The attitude of Sheikh Mubarak towards the development of the American role on Kuwait's territory, 1896–1915

Abstract

This study aims to trace the early beginnings of one facet of Kuwait's international relations. It attempts to reveal the circumstances of this relationship between Kuwait and the United States during the reign of Sheik Mubarak Al-Sabah (1896–1915) and expounds this relationship through various axes.

Notes

¹The American activity in the commercial area led to increasing US activity, especially in the Mediterranean region and to a great extent; Ahmad Abdel Rahim Mostafa, The Arab–American Relations in the 19th Century (Kuwait University, Thatussalassel 1978) 364.

²An American officer called Mahan described the region at that time as “rough and inhospitable”; Michael Palmer, Guardians of the Gulf: A History of America's Expanding Role in the Persian Gulf, 1833–1992 (Al-Ahram Foundation, Egypt 1995) 11.

³The United States has entered consecutive phases of internal problems related to its development since its independence in 1776.

⁴Mohammad Mahmoud Al-Nairab, Introduction to the History of the United States of America till 1877 (Dar Al-Thaqafa Al-Jadida, Cairo 1997).

⁵Especially in the crises they might encounter.

⁶In 1850, an American admiral sent a message to the US missionaries telling them that there was a frigate to secure their safety, provide them with supplies, and make sure they were safe; A.L. Tibawi, American Interests in Syria, 1800–1901: a study of educational, literary and religious work (Clarendon Press, Oxford 1966) 128.

⁷Mostafa (n 1) 371.

⁸They received it from the British political agents.

⁹Mostafa (n 1), 3, 365.

¹⁰After the discovery of oil and the change in international political affairs, a shift in the power balance followed, especially after World Wars I and II. This situation created new interests related to American political and military presence in the Arab Gulf region, so much so that it became an inherent part of their politics. The matter became remarkably clear later when American bases were established in the region and thousands of troops were stationed on its territory. Moreover, some economies of those countries were tied to the American economy either directly or indirectly. This enhanced and extended the American influence in the region resulting in American–Gulf relations becoming the most important and remarkable motives of world politics in general.

¹¹Najat Abedel Qader Al-Jassem Al-Khussossy, A History of Ship Building in Kuwait (The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences 1982) 183–4; also Gamal Zakariya Qassem, The Arab Gulf: A Study of the History Emirates in the Periods the First European Expansion (Dar al-Arab Thought, Cairo 1985) 387.

¹²Khaled Saud Al-Zaid, Kuwait in The Gulf Guide (material collected from Lorimer, Gulf Guide, Kuwait 1981) 981.

¹³A Locher, With Star and Crescent (Aetna, Philadelphia, PA 1891) 65–63.

¹⁴Sociologists Association, An Anthology of Lectures of the 13th Season of Sociologists Association for 1995 (Sociologists Association Publ., Kuwait City 1985) 10–13.

¹⁵Youssef Ibn Eissa Al-Qenaei, Pages from the History of Kuwait (Press Government of Kuwait, Kuwait 1968) 25; Abdel Aziz Al-Rasheed, A History of Kuwait (Publications Library Home Life, Beirut 1971) 137.

¹⁶Dhafer Al-'Ajamy, Kuwait's Army in the Reign of Mubarak Al-Sabbah 1896–1915 (I 1, d. N, Kuwait 2000) 55.

¹⁷Allan Nevins and Henry Steele Commager, A Pocket History of the United States (Arabic trans Mohammd Badr El Din, International House for Publishing and Distribution, Cairo 1990) 453.

¹⁸Claude Julien, Dreaming and History: 200 Years of American History (Arabic trans Nakhla Kallas, 2nd edn, Talass for Studies, Translation and Publishing, Damascus 1989) 277.

¹⁹The American President Cleveland declared clearly in his annual message to the Congress in February 1895 that non-interference tradition would not be violated; Thomas A Preson, The US Diplomatic Relations with the Middle East from 1784 to 1975 (Arabic trans, Talass for Studies, Translation and Publishing, Damascus 1985) 29.

²⁰Khaled Al-Bassam (trans), Caravans: The Trips of the American Missionaries in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula 1901–1921 (Sar Qortass, Kuwait 2000) 100.

²¹It may be some time before when dozens of British, French, and Dutch missions arrived; ibid. 11.

²²Zobaida Ashkinani, From the American's Window (Dar Qortass, Kuwait City 1995) 4.

²³Abdel Malek Al-Tamimy, Missionary Activity in the Arab Gulf Region (2nd edn, Dar Al-Shabab for Publishing, Translation and Distribution, Kuwait City 1982) 59.

²⁴Ibid.

²⁵Preson (n 19).

²⁶It was traditional for American missionaries and members of the mission to turn to the British authority to solve problems wherever they stayed in the Gulf and to be under British protection.

²⁷Protection and help were always granted to American missionaries in the region through the American agents or consulate there; Mostafa (n 1) 371.

²⁸Dr. Binnit was a member of the mission.

