Page 187 - The Pirate Coast (By Sir Charles Belgrave)

rule, and were joined by three of his own sons. They and the
Shaikh of Abu Dhabi, made raids on Bahrain. Shaikh Abdulla
was surrounded by rebellious relations, whose conduct frequently
involved him in trouble with the British; he was threatened by
the Turks, the Persians, the Wahabis, and by the Sultan of Muscat,
and his ships were constantly attacked by Bishr, the son of Rah-
mah the Pirate. In 1841, after ten years of anarchy, Shaikh
Mohammed was expelled from Bahrain by his great-uncle, after
a battle in which Manama was sacked by the supporters of Shaikh
Abdulla, to the detriment of many Indian traders, whose cause
was taken up by the British. Shaikh Mohammed soon returned,
with a strong force of mainland Arabs, and routed Shaikh Abdulla,
who retired to the fort of Dammam on the Arabian littoral. He
never again set foot on Bahrain.
Shaikh Abdulla’s last years were very like those of his old enemy
Ralimah binjabr. He had, at one time, a number of vessels and
a strong force, and he became a focus for all enemies of Shaikh
Mohammed who now ruled the islands. The Shaikh of Kuwait,
and other people, tried on many occasions to patch up the quarrel
between Shaikh Abdulla and Shaikh Mohammed, but the proud,
headstrong old man refused all reasonable offers.
In 1843, Shaikh Abdulla started his long peregrinations around
the Gulf, seeking help to recover his lost kingdom. At times he
was strong enough to make piratical attacks on Bahrain shipping
but, more often, he spent his time visiting the Gulf rulers, trying
to obtain their help. From Persia, he got empty promises, the
British refused to be drawn into a family quarrel, the Wahabis
treated him with scant attention, and the Sultan of Muscat gave
him no encouragement. Some of his sons deserted him, and
made their peace with Shaikh Mohammed, and gradually his
followers left him. For some years, he was almost alone, but he
continued to trail round the Gulf, pouring out his grievances to
anyone who would listen.
A story is told about him at the Wahabi court, in his old age.
He was seated at the lower end of the Amir’s audience room,
when Bishr bin Rahmah arrived from Bahrain with a message
from Shaikh Mohammed, with whom for the moment he was
on good terms. He was cordially received, and given a seat above
Shaikh Abdulla. But Bishr refused to take a more honourable
place than the old Shaikh’s, so the Amir invited the two of them
161