"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٩‎٦‎٦] (١٧٨٢/١١٢١)

906
forward
movement.
Discussions
between the
Porte and
the British
GoTernment.
towards the Shaikh of Kuwait; and in 187] the forward policy of the
Ottoman Government, or of its local representatives, suddenly took shape.
The causes which led to this movement are not discoverable in the Persian
Gulf itself : they were probably of a general nature, connected with a
desire on the part of the Turkish Government to assert their authority
over the Arabian continent as a whole.
In the Persian Gulf, where much jealousy of the position acquired by
Great Britain had for some time been showa by Turkish officials, the
object of the Porte appears to have been nothing less than the extension
of their influence over the coast and islands of the Arabian sea-board from
Kuwait to .Masqat; but, as will be shown, the realisation of their scheme
was confined within narrower limits by natural obstacles and bv British
opposition.
The principal promoter of the movement was Mid-hat Pasha, the
Turkish Governor of 'Iraq at the time ; and an opportunity for action was
provided by dissensions in the Wahhabi ruling family of Najd. Soon after
the death of the Amir Faisal-bin-Turki in 1865, a conflict had broken
out between his sons 'Abdullah and Sa'ud ; and the Turks profited bv the
situation to recognise 'Abdullah, the elder, as Qaim-Maqam of Najd
n eir ,e a If, and so to obtain from him an admission of their suzerainty
over Central Arabia.
Some hint of the intentions of the Turkish Government appears to
Febru^r C 1 T' 1 ™ 1 " 0f India at the be 8 ,ini ™g of 1871, and in
lit . Herbert ' tbe Political Resident at Ba^d,
Tumouf 1 0 t en r ,re mt0 the matter - At firet of tJ
Resident reported thrtT-TurHl CTent 'J a "' V '' the end of March ' 41,6
from 'Iraq to Qaf-f f . fv " ^ ' exl tl0n wou W shortly be sent by sea
'Abdullah in Central 0 ArabiaThe ^ SUPp0rtin S the cau6 o of the Amir
drew the attention of Her Maicstv's ot , Indla
the warlike nnpmf - Government to the undesirability of
bre JhttI^::r' ltemp ated 1116 1W ' Whieh a
besides leading to poh^Tc T" I' 1 k de6truCtive of Briti6 b
been further informed at Ba.,h<hd' ui!?? ( ' 0l0nel HorU!rt havi,>g
Ottoman supremacy' over " t T ^ • a . WaS lnten(led to establish
of Southern Arabia " * f u ^ and ^ ie independent tribes
to the Homo Governm^it^ rl com niuni c ation was made by the Indian
an assurance was obtained from th V' 3 0f April 0r be ^ innin ^ of Ma ^
not harbour the ambitious desicnsltt^l ri COn8tantiDOple the7
Turks on thisoccasion th^irtie^ t them ' ^ ^
object was to restore tranquillity