"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎١‎٦‎١] (١٧٨٢/١٣١٦)

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In February 1907 the question of the answer to be returned by the Orders o£ His
Political Resident to the spokesmen of Ibn-Sa'ud was formally referred Govermnent
by the Government of India to His Majesty's Government, and the hi regard to
latter, in the month of May following, directed that Major Cox should, of Ilm-Sa^ud,
if possible, avoid the subject; otherwise he should inform the Amir's l&07,
agents that, as Ibn-Sa^ud's proposals involved considerations which
it was impossible for His Majesty's Government to entertain, no reply
should be expected.
ANNEXURE No. 1.—SEPARATE HISTORY OP THE JABAL
SHAMMAR PRINCIPALITY OR NORTHERN NAJD.
The external history of Northern Najd is g'iven in full in the preced
ing chapter; but it appears advisable to add here a supplementary notice,
referring chiefly to the internal affairs of the principality.
Early history of Jabal Shammar.
Of events _in Jabal Shammar before the rise of the present ruling Relations
family, the A1 Rashid, very little is known. The Wahhabis probably the
overran the country towards the end of the 18th century, at an early
stage of their victorious career in Central Arabia; for, by 1809 at latest,
their power was so firmly established in the northern oasis of Jauf-al-
'Amir, that the Turkish Pasha of Damascus could not even collect a
force for the purpose of dislodging them.
In 1817 Ibrahim Pasha, while on his way to overthrow the Relations
W ahhabis at their capital, made an expedition from B anakiyah against with the
the tribes of Jabal Shammar. It was not, apparently, successful; and Egyptians,
it resulted in heavy loss to the Arab tribes who fought upon the
Egyptian side.
The predominant family in Jabal Shammar in those days were the Bait Rise of the
'Ali, who belonged to the Ja'far subdivision of the ; Abdah division A1 Rashid.
of the Shammar tribe and had their seat at Hail. About the year 1818,
when the power of the Wahhabis was temporarily broken by the Egyp
tians, a young Shaikh of the Ja'far subdivision, whose familv formed
part of the Khalil section, challenged the predominance of the Bait
; Ali; this was 'Abdul!ah-bin-'Ali-bin-Rashid, the founder of the present
dynasty of the Al Rashid. 'Abdullah succeeded in gaining to his side
a majority of the citizens of Hail; but the people of the neighbouring
town of Qafar, at that time not inferior to Hail in population and
resources, unanimously supported his adversaries
'Abdullah-bin-'Ali, after a contest, was obliged to fly the countrv, Ad/entures
and took the road by Jauf-al-'Amir to Syria. Beyond Jauf his party of Abdullah-