ملف ١٨٥٥\١٩٠٤ الجزء ٨ "الكويت:- موقف زعماء شبه الجزيرة العربية تجاه قبائل الداخلية (نجد إلخ.)" [ظ‎‎٦‎٩] (٣٣٦/١٣٦)

Memorandum ofinformation obtained by Mr. Gaskin.
With reference to the Turkish occupation, * he informed me that there
were only about 50 Turkish soldiers under
* se« my note at end. a Kulaghasy at Boreida and a similar
detachment at Aneza, and the main body, consisting of over a thou&nd
Infantry, a few Cavalry with 4 heavy field guns and 5 or 6 lighter piece A
stationed at Sheihiya, a village about 5 or 6 hours ride West-North*West or
Boreida, under the command of Sami Pasha.
The Turks are there on sufferance, and do not interfere in any way with
the local affairs, and confine themselves to their quarters, only leaving them
when going to purchase food or going to the Mosque for prayers.
The troops are rationed by their own Government. The Amir does not
provide them with anything. They are wretchedly off. Many of the officers
and men are continually deserting. If no fresh troops are sent to relieve the
present garrison before long no soldiers will be left in Kassim through the
wastage by disease and desertions.
As regards the young Amir, he stated that the people of Jabal Shammar
are very hopeful of him, and he has gained their affection through his straight
forwardness, generosity, and the habit of carrying out no undertaking without
consulting all the elders of the Al-Rashid clan and listening to the best advice.
He has remitted the tribal taxes for the current year, and re-instituted the
payment, of annual allowances to the various tribal chiefs, retainers, and chari
ties on the same scale as that paid by his grandfather. These allowances had
been reduced by his father.
After reducing to obedience the Hoteim and Shararat tribes occupying the
tract of country lying between Teima and Jowf, the Amir on about the
last week of August 1906 attacked the Mateir Arabs, .adherents of Bin Sa’ud,
in Kassim and carried away much plunder in the shape of camels, horses, cattle
and sheep.
Regarding the general feeling of the Arabs towards the Turks, my infor
mant declared that there is a growing discontent and dislike towards them
because of their unjust demands and harsh treatment, the life of the Arabs is
becoming harder every year, and poverty is overshadowing them. Many of
the Arab Chiefs whose incomes amount to 400 or 500 Liras, which would be
sufficient under ordinary conditions for their needs, are reduced to beggary on
account of the exactions of the Turkish officials. The Arabs are longing to
whit Sir,!*b S S aw! not been paraphrased > but is throw off the Turks and become indepen-
dent or to come under the protection of
the Great Powers as in the case of Bulgaria and Roumelia. With this view
recently a Hithim Chief whose brother is imprisoned by the Turks and not yet
released, though the amount of bribes demanded by the officials have been
paid, has proposed to the Sheikh of the Muntafik Arabs the formation of a
strong confederacy of all the tribes for the purpose of turning the Turks out of
Arabia and applying subsequently to the Great Powers for protection. The
Muntafik Sheikh did not fall in with the views of the Hiteim Sheikh as the
rabs consider the Hiteim are of inferior blood and a proposal coming from
such a source would not he taken up by other Arabs.
x y lormant also informed me that cereals were very expensive in Jabal
Mrammar and Kassim, and prices ranged five or six times as high as those on
the Euphrates owing to the limited produce available in the regions mentioned.
He explained tiiat the fields are irrigated by water drawn from wells by
camels, and these animals cannot stand the werk, and in twm months they
become useless and are sold for a fifth of their original price and though there
is plenty of water and arable land, for this reason they find it just as cheap to
^ f r , am fro . m tlle districts on the Euphrates. He has heard of the
™ i P0 - rt f tl0 7 ” f .P u “P 3 luto Baghdad for purposes of irrigation and he is
3^ e w tedm ^ e , maUeras lle that these appliances would
Wl „ ‘ ,rr h f ?T° Ur the 1 re S 10ns indicated as the whole of the cultivable
. ntmaj be brought under cultivation by their employment. He understands