"ملاحظات ميدانية. بلاد الرافدين" [و‎‎٩‎٥] (٢٣٠/١٩٤)

APPENDIX A.
Note on Qatar Peninsula and Dohah.
The Qatar Peninsula, to the east of the island of Bahrain, is
ruled by Shaikh ’Abdullah bin Jasim, a rich and powerful chief,
who has a following of about 2,000 lighting men. Some few years
ago his father was engaged in hostilities with the Turks, who
succeeded, after some hard fighting, in establishing a garrison in
the fort of A1 Bida’ (Dohah ) on the eastern side of the' i peninsula
and in reducing Jasim to nominal subjection. He is now styled
qaim-maqam of the peninsula under.the Porte, and flies the Turkish
flag, but he dislikes his rulers and would be glad to be rid of them.
The Bani Hajar tribes can muster about 4,500 fighting men, which
with the Shaikh’s 2,000, would give altogether 6,500; but 4,500
represents as large a force as he is ever likely to bring together.
Since about 1900 various attemps have been made by the Porte
to assert its sovereignty in other parts of the Qatar peninsula,
and in 1910 Turkish mudirs were to be despatched to Zubarah,
? Odaid, Wakrah, and Abu ’Ali Island. His Majesty’s Government,
however, protested against this, and, indeed, have never acknowl
edged Turkish rule in A1 Qatar.
In 1913 Turkey consented to remove her garrison from Qatar;
but that agreement has not yet been signed, hence the garrison
remains.
Dohah .-—Dohah which is the chief town of Qatar, stands on
the south side of a deep bay on the Qatar Peninsula, which forms
a natural harbour about 3 miles in circumference. The harbour
is landlocked with a narrow and shallow entrance, allowing no
entry to ships of over 15' draught. The soundings inside the
harbour vary from 3 to 5 fathoms and are regular. Landing is
easy, and not likely to be interfered with by a swell. There
is no information about any piers or wharves.
The town is built up the slopes of some rising ground, and has
a frontage towards the sea of nearly 2 miles.
The Turkish garrison lives in the fort of A1 Bida’, which is
in the centre of the town and a little back from the sea.
The garrison consists of, at the most, 100 infantry and the r e
are said to be 12 gunners in charge of two old guns. There is an
outpost of eight Turkish soldiers in a tower, over the well of
Rushairib, about a mile from the fort.