'Extracts from Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia by J G Lorimer CIE, Indian Civil Service' [‎76r] (156/180)

141
Section.
Subsection.
Fighting
strength.
Remarks.
Shabib (Al) or Al
Bishr
'Bahaih (Al)
500
This section, who have acquired an unenvi
able reputation by acts of violence commit
ted near the coast, are distributed between
two Shaikhs, viz., Taithab-bin-Hadi and
Muhammad-as-Sa'ak.
Do.
Buraid (Al)
30
The subsectional Shaikh is Salih-al-Mutawwa"
Do.
Dawi (Al)
20
Do.
Fahaidah (Al)
350
Muhammad-bin-Sharaim, who is Shaikh of
this subsection, is paramount Shaikh also
of the whole Al Morrah tribe.
Do.
Ghafran (Al)
500
The present Shaikh is one Bin-Jallab.
Do.
Hadi (Al)
25
Do.
Hasan (Al)
20
Do.
Jahaish
35
Do.
Shabi'o (Al)
35
Do.
Zaqaimah (Al)
25
Do.
Zibdan (Al)
30
This gives a total fighting strength of 2,000 men, and the whole number of
the tribe may be roughly estimated at 7,000 souls.
Political position. —The Al Morrah are at present at feud with the 'Ajman
and the Bani Khalid; and difficulties between them and the Turkish administration
in the Hasa Sanjaq are chronic. The Al Bahaih subsection are particularly
turbulent and obnoxious to their neighbours: in 1900 they massacred a Shaikh of
the Bahrain ruling family with a number of followers at the Bin-'Aqdan well in
Barr-adh -Dhahran, where he had come for sport; in 1902 they cut up a Turkish
force near 'Oqair Port; in 1905 they committed an unprovoked attack on Bahrain
boats at Huwaiqil bay in Barr-al -Qarah; and in 1906 they repeated their exploit
against the Turks at nearly the same place as in 1902 and in much the same
circumstances.
The Al Morrah when pressed by enemies more powerful than themselves
ordinarily take refuge in the impenetrable Jafurah desert; but in 1902 the Turks,
after the 'Oqair outrage, succeeded in surprising a large body of them at the wells
of Zarnuqah in Kharmah and inflicted on them a sanguinary defeat. The Amirs
of the Wahhabis sent frequent expeditions against the Al Morrah; but one only,
led by the Amir Faisal, was partially successful; his forces, however, reached the
scene of action in such a feeble state, owing to want of water, that he was obliged
to be satisfied with a nominal arrangement and returned to Najd vanquished
rather than victorious.
In connection with their postal service in the Hasa Sanjaq the Turks pay small
subsidies to the chief Shaikh of the Al Morrah, to the Shaikhs of the Al Adhban
and Ghafran subsections, and to Muhammad-as-Sa'ak of the Al Bahaih subsection,
but these do not avail to secure the good behaviour ot the tribe, nor can any
revenue be realised from them by the Ottoman Government. About 186!> the
Al Morrah were paying the value of $3,000 as revenue to the Wahhabi Amir, and
during the recent conflict in Central Arabia they supported the Wahhabi cause,
but they are not at present tributaries of Ibn Sa'ud.
Or Na'aim: the name is sometimes pronounced with the accent on the first NA'IM
syllable, and the singular is Na'aimi. The Na'im are an important Arab tribe [pp. 1301-
found chiefly in 'Oman, but partly also in Bahrain and Qatar; these two mam
territorial divisions of the Na'im are now in all respects independent ot one
another and must be dealt with separately.