Page 124 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

synonymous with a treaty. 1024
On the whole, British authorities were impressed by the conciliatory
language of the letter from al-Riyad, and therefore hesitated to endanger the
friendly terms by initiating a direct quarrel with the Su‘udl state. However,
they found it imperative to inform the Su‘udl ruler that Thuwaynl b. Sa‘id of
Masqat was their old ally, and that any encroachment on his territory would
not be tolerated.1025
Nonetheless, under Pelly’s recommendation, the policy of British non­
involvement was soon countered. Thuwaynl was supplied with two pieces of
artillery and sufficient ammunition to begin an offensive attack against the
Su‘udls in ‘Uman and eastern Arabia.1026 Angered by the Sur incident and
unconvinced of Thuwayni’s strength on his own, Pclly not only incited and
supplied materials for the offensive operation, but he also committed himself
and his government to a joint British-Masqati action aimed at driving the
Su‘udls out of al-Buraymi. 1027
A plan was set up for realizing this objective through land and naval
attacks.1028 Accordingly Thuwaynl would proceed with his land force against
the Su‘udl headquarters at al-Buraymi, while Pelly, along with Turk! b. Sa‘Id,
Thuwaynl’s brother, and the Masqatl squadron, would blockade al-‘Uqayr and
al-Qatif, the Su‘udl ports in al-Hasa, to prevent the flow of reinforcements from
that direction.1029 Meanwhile, the Resident worked to keep the Su‘udl allies
on the coast of ‘Uman from frustrating the plan, reminding them that their
ports were within range of British naval guns and threatening that any display
of support for the Su‘udls would endanger their settlements. Furthermore, he
encouraged Thuwayni’s allies in the area to join the expedition.1030
Opposing circumstances, however, prevented the expedition from reaching
a final stage. While Thuwaynl was still in Suhar collecting his forces, and Turkl
and Pelly on their way to impose the blockade as planned, the Su‘udl governor
in al-Buraymi made an effort to head off the impending attack by sending
tribesmen to raid Sahm, fifteen miles from Suhar on the Batinah coast. Some of
the British Indian subjects there fled towards the sea, and one of them
drowned.1031
In the meantime, Turkl b. Sa‘Id and Pelly had reached al-Bahrayn, where
they sought the collaboration of Shaykh Muhammad b. Khalifah in effecting
the proposed blockade. The latter declined the request, causing Turk! b. Sa‘Id
to lose heart and return home.1032 Pelly accompanied Turki back but,
remembering the incident, decided to conduct a direct British action against
the Su‘udl territory in eastern Arabia on his own. On the 6th of January 1866,
Pelly sent an ultimatum to al-Riyad, demanding $MT 27,000 in compensation
for losses suffered in the Sur incident, a full written apology for the attack on
the part of the Su‘udls and their followers, and an assurance that such an
incident would not take place again.1033 Pelly also warned the authorities in
al-Riyad that he had ordered the British men-of-war to launch attacks on
al-Qatlf and al-Dammam, to destroy the seaboard, and to confiscate all craft if
his demands were not met within seventeen days. 1034
Given the difficulty of communications in Arabia, the time limit prescibed in
Pelly’s warning was too short. Furthermore, Pelly’s ultimatum coincided with
the death of Faysal and the succession of‘Abd Allah as head of the Su‘udl state,
changes which understandably would have contributed to a delay in delivering
a reply.1035 However, when there was no response from al-Riyad by February

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