'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA. PART I - The Persian Gulf.' [‎31v] (67/92)

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and were followed by a dispersal of the huge panic-stricken gathering of
nomads. In November 1901 the Nakib of Basrah arrived at Koweit as hearer
of a threatening message to the Sheikh from the Sultan of Turkey ; and in the
beginning of December he paid a second visit in the “ Zuhaf ”, accompanied
by’the Wali of Basrah’s brother, and peremptorily called upon the Sheikh
either to abdicate or to admit a Turkish garrison to his town. This was a critical
moment in the history of Koweit, and Mubarak at one time appeared inclined to
yield, but under pressure from Captain Simons, the British Senior Naval Officer,
he in the end refused to return any answer to the Turkish ultimatum,
whereupon the Turkish mission retired baffled. An assurance which
His Majesty’s Government authorised at this juncture, that they Tvould
support the Sheikh and w r ould not tolerate an attack on Kuweit by Turkish
troops or vessels, did not reach the Sheikh until the crisis was over. The
Porte, on remonstrances being made, repudiated the proceedings of the Nakib
at Koweit and were told that, if they were unable to control their own officials,
it might become impossible for the British Government to acquiesce in the
continuance of thes^a^ws quo. But the danger was not yet past. Ibn Rashid
was at this time encamped in the neighbourhood of Basrah with a considerable
force and was in constant correspondence with the Turkish authorities by whom
he was provided with money and supplies; and commercial intercourse bet
ween Turkish territory and Koweit had been cut off by an Imperial Ottoman
edict. At the end of December 1901 and beginning of January 1902 an attack
on Koweit by Ibn Rashid appeared so imminent that the British war
vessels " Pomone, ” “Sphinx” and “Redbreast” were stationed in the
bay for the defence of the town, British machine guns were landed and
placed in the Jahrah fort, and Koweit and its approaches were set in the state
of defence by the joint exertions of the Sheikh and the British naval com
mander. Disheartened, perhaps, by these preparations, Ibn Rashid hung
back and at length returned to Central Arabia without approaching the place.
The attention of the Turks had meanwhile been drawn to the importance
for Khor Abdullah and its branches, which are situated on the frontier between
Koweit and the Basrah Wilayat, and under cover of the confusion created
at Koweit by Ibn Rashid’s threatened attack they had succeeded, unobserved,
in establishing military posts at Safwan and Um Kasr and upon Bubiyan island,
places claimed by the Sheikh of Koweit; all of these posts w r ere in existence by
the middle of February 1902. In March 1902 the Turkish garrison at Basrah
was increased, and Mubarak to provent further encroachments placed a tribal
garrison at Hejeje upon Khor Subhiyeh. Turkish activity continued also in
other directions. In April 1902 the Turks occupied Musallamieh island, and
the movement, though it did not affect the integrity of Koweit territory, was
regarded by the Sheikh as a demonstration against his southern border. Mean
while frequent raids w r ere committed on Koweit subjects near the Turkish
frontier in the neighbourhood of Safwan ; and in May 1902, as a further
means of harassment, the Sheikh’s agent at Basrah was arrested and sentenced
to imprisonment on a charge of treason against the Turkish Government. In
September 1902 a boat expedition, arranged by Mubarak’s fugitive nephews
with the assistance of their maternal relative Yusuf-bin-Ibrahim of Dorah, a
rich merchant and induential landholder, left Dorah in Turkish territory to
attack Koweit; but it w r as surprised and broken up at sea by H. M. S. “ Lap
wing.” At length in 1903 the progress of Ibn Saud in Nejd compelled
Ibn Rashid and the Turks to devote their whole attention to affairs in
Central Arabia, and from this time onwards Koweit enjoyed peace in its
external relations. In September 1903 an important suit relating to Innds in
Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. , which had been brought by his nephews against Mubarak in
the Turkish courts, was amicably settled ; and in November 1903 the improved
position of affairs at Koweit was signalised by Lord Curzon’s visit to the place,
which has already been described. Lord Curzon presented the Sheikh w ith a
sword of honour, received his representations regarding the Turkhh occupation
of Dm Kasr and Bubiyan, and repeated the advice, already more than once given
to the Sheikh, that he should abstain from interference in the affairs of Central
Arabia. The Viceroy’s visit was followed by a loan of Rs. 1,00,000 made by the
Government of India to the Sheikh for the purpose of enabling to carry out
the settlement with his nephews : this advance Mubarak promptly repaid.