'File 53/7 B (D 5) Koweit [Kuwait] Affairs 1902' [‎282r] (583/709)

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(Received with letter from the Secretary, Political Department, India Ofllce, No. 37, dated
the 15th August 1902.)
Admiralty to India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. .
H. 9065. Admiralty,
Sir, 19th July 1902.
I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to forward
to you herewith, to be laid before the Secretary of State for India in Council,
a copy of a letter, dated 27th May last, from the Senior Naval Officer in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Division ol" the East Indies Station, reporting on the political
situation in Nejd.
I am, &c.,
E van M acgregor.
Report on the present situation in Nejd,
H. M. S. " Lapwing ", Bushire,
Sir, 27th May 1902.
I have the ^ honour to forward you the following report on the present
situation in " Nejd " with a short summary of the events which have led up
to it. I venture to do this, as all Koweit's western border is contiguous to
"Nejd ", and the condition of affairs in the latter country may seriously affect
the political situation in the former.
"Feyznl-bin-Turki-bin-Said", former Amir of Nejd, was in the direct
line of the A\ ahabi Amirs. He died leaving three sons : the elder, "Abdullah-
bin-Said ", becoming Amir. A quarrel soon arose between the new Amir
and one of his brothers, and some fighting took place. During these internal
disturbances " Mahomet-bin-Rashid ", Sheikh of " Hail ", who formerly owed
some sort of allegiance to the Amir of Nejd, revolted, attacked, and in the
end obtained supreme power in Nejd.
" Mahomet-bin-Ilashid " died about 1899, and " Abdul Azis-bin-Tlashid
his cousin, succeeded him. He has become a protege of the Turks, and has for
some time been menacing Koweit. Abdul Kahman-bin-Said, the third and
only living son of Feyzul-bin-Said, has been living at Koweit for some time.
He is a friend of Sheikh Mubarak and has been receiving a sort of pension
from Basrah c n condition he remained quietly at Koweit, but payment of this
was stopped at the beginning of this year.
About a year ago, Abdul Azis-bin-Said, son of Abdul Kahman, went
south, and finding that the Sheikh of Kharj and certain other Sheikhs were
billing to assist him, collected a force and, at the beginning of this year,
captured Riadh. As far as I can gather, he has now gained possession of a
arge portion of the surrounding country, in fact all the southern half of Nejd,
including Mangoohah, Deryayeh, Kharj, Harik and the Yemamah country.
Kasim and most of the western country, including Bureidah, Shakra,
e a jcl, as well as Hail, are still in the hands of bin-Rashid, but, according to
a ^Qnnts the Sheikhs and people of these countries are very dissatisfied
^ ilns rule, and are only waiting for a favourable opportunity to £0 over
to bin-Said.
A great number of the better class Wahabis and otherp of Nejd have left
country during bin-Rashid's supremacy, and have been living at Basrah
J other places. A portion of these, as well as the Sheikhs of Ajman and A1
_ uriali (a large tribe who live in the Ahsa, or Hasa country) with large
tli ^ ave a ttached themselves to Abdul Rahman, who left Koweit on
e loth instant to join his son Abdul Azis in Riadh.