Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
from the west and south had their own designs; and then, of course, there were the ubi-
quitous Ottomans. Though the Kuwaitis generally got on well with the Ottomans, official
Kuwaiti history is adamant that the sheikhdom always remained independent of them, and
it is true that as the Turks strengthened their control of eastern Arabia (then known as Al-
Hasa), the Kuwaitis skilfully managed to avoid being absorbed by the empire. Nonethe-
less, Al-Sabah emirs accepted the nominal Ottoman title of 'Provincial Governors of Al-
Hasa'.
Enter the British. The Kuwaitis and the British were natural allies in many regards.
From the 1770s the British had been contracted to deliver mail between the Gulf and
Aleppo in Syria. Kuwait, meanwhile, handled all the trans-shipments of textiles, rice, cof-
fee, sugar, tobacco, spices, teak and mangrove to and from India, and played a pivotal role
in the overland trade to the Mediterranean. The British helped to stop the piracy that
threatened the seafaring trade, but were not in a position to repel the Ottoman incursions -
that is until the most important figure in Kuwait's modern history stepped onto the stage.
Sheikh Mubarak al-Sabah al-Sabah, commonly known as Mubarak the Great (r
1896-1915), was deeply suspicious that Constantinople planned to annex Kuwait. Con-
cerned that the emir was sympathetic towards the Ottomans, he killed him, not minding he
was committing fratricide as well as regicide, and installed himself as ruler. Crucially, in
1899, he signed an agreement with Britain: in exchange for the British navy's protection,
he promised not to give territory to, take support from or negotiate with any other foreign
power without British consent. The Ottomans continued to claim sovereignty over
Kuwait, but they were now in no position to enforce it. For Britain's part, Prussia, the
main ally and financial backer of Turkey, was kept out of the warm waters of the Gulf and
trade continued as normal.
Rags to Riches in the 20th Century
Mubarak the Great laid down the foundations of a modern state. Under his reign, govern-
ment welfare programs provided for public schools and medical services. In 1912, postal
and telegraphic services were established, and water-purification equipment was imported
for the American Mission Hospital. According to British surveys from this era, Kuwait
City numbered 35,000 people, with 3000 permanent residents, 500 shops and three
schools, and nearly 700 pearling boats employing 10,000 men.
In the 1920s a new threat in the guise of the terrifying
ikhwan
(brotherhood) came from
the Najd, the interior of Arabia. This army of Bedouin warriors was commanded by Abdul
Aziz bin Abdul Rahman al-Saud (Ibn Saud), the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. Despite
having received hospitality from the Kuwaitis during his own years in the wilderness, so
to speak, he made no secret of his belief that Kuwait belonged to the new kingdom of
