'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎1175] (1330/1782)

1175
contingents and paid annual tribute with regularity to the Wahhabi
Government.
In 1848, however, true to the instinct which invariably bade them
counteract a rising power, the Qusman, after secret negotiations, trans
ferred their direct allegiance from K iyadh to H ail. The Wahhabi Amir tor
a time acquiesced in the change and accepted the explanations of his vassal
at Hail; but before long he began to put in force against the people of
Qasim the levelling and incorporating policy which they themselves had
assisted him to apply to Southern Najd. Buraidah, smaller and less
important than 'Anaizah, was the first place singled out for reduction;
and, its commerce having been cut off, the town quickly became desirous
of peace. Thereupon the Wahhabi Amir invited some members of the
leading family, the Bani 'Alaiyan, to Riyadh to discuss terms; but on
their arrival he caused them to be massacred and instantly despatched his
son ■'Abdullah with an army to Qasim. Paralysed by the suddenness
of these occurrences Buraidah submitted; and Mahanna, a rigid Wahhabi
and a native of Riyadh, was installed there as governor.
The exact date of these events and of the annexation of 'Anaizah,
which in 1852 was governed by Jalui, a brother of the Wahhabi Amir,
cannot be determined; but it was in 185S that the people of 'Anaizah,
finding the Wahhabi yoke intolerable, rose under Yahya, whose son
'Abdullah was Shaikh at the time, and quietly and without bloodshed
removed Jalui to Buraidah. The Wahhabi Amir Faisal at once
marched from Riyadh against 'Anaizah and was joined before the walls
by his Mahfudh of Jabal Shammar; but their united forces could make
no impression on the stubborn town, which was partially self-supporting
on account of the fields and date-plantations enclosed within the outer
walls. According to one account the Wahhabis were at last induced to
raise the siege by the Sharif of Makkah, who, from the point of view of
his own interests, regarded the independence of 'Anaizah as a valuable
check upon the Wahhabis, and whose mediation the Shaikh of 'Anaizah
had sought.
For some years after the failure of this expedition, the Wahhabis occu
pied themselves with crushing the Harb and 'Ataibah Bedouins, who were
partisans of 'Anaizah, and with extending the dependencies of Buraidah,
their headquarters in Qasim, in such a way as to isolate and harass
'Anaizah. Mahanna, the Wahhabi governor of Buraidah, was an oppres
sive and extortionate ruffian who did his best to break the spirit of the
Qusman under his rule by sending them on frequent military expeditions
in the interest of the Wahhabis; in 1856 he fleeced a Persian pilgrim
caravan so effectually that for two years the Persian H ajj across Arabia
ceased altogether; and it was probably some characteristic act of his
which occasioned the flight from Buraidah of a certain 'Abdullah-al-'Aziz,
a member of the former ruling family. The fugitive was kindly received
by the people of 'Anaizah, but soon afterwards he was murdered by
Wahhabis in the desert.
Open hostilities which were now declared by Ibn-Sa'ud against
'Anaizah may have been a consequence of this incident, for the people of
'Anaizah considered themselves at feud with the Wahhabi Amir on
account of the murder of their guest; bnt it has also been stated
that the war was provoked by the refusal of tlie Shaikh of 'Anaizah to
Rebellion of
Qasim
against the
Wahhabis
1848, and
its subjuga
tion.
Successful
revolt of
'Anaizah
against the
Wahhabis,
1853.
Wahhabi ad
ministration
in Qasim,
1853-62.
Ur successful
attempt of
the Wahha
bis to reduce
'Anaizah,
1862.