²⁹Moustafa Abdel-Qader Al-Najjar, Arabstan Under the Reign of Sheikh Khaz'al Al-Ka'bi (1897–1925) (Arab House for Encyclopedias i 1, Beirut 2009) 17; also Mohammal Al-Rumaihy (trans), Pre-Oil Kuwait, Memoirs of Stanley Mallory (2nd edn, Dar Qortass, Kuwait City 1997) 50.

³⁰Al-Rumaihy (n 29) 50.

³¹Al-Bassam (n 20) 100.

³²After arriving in Kuwait; Al-Bassam (n 20) 83.

³³Mubarak issued his orders to prepare a room in his palace where to receive the mission members; ibid. 99.

³⁴Bahrain was the second country in importance for missionary work. Thus, many American missionaries and travel caravans started to arrive; ibid. 81.

³⁵The formation committee was comprised of John van Esse and Arthus Bennet; Al-Rumaihy (n 29) 54.

³⁶In 1909–10, retired General Colby Chester, of the Association of American Companies, negotiated with Constantinople for the privileges of the railroad, mining, and oil. An American Company, Standard of Oil, actually got a license to search for oil in Anadol and Palestine; Palmer (n 2) 21.

³⁷In the year 1908.

³⁸Al-Bassam (n 20) 102.

³⁹Al-Tamimy (n 23) 62.

⁴⁰Seif Marzouq Al-Shamlan, Famous Men from Kuwait: Farhan Ibn Fahd Al-Khaled (Kuwait 1985) 20–1.

⁴⁶Abdullah Al-Nouri, The Story of Education in Kuwait in Half a Century (Thatussalassel) 95.

⁴⁷Ashanqity is considered one of the most important enlightenment figures in Kuwait at that period; Al-Sheikh Khaz'al (n 45) 258.

⁴⁸Al-Rasheed (n 15) 373.

⁴¹Ashkinani (n 22) 19.

⁴²Al-Shamlan (n 40) 20–1.

⁴³Ibid. 39.

⁴⁴Farhan Al-Fahd Al-Khodair, revised by Abdel Aziz Al-Rasheed, comments by Ya'qoub Abdel Aziz Al-Rasheed; Al-Rasheed (n 15) 374.

⁴⁵Hussein Khalaf Al-Sheikh Khaz'al, The Political History of Kuwait (Library of Dar Al Hilal, Beirut 1965) 296.

⁴⁹Al-Sheikh Khaz'al (n 45) 296.

⁵⁰Ibid. 258.

⁵¹Nour Al-Habashi, The Story of the American Hospital in Kuwait (Center for Research and Darsat Kuwaiti 2006) 27; also Ashkinani (n 22) 22.

⁵²Ashkinani (n 22) 22.

⁵³The Russian commercial interests constituted their most important base for their movements in Kuwait and the Arab Gulf region in general. Russian financiers and businessmen were largely interested in the political situations because they realized that the economic penetration based on carrying out great projects would give Russia a massive commercial presence hindering English trade in the Gulf, which was competing with Russian goods basically; Russian Foreign Policy Archives (Persian Division), File 4064, the review of the meeting of establishing direct commercial relations with the Arab Gulf harbors, from Bondarweski, Kuwait and Its Relations During the Nineteenth Century and Early Twentieth Century, translated by Maher, safety (Center for Research and Studies on Kuwait, Kuwait 1994) 218.

⁵⁴In fact, the clash that took place between it and those powers started with opening its first missionary station in Basra at a time when the relationships between the different powers were complicated and difficult. The domestic and world powers entered an acute conflict to control the region. Russia began to attempt to create interests for itself. The Germans, with the support of the Ottoman Empire, began to promote commercial activities and building a railway. The conflict between Britain and the Ottoman Empire, which were among the main great powers in the region, began to be more acute.

⁵⁵The Center for Kuwaiti Research and Studies, A History of Education in Kuwait (Center for Research and Darsat Kuwait-a. Abdulaziz Hussein et al., Kuwait City 2002) 125–6.

⁵⁶Its Director was Stanley Mallory; Al-Habashi (n 51) 23.

⁵⁷Ibid. 22.

⁵⁸Al-Rumaihy (n 29) 73.

⁵⁹After President William McKinley had assumed power in 1897, Ottoman–American relations were tense and the Sultan agreed to pay damages for the missionaries only in 1899; Preson (n 19).

⁶⁰Ibid. 29.

⁶¹Al-Rumaihy (n 29) 82.

⁶²Askinany, From the window of Alammerakane (Zubaydah Ashkanani, Dar Dar Qortass 1995) 15, though a missionary in Kuwait said that there were funds allocated in the treasury in New York.

⁶³Al-Tamimy (n 23).

⁶⁴Askinany (n 62) 18.

⁶⁵The Protection Agreement (1899) is considered one of the most prominent international documents of the then Kuwait Emirate. That agreement was annulled when Britain recognized Kuwait's independence in 1961; Quoting Bhundarevski, Kuwait and international relations During the Nineteenth Century and Early Twentieth Century, translated by Maher, safety (Center for Research and Studies on Kuwait, Kuwait 1994).

⁶⁶Russian Foreign Policy Archives, the Embassy in Constantinople, file 1245, 201–02. Document no. 2, from Bondarweski (n 55) 457, appx 2.