Su‘udi presence in eastern Arabia and ‘Uman)
prevented ‘Abd Allah from concentrating on his relations with the
aforementioned regions during this period.
Due to the relative absence of activity in many of these places at this time, we
will digress from the method of extensive sub-division which characterizes our
approach in the preceding chapters. Instead, in the following pages, we will
review and study Su‘udl relations with eastern Arabia and ‘Uman together.
Even prior to the death of his father (and long before the conflicts with his
rival brother), ‘Abd Allah b. Faysal had been called on to deal with the Sur
question and other affairs relating to eastern Arabia and ‘Uman on his father’s
behalf. The response of the authorities in al-Riyad to the protest and demand
of the British political agent at Masqat concerning the Sur affair had been mild
in tone.1021 It stated that orders had been given for the release of any British
subjects who might have been held by the Janabah, as well as for the
restoration of their plundered property.1022 However, the Su‘udls were silent
with regard to the demand for the compensation of losses, including
compensation for the man who had been killed in the incident. This silence was
regarded by the political agent as an indication of Su‘udl unwillingness to
admit responsibility for the fate of the dead man or to recognize any obligation
to pay his blood money.
Although the Su‘udls claimed the town of Sur as their own, they made it
clear that they had no desire to collide with the British over the affair by
alluding to a still-existing treaty of friendship dating back to the early years of
the century.1023 No formal written treaty had ever existed in the British
collections, but the Su‘udls considered the friendly letters exchanged between
the two governments on various occasions in different periods to be

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