Page 83 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

before the fall of al-DirTyah.
There had been no close contacts between al-Kuwayt and al-Dir‘Iyah during
the period of decline of the first Su‘udl state, and their subsequent relations
continued to be far from friendly. However, since the Su‘udl state was now on
the verge of collapse in the face of Egypt’s offensive attacks, it seems unlikely
that memories of previous conflicts and anxiety over future attacks were the
main reasons for al-Kuwayt’s continued reserve. Such an attitude was rather
nourished by the hostile feelings of the families and tribes who had been forced
by the Su‘udl amirs to seek and take refuge in al-Kuwayt and the frontier towns
of al-Traq. Both the ruler of al-Kuwayt and some of these refugees
demonstrated their sentiments when the occasion arose.
During the siege of al-Dir‘iyah, for example, Ibrahim Pasha suffered a
serious setback when one of his large ammunition stores exploded, destroying
a considerable quantity of war material. To make good some of his losses and to
provide his soldiers with quick and necessary supplies, Ibrahim Pasha
collected what goods he could find in the surrounding towns.614 Furthermore,
he urgently requested supplies from al-Traq and subsequently received a
number of caravans loaded with ammunition and provisions from both the
Turkish authorities and the Najdl element living in al-Basrah and al-
Zubayr.615 The caravans were organized and led by a party of Najdl
refugees.616 Their passage was facilitated by the conduct of the ruler of
al-Kuwayt, who allowed their caravans to cross his territory on their way to and
from al-DirTyah. 617
As heritors of the Su‘ud! possessions and territories, the Egyptians, in the
first phase of their invasion, extended their influence to the Arabian shore of
the Gulf but were unable to pass beyond the port of al-Qatlf. However,
through his correspondence with the ruler of al-Kuwayt, Ibrahim Pasha was
able to establish a representative there to take charge of the Egyptian vessels.
He wanted to secure the safety of his garrisons in al-Hasa and to ensure the safe
transport of troops and arms to the area’s ports and therefore engaged in
communication with Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah of al-Kuwayt, securing his
permission to post an Egyptian representative there. 618
Soon after the fall of the Su‘udl state, the British led an expedition against
the Qawasim, destroyed their power, and subsequently gained ascendancy in
the Gulf. While the ‘Utub of al-Bahrayn and the Jalahimah were affected in
some way or other by the repercussions of these latest developments in the
area, the status of al-Kuwayt and its relations with other regional powers
remained unchanged. The ‘Utub of al-Kuwayt were not considered part of the
objective of the British expedition against the Qawasim, for it was believed that
they had taken no part in the conflict with the British and her allies.619 On the
contrary, al-Kuwayt had maintained close relations with the Briush authorities
long before the expedition took place.620 Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah (r. 1813-1859)
seems to have been a wise leader, deeply devoted to the interests of his people.
His traditional affiliation with the Ottomans through the government of
al-Traq and his general support for the pashas of that region against foreign
opposition did not, however, deter him from acting otherwise when
circumstances demanded.
A case in point is his conduct during the 1821 quarrel between Dawud
Pasha, the wall of Baghdad, and the British authorities. Dawud had
introduced a new tax reform in al-Traq, requiring European merchants to pay

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