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‘Koweit [Kuwait]. A report compiled in the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department’ [8] (22/66)
The record is made up of 1 volume (33 folios), with 3 maps. It was created in 1903. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
8
Rashid's Government is understood to have been both popular
and just; while he showed great diplomatic ability in the manner
in which he humoured the vanity of Turkey by professing
himself the vassal of the Porte. By this purely nominal act of
obeisance he secured immunity from interference from El Hasa.
He presented one of the most striking personalities of the east.
In spite of futile efforts on the part of the old reigning family to
throw off the yoke of Ibn Rashid, he continued to rule in Nejd
with practically undisputed authority, until his death in 1897,
He was succeeded by his nephew, Abdul Aziz ibn Rashid.
To resume the thread of events immediately connected
with Koweit, an appeal had also been made by the sons of
the murdered Sheikh of Koweit to a maternal uncle, one
Sheikh Yusuf bin Ibrahim* of Dura on the Shatt-el-Arab, as
well as to the ruler of Nejd. Towards the end of 1897, Yusuf
made preparations to attack Koweit in alliance with Sheikh
Jasim bin Thani.f of El Katr. At the same time in
December 1897) a Turkish force was reported as concentratino-
in the neighbourhood of Basrah, and the Turkish corvette ZoAaf
proceeded to El Katr, with the Nakib of Basrah on board.
Whether this official exerted his influence with Sheikh Jasim, to
dissuade him from taking serious action or not, is not very clear,
but nothing of importance appears to have occurred.
Meanwhile, in July 1897, Saood, second son of the late
Sheikh of Koweit, appealed to the British Consul at Basrah for
British protection. I he horeign Office at home, however, did
not consider any interference on our part to be desirable unless
Biitish interests, or the peace of the Gulf, were endangered In
November ^97, H.M S. Pigeon visited Koweit ai?d report-
ed that Mubarak was most friendly and was desirous of British
protection. Loth factions thus showed themselves anxious for
our protection, and both cordially hated the Turk.
v b ^ h £ erma " ied . Y us" f, s sister, but owing to family quarrels
Yusuf had been ejected from Koweit, and was not permitted to trade there.
cbara^bTthrBHt^h^v ^ ^ aS " a m!sc *iev 0 u S and disorderly
marUime chiefiiL 0 ? he J S r ^ arde d as one of the independent
maritime chieftains pledged to preserve the maritime peace of the Gulf and dos-
sessing a claim upon our support if he does so, and upon our retribution if he doe3
not-a view wmca rests upon a definite agreement not to commit anT breach 0
the maritime peace, which was signed bv his - j J oreacn 01
six Trucial Chiefs, in 1868. In isfi howevlr P'. ^ ess ° r ' independently of the
Sheikh Jasim placed himself under furkish nrn^ f g to , e3r ^P e th,s obligation,
flag. The Ottoman Government ^
Governor, and placed a Turkish guard of oro r i 'V ™' 0r De P ut y
launch at El Bida, the principfl port of ^he KaT'coa'st f
sovereignty over the El Katr Caoe are nnt- a u , st, _ Turkish claims of
Sheikh Jasim is quite ready to coquet with b y British Government,
ambitions. His son having been kiUed in one of h" WiI - f0rWard hi3
Abu Dhabi, he appealed for aid to the Turks- w L t , 0 "" 1 .? with thetribe of
his patrons, he invoked the a shtanre of Ihn R "J?® no response from
which, had « been granted, he wonld have had t, pa^,'^ ^ice ^ to?" 1:^
About this item
- Content
Intelligence report on Kuwait, compiled for the Intelligence Branch of the Quarter Master General’s Department by Captain Henry Harris Hewitt Dowding of the Essex Regiment, and printed at the Government Central Printing Office in Simla, 1903.
The contents of the volume are as follows:
- Introductory remarks;
- Harbour, anchorages;
- History of Kuwait (of the Wahabis, the Ibn Rashid family, the war between Nejd and Kuwait);
- Political (relations between Kuwait and Great Britain, the situation in 1901-02, foreign relations with Russia, Germany, Turkey, events during 1902);
- Military forces, including their strength, arms and equipment, organisation, standard of efficiency and tactics;
- Towns: Kuwait, its population and defences; Jehara [Al-Jahrah], its importance, population and defences;
- Administration, government, free trade, currency;
- Resources, commercial, not agricultural;
- Climate;
- Communications
Four appendices follow the main text: A. routes; B. the Wahabi family; C. the Ibn Rashid family; D. the Shaikhs of Kuwait. The volume also contains three illustrations: the foreshore at Kuwait (folio 3); Mobarek-bin-Subah [Mubarak bin Ṣabāḥ Āl Ṣabāḥ] and his youngest son Naser (folio 9); the Shaikh’s residence in Kuwait (folio 17). The volume also contains three maps: a map of Kuwait and the surrounding country (folio 30); a map of Kuwait harbour (folio 31); and a rough diagram of Jehara (folio 32).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (33 folios), with 3 maps
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged into a number of sections, with major headings in the text and subheadings indicated alongside the text in the outer margins. A contents page (folio 6) lists these major headings and subheadings, along with the volume’s illustrations and maps, and refers to the volume’s original pagination system. Four appendices follow the main text. An alphabetical index (folios 26-28) also refers to the volume’s original pagination system.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the first folio and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
Pagination: The booklet contains an original typed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘Koweit [Kuwait]. A report compiled in the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department’ [8] (22/66), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/153, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023870553.0x000018> [accessed 11 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/20/153
- Title
- ‘Koweit [Kuwait]. A report compiled in the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department’
- Pages
- front, front-i, i-r:ii-v, 1:6, 1:4, 4a:4b, 5:18, 18a:18b, 19:23, 32, 25:31, 24, 33:34, 1:14, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence