"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٠‎٣‎٤] (١٧٨٢/١١٨٩)

1031
Island, where it had been established onlv a fortnight before. In
March the Turkish garrison of Basrah was largely increased, and
it was feared that the occupation of ITaqaijah and possibly of
Sabiyah, two places on the mainland opposite to the west side of
Hubiyan, was contemplated; by way of forestalling such a movement
Shaikh Mubarak was advised to occupy Haqaijah effectively, which
he did by placing 40 men there. About the same time it transpired at
Constantinople that the Turks no longer regarded Kadhamah in Kuwait
bay as the probable terminus of the Baghdad railway; and it was
reported that their attention had now been directed, in this connection,
to Khor ^Abdullah and its branches. His Majesty^s Government consi
dered that, on the information available as to previous ownership, it
would neither be safe to contend that the establishment of Turkish
posts at Umm Qasr and on Bubiyan was a breach of the status quo nor
justifiable to demand their abolition; but the Porte were informed
that their occupation of those places could not be regarded as prejudi
cing the rights of the Shaikh of Kuwait. Incidentally, in the course of
these discussions. His Majesty's Government informed the Government
of India that they acknowledged Kuwait to be a part of the Ottoman
dominions, subject however to the qualifications on which they had
always insisted, viz., that the Sultan's authority was of an unsubstan
tial character, and that the Shaikh enjoyed a large measure of practical
independence; but this view was not, it should be observed, communi
cated to the Porte, as had at one time been intended. Shaikh Mubarak
was so alarmed by the new Turkish policy of gradual encroachment that
in March he offered the Wall of Basrah a large bribe, which was not
accepted, in order that it might fee stopped.
In April 1902 the Shaikh complained of the attempted occupation
of M usallamiyah Island, at the southern end of his territories or sphere
of influence, by a Turkish detachment from Qatif ; butj as it appeared
that the island might legitimately be regarded as falling within the
lurkish Sanjaq of Hasa, he received no encouragement from the
British Government to contest the rightfulness of the Turkish claim.
Other means The Turkish Government meanwhile resorted to other means besides
the Turks to territorial encroachment of harassing the Shaikh of Kuwait and making
him repent his estrangement from them. A serious claim in respect of
the family estates situated on the Shatt-al-'Arab was brought against
him by his fugitive nephews in the Turkish courts ; and the sequestra
tion of some of the lands, pendente Hie, caused him pecuniary incon
venience. Frequent raids upon the flocks and herds of Kuwait subjects
narass the
Shaikh of
Kuwait,
1902.