'File 53/7 VI (D 9) Koweit [Kuwait] affairs - Arab Tribes, 1907-1911' [‎254r] (515/676)

CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 726, dated Bushire, the 20th March 1910.
From— M ajok A. P. T revor , I.A,, 1st Assistant Resident, in charge of Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. ,
To— T he H on'ble M r . 8. H. B utler , C .8.I., C .I .E., Secretary to the Govern
ment of India in the Foreign Department, Calcutta.
In continuation of my telegram No. 243, dated 15tb instant, I have the
honour to forward, for the information of
Government of India a copy of the
to the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , marginally cited letter from the roliti-
cal Agent, Kuwait, describing the recent
visit of Abdul Aziz bin Abdur Rahman " Bin Saud " to that place.
2. Captain Shakespear gives an interesting account of Abdul Aziz, who, owing
to the age and infirmity of his father, is now recognised as " Bin Saud " and the
head of the Wahabi faction. Bin Saud appears to be a fine specimen of an Arab
Chieftain.
3. I have to-day received your telegram No. S.-180, dated 19th instant, and
will convey the required warning to the Shaikh at the first possible opportunity.
It appears tome, however, from the report received from Kuwait, that the expe
dition must have started from Jahra before the 15th instant when the report
reached me.
(214)
00252
From Captain W. H. /. Shakespear, I.A., Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kuwait, to the Political
Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire, No. 0.-12, dated Kuwait, the Qth
March 1910.
With reference to the entries in my diary for February, regarding Bin
Saud, I have the honour to submit a report dealing in fuller detail with the visit
of the Wahabi prince to Shaikh Mubarak and the simultaneous movement of
large sections of the Bedouin tribes'flocking to their standards, which forecast
an expedition, and the magnitude of which is entirely out ot proportion to the
ostensible reasons I have so far been able to elicit from Shaikh Mubarak or local
gossip.
2. Just before my departure into camp Shaikh Mubarak casually informed me
that Abdul Aziz bin Abdur Rahman general^referred to as "Bin Saud," who,
though his aged father is still alive and titular Amir, practically rules South-
West Nejd, was in the desert a few days south of Assafa and might possibly
com&to Kuwait on a visit. I asked the Shaikh to le so good as to let me know
in camp by a special messenger if Bin Saud really did come into Kuwait, as I had
heard much of him and v should like the opportunity of meeting so distinguished
a man.
*
3. On my arrival from tour on the 28th February I found that Abdul Aziz had
arrived two days earlier, accompanied by his young brother Saud and his son
Turki, a lad of about 12 years of age. On the 1st March two more brothers of
Abdul Aziz arrived, Mahomed and Sa'ad. Shaikh Mubarak has been even more
lavish in his hospitality on this occasion than his usual very generous wont, and
at a very rough guess the entertainment of and presents to these princes and
their, following cannot have cost the Shaikh less than some $ 20,000.
4. I had three opportunities of meeting the Bin Saud family and found them,
in spite of their Wahabi reputation, much interested in the ways of foreigners
and the outer world. They dined with me and appeared to appreciate a W est-
ern table and menu, and also submitted to the camera.
5. Abdul Aziz is a fair, handsome man, considerably above the average Arab
height, with a particularly ftank and open face and, after the first shyness, genial
and, very courteous manners. He informed me that he was in his 31st year.
His brother-Mahomed (son of a different mother) is perhaps a year younger, and
though in feature not unlike Abdul Aziz, is of rather dour aspect and taciturn