Page 36 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

tribal chiefs in eastern Arabia and by sending expeditions to dislodge the
Su‘udis and restore their own influence. The restoration of Ottoman authority
over al-Hasa was finally secured in the latter part of the nineteenth century by
the then newly appointed wall of Baghdad, Midhat Pasha, who dreamed of
advancing further into Najd.168
In Persia, the Safavid dynasty brought the country a century of relative
stability, but came to an end following an Afghani invasion in 1722. Although
the Afghanis were driven back by Nadir Shah, that leader’s reign was short and
the country subsequently became a site of constant struggle among petty
chiefs.
The absence of a powerful central government allowed changes to take place
within the political structure of eastern Arabia and ‘Uman, resulting in the
formation of the ‘Utbl states, first at al-Kuwayt, then at al-Zubarah in Qatar,
and also in al-Bahrayn. The lack of strong central authority in the area was
accompanied by an upsurge of tribal warfare and a struggle for greater power,
territorial gains, and larger shares of commercial profits. Force of arms and
piracy were often resorted to in order to achieve these aims. In ‘Uman itself,
which had maintained its political identity for centuries, the accession of
Sultan b. Ahmad in 1793 introduced significant changes within the framework
of the political system, namely the rise of the Sultanate of Masqat and the dual
authority in the country outside Masqat.169 Such events, of course, widened
the gulf of understanding and collaboration between the various independent
units and increased the already existing tribal frictions.
By the turn of the nineteenth century, two powers came to deal with the
area’s political problems and to shape the course of Gulf history; these two
powers were the British Government in India and the Su‘udls of central
Arabia. Since the British involvement in eastern Arabia and ‘Uman is beyond
the scope of our study, but nonetheless touches on events related to our
research, a slight digression is necessary.
Although Great Britain never acquired a territorial foothold in the area, her
influence upon its politics through the agency of the East India Company was
great indeed.170 British interest in the area goes back to the seventeenth
century, when Britain collaborated with the Persians in driving out the
Portuguese from the Gulf.171 Actual commercial interest, however, began in
1763, when the East India Company opened a Residency at Bushire.172 Britain
gradually managed, during the eighteenth century, to consolidate her political
influence in the Gulf by approaching local rulers, seeking their cooperation
and engaging in mutual treaties with them.173 However, it was not until the
turn of the nineteenth century that the British government attained a stronger
position in the Gulf and assumed the task of policing the maritime trade and
suppressing the piracy that was exposing British trade with India to danger.174
Consequently, Britain found herself embroiled in the Gulfs political affairs,
helping one local power against another and defending one part of the region at
the expense of others as circumstances and interest required. Her strength and
influence culminated in the signing of the General Treaty of Peace with the
Trucial Coast chiefs in 1820.
The conquest of al-Hasa, the mainland of eastern Arabia, by the Su‘udls
consolidated their power and brought them into closer contact with the Arab
principalities on the Gulfs shores, as well as with ‘Uman. The amirs of
al-Dir‘iyah, who committed themselves to spreading the principles of religious

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