Page 26 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

when accompanying a caravan, 105 The family house, however, survived this
setback, gaining strength and continuing as a dominant power throughout the
eighteenth century, until they were finally overwhelmed by the SuTidls of
Najd.

Al-Bahrayn

The archipelago of al-Bahrayn is situated on the coast of al-Hasa, about
fifteen miles east of al-Qapf. It consists of one large island, al-Bahrayn or
‘Uwal, and several smaller ones nearby. The island of al-Bahrayn is fertile and
abundant in spring water. It is also renowned for its wealth of pearls, a point of
attraction for various invaders in the eastern part of the Arabian peninsula. As
a result its control has changed hands many times in history. The Qarmatians,
the Jabrids, the Portuguese—all brought al-Bahrayn under their rule at one
time or another. The Portuguese reached al-Bahrayn by way of the Indian
Ocean, and seized it in the early part of the sixteenth century. It is uncertain
who finally dislodged them.106 It may have been the Arabs from al-Hasa or else
the Persians. Al-NabhanI is of the opinion that the Ottomans forced the
Portuguese to evacuate al-Bahrayn.107 He also adds that a disturbance which
erupted among the religious factions there led Isma'Il, the Safavid Shah, to
occupy the island afterwards. Persian sovereignty in al-Bahrayn was nominal,
for actual rule was in the hands of the Huwala Arabs from the Persian coast of
the Gulf. Nonetheless, it was not until 1197/1783 that al-Bahrayn became a
principality on its own; Al Kallfah of the ‘Utub tribe, who had migrated from
Najd to al-Kuwayt and thence to al-Zubarah in Qatar, drove Nasr al-Madhkur
of the Huwala Arabs from al-Bahrayn, inaugurating the Al Khailfah rule which
continues to the present day.

Al-Kuwayt
The town and harbour of al-Kuwayt lie to the north of al-Hasa, in the
northwestern corner of the Gulf. It has developed from a small fishing centre
settled by Bedouins around a fortress built by the chief of the Banu Khalid to
become the seat of power of the Al Sabah family.100
Like the Al Khailfah, their cousins in al-Bahrayn, the Al Sabah are ‘Utub of
the ‘Anazah tribe who migrated widely, starting from the district of al-Aflaj109
in southern Najd, crossing northeastern Arabia, scattering into various ports
along the Gulf coast, and finally settling at al-Kuwayt in the early eighteenth
century.110
At first, the Al §abah, along with other ‘Utub who settled at al-Kuwayt,
were put under the direct control of the Banu Khalid, who ruled eastern Arabia
at that time. However, when trouble broke out among the members of the
Banu Khalid and their power began to decline in the area in the mid-eighteenth
century, Al Sabah came into power and continues to rule to the present.
Al-Kuwayt’s location as a station for transporting goods and livestock,
especially after the decline of al-Basrah in 1774, led to its becoming a
commercial centre. Great numbers of horses from Najd were exported to India
and Persia through al-Kuwayt.112 Al-Kuwayt itself exported pearls, obtained

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