'Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government' [‎439] (481/733)

WAHABEES.
439
ling the Beni Khalid Shaikhs from their hereditary dominions, the
Av ahabee Shaikh set about consolidating his new conquests, and, by
friendly letters and presents, endeavoured to conciliate the good will of
all the chiefs of any consequence in his neighbourhood. The report of
his success was received with much joy by the greater portion of the
Joasmees, who anticipated a renewal of their former profitable practices
of piracy through the restoration of the Wahabee ascendancy.
The chief of that sect, however, was much more enlightened than
his predecessors, and his proceedings were evidently dictated by rules of
policy, instead of being guided by the burning zeal for the propagation
of the Wahabee faith which had characterised all former leaders.
So far from interfering in the religious observances of the individuals
a. d. 1831, residing in the places lately fallen into his
power, he issued a proclamation, intimating that
pilgrims, whether Soonees or Sheeas, were at liberty to proceed through
Nujd to Mecca and Medina, and that he himself would guarantee
their safety. The only article of the former strict tenets of the Waha-
bees, the observance of which he thought proper to insist upon, was
that tobacco should not be smoked openly in the streets. It is
likewise related, that when urged by Shaikh Rashid of Ejman to
give him permission to cruise against all the enemies of the Wahabee
faith, he peremptorily refused, saying that it was for authorising such
proceedings that his father had been visited by the indignation of
Heaven, and that at all events the English being masters of the sea, he
was not able to contend with such a powerful nation. Shaikh Toorkey,
in making the rapid progress above detailed, gave out that he acted as
a free and independent chieftain ; but this was not really the case
as he still continued to pay a small annual tribute to Mahomed Ali'
Pacha of Egypt, and took measures to represent his proceedings to that
ruler in so favourable a light as to obtain his approval to them After
placing garrisons in all the towers and strongholds he had taken
Shaikh Toorkey returned to his capital, Deriah, and, with the excep
tion of some feeble and unsuccessful demonstrations that were made
by Mahomed bin Arrareer, the surviving Chief of the Beni
Khalid Tribe, remained in quiet possession of his new conquest, which
he governed with great prudence and justice, taking from them only
the Zukat or tithes, and by his vigorous measures putting a complete
stop lo the system of robbery and plunder, as well as the internal dis
putes of the different tribes, which had characterised the rule of the
Beni Khalid Shaikhs.
The acquisition of Lahsa and Kateef appears to have produced
a greater effect than Shaikh Toorkey could have ventured to antici
pate, for His Highness the Imaum, desirous of obtaining the aid of so
powerful an ally in the promotion of his schemes upon Bahrein, sent off