unted to about 30,000 men.
Zamil's forces held a strong position between Aneza and Bureda, and for
over a month desultory fighting went on; finally an attack was made
against the defenders' centre, covered by 20,000 camel riders; the men
of Aneza broke and the whole allied forces fled in disorder; Zamil and
his eldest son were killed, as were also two of the Ibn Saud family,
while the remainder were taken prisoners. Aneza and Bureda surrendered
the same day, and shortly after Ras, Shakra and Riad tendered their
submission.

This victory placed the whole of northern and central Arabia under the
supremacy of Mahommed Ibn Rashid, which he held undisputed during the
rest of his life.

Recent history.

On his death in 1897 his nephew Abdul-Aziz, son of the murdered amir
Matab, succeeded; during his reign a new element has been introduced
into Nejd politics by the rising importance of Kuwet (Koweit) and the
attempts of Turkey to obtain possession of its important harbour. In
1901 a quarrel arose between Sheik Mubarak of Kuwet and the amir of Hail
whose cause was supported by Turkey. A force was equipped at Basra under
Ahmad Feizi Pasha with the intention of occupying Kuwet; Mubarak
thereupon appealed to Great Britain and action was taken which prevented
the Turkish designs from being carried out. Kuwet was not formally
placed under British protection, but it was officially announced by the
government on the 5th of May 1903 "that the establishment of a naval
base or fortified port in the Persian Gulf by any other power would be
regarded as a very grave menace to British interests which would
certainly be resisted with all the means at its disposal."

In the meantime Sheik Mubarak had found useful allies in the Muntafik
Arabs from the lower Euphrates, and the Wahhabis of Riad; the latter
under the amir Ibn Saud marched against Ibn Rashid, who at the
instigation of the Porte had again threatened Kuwet (Koweit), compelled
him to retire to his own territory and took possession of the towns of
Bureda and Aneza. Sheik Mubarak and his allies continued their advance,
defeated Ibn Rashid in two engagements on the 22nd of July and the 26th
of September 1904, and drove him back on his capital, Hail. The Porte
now made another effort to assist its protege; two columns were
despatched from Medina and Basra respectively, to relieve Hail, and
drive out the Wahhabis. Ahmad Feizi Pasha, in command of the Basra
column, 4200 strong, cro