Al-Hasa Expedition (1871)

Al-Hasa Expedition
Date20 April-3 June, 1871
Location
Result Ottoman Victory
The Ottoman Empire's control of Al-Ahsa
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire
Sheikhdom of Kuwait
Al-Muntafiq
*Arab tribes
Emirate of Nejd
Commanders and leaders
Midhat Pasha
Abdullah II Al-Sabah
Mubarak Al-Sabah
Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al Saud
*Nasir Pasha
Saud bin Faisal bin Turki Al Saud
Strength

5,000 Ottoman regular soldiers
3000 from Al-Muntafiq Badia

1000 from Kuwait Badia
9 Ottoman warships
80 Kuwaiti sailing ships
unknown

The Al-Hasa Expedition was an Ottoman military campaign to annex the El-Hasa region of eastern Arabia.[1] Ostensibly launched to assist Imam Abdullah bin Faisal in reclaiming control over Najd from his brother Saud bin Faisal, the underlying motive was Medhat Pasha's ambition to extend Ottoman dominion over the Persian Gulf.[2]

Background

Several months into his reign, on March 29, 1871, Imam Abdullah bin Faisal dispatched his envoy Abdul Aziz bin Suwailem to Medhat Pasha, the governor of Baghdad, seeking assistance in the conflict against his brother Saud bin Faisal. Saud controlled the regions of Al-Ahsa and Qatif, territories that had been wrested it from Imam Abdullah bin Faisal.[3]

Progress of the campaign

The campaign departed Basra on April 20, comprising five infantry columns, a cavalry division and artillery units under the command of Lieutenant General Naser Pasha. Accompanying the force was the Sheikh of Al-Muntafiq, leading approximately 1,000 volunteer horsemen from his tribe. Additional from various other Iraqi tribes convened in the town of Az Zubayr. Muhammad Saeed Effendi, son of the captain of supervision in Basra, also joined the commander in the expedition.

A naval contingent from Kuwait joined the campaign, provided by the ruler of Kuwait, Sheikh Abdullah II Al-Sabah, who personally led a fleet of eighty ships. The fleet arrived at Ras Tanura on May 13, 1871, coinciding with the Ottoman infantry’s land march towards Al-Ahsa. From Ras Tanura, the forces progressed towards Qatif, engaging in fierce battles with the Imam Saud bin Faisal’s supporters, resulting in Qatif’s capture on June 3, 1871. Subsequently, the campaign advanced to Dammam then to Hofuf.

Outcome

Following the Ottoman conquest of Al-Ahsa, Midhat Pasha reneged on his commitment to Imam Abdullah bin Faisal, and the province of Al-Ahsa was separated from the second Saudi state. Al Hasa was reincorporated into the Ottoman Empire and became known as the Najd Sanjak. For his significant contributions to the campaign, Sheikh Abdullah II Al-Sabah the ruler of Kuwait was bestowed the honorific title of Kaymakam by the Ottoman authorities.

References

  1. ^ "Iraq". britannica.com. Britannica.com. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  2. ^ Midhat, Ali Haydar. "The life of Midhat Pasha; a record of his services, political reforms, banishment". Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  3. ^ Sluglett, Peter (December 2002). "The Resilience of a Frontier: Ottoman and Iraqi Claims to Kuwait, 1871-1990" (PDF). International History Review. 24 (4): 790. doi:10.1080/07075332.2002.9640981. JSTOR 40111134. S2CID 153471013. Retrieved 30 December 2020.

External links

http://www.muqatel.com/openshare/Mostlhat/Alaam/Mokatel13_1-2.htm_cvt.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20190501161612/http://aljzl.com/ar/2017/08/01/553/

Bibliography

  • Frederick F. Anscombe; Columbia University Columbia University Press (1997). The Ottoman Gulf: The Creation of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-10839-3


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