Page 96 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

I on my part agree not to allow the establishment here of a Post Office
by any other Government. 1 accordingly write this undertaking on
behalf of myself and my successors”.
Shaikh Mubarak and his successors faithfully kept this under­
taking; but, despite the petition of the Karachi Merchants Associa­
tion, addressed on July 26th, 1904 to the Director General of Post
Offices of India, requesting the establishment of Post Offices at Kuwait
and Daboi (sic), Shaikh Mubarak’s “desire” and the “benefit of traders”
of Kuwait were to be held ransom for more than a decade to the
dictates of political considerations which arose from the presence of a
Turkish military post on Bubiyan Island.

The despatch of the postal establishment to Kuwait was de­
ferred in July 1904 at the behest of the British Ambassador in
Constantinople, who wanted to avoid any apparent infringement of the
“status quo” whilst he was negotiating on behalf of the Shaikh of
Kuwait with the Turkish Government regarding Kuwait’s ownership of
Bubiyan Island. Nevertheless, when Col. S. G. Knox left Bushire on
August 5th to take up his appointment as the first Political Agent in
Kuwait he was accompanied by an Assistant Surgeon (for professional
duties only for the time being) and a Postal Peon, so that the Post
Office might be opened as soon as it was authorised.
Later officiaLcorrespondence makes clear that “forms, seals,
etc., complete for a branch Post Office” were sent to Kuwait at this
time - probably with the Postal Peon; and it seems likely that the
early “KOWEIT” cancellers (Types 1 and 2) thus lay unused in Kuwait
for eleven years.

Although, for convenience, the modern spelling KUWAIT is
generally used, it should be remembered that the name was originally
transliterated KOWEIT. Official correspondence from the Political
Agent indicates that the spelling was changed between May 30th and
November 22nd, 1910, but it was not until 1920 that the new spelling
appeared on the postmarks and, even in 1923, essays for the first over­
prints bore the old spelling. This may perhaps be readily excused when
one considers that the Foreign Office still used the old spelling in the
1950s!
Col. Knox made at least one attempt, in March 1908, to have a
Post Office opened: the Political Resident supported his plea but the

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