Editing History of Kuwait (section)

===Kuwait–Najd War (1919–21)===
{{main|Kuwait–Najd War}}
The Kuwait-Najd War erupted in the [[aftermath of World War I]], when the [[Ottoman Empire]] was defeated and the British invalidated the Anglo-Ottoman Convention. The power vacuum, left by the fall of the Ottomans, sharpened the conflict between Kuwait and [[Najd]] ([[Ikhwan]]). The war resulted in sporadic border clashes throughout 1919–20.

[[File:Jahra-castle.jpg|thumb|[[Kuwait Red Fort]].]]

However, Kuwait immensely declined in regional economic importance,<ref name="al"/> mainly due to various trade blockades and the world economic depression.<ref name=block /> The [[Great Depression]] negatively impacted Kuwait's economy starting in the late 1920s.<ref name=do /> International trading was one of Kuwait's main sources of income before oil.<ref name=do /> Kuwaiti merchants were mostly intermediary merchants.<ref name=do /> As a result of European decline of demand for goods from India and Africa, the economy of Kuwait suffered. The decline in international trade resulted in an increase in gold smuggling by Kuwaiti ships to India.<ref name=do /> Some Kuwaiti merchant families became rich due to gold smuggling to India.<ref name=hist />

Kuwait's pearling industry also collapsed as a result of the worldwide economic depression.<ref name=hist>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AwweY4yYSMIC&pg=PA57|title=The History of Kuwait|editor= Michael S. Casey |year=2007 |page=57|isbn=9780313340734|last1=Casey|first1=Michael S.|publisher=Bloomsbury }}</ref> At its height, Kuwait's pearling industry led the world's luxury market, regularly sending out between 750 and 800 ship vessels to meet the European elite's need for luxuries pearls.<ref name=hist /> During the economic depression, luxuries like pearls were in little demand.<ref name=hist /> The Japanese invention of [[cultured pearls]] also contributed to the collapse of Kuwait's pearling industry.<ref name=hist />

====Battle of Jahra====
{{main|Battle of Jahra}}
The [[Battle of Jahra]] was a battle during the Kuwait-Najd War. The battle took place in [[Al Jahra]], west of Kuwait City on 10 October 1920 between [[Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah]] ruler of Kuwait and [[Ikhwan]] Wahhabi followers of [[Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia]], king of Saudi Arabia.<ref>[http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTA0NzIxMTUzNA== The blood red place of Jahra], [[Kuwait Times]].</ref>

A force of 4,000 Saudi Ikhwan, led by [[Faisal Al-Dawish]], attacked the [[Kuwait Red Fort]] at Al-Jahra, defended by 2,000 Kuwaiti men. The Kuwaitis were largely outnumbered by the Ikhwan of Najd.

====Sheikh Khaz'al turns down the throne of Kuwait====
When [[Percy Cox]] was informed of the border clashes in Kuwait, he sent a letter to [[Khorramshahr|Mohammerah]] Sheikh [[Khazʽal Ibn Jabir]] offering the Kuwaiti throne to either him or one of his heirs, thinking Khaz'al would be a more competent ruler the Al Sabah family. Khaz'al, who considered the Al Sabah as his own family, replied "Do you expect me to allow the stepping down of Al Mubarak from the throne of Kuwait? Do you think I can accept this?"<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=Tareekh Al Kuwait Al Siyasi|last=Khalif|first=Hussein|pages=221}}</ref> He then asked: {{blockquote|...even so, do you think that you have come to me with something new? Al Mubarak's position as ruler of Kuwait means that I am the true ruler of Kuwait. So there is no difference between myself and them, for they are like the dearest of my children and you are aware of this. Had someone else come to me with this offer, I would have complained about them to you. So how do you come to me with this offer when you are well aware that myself and Al Mubarak are one soul and one house, what affects them affects me, whether good or evil.<ref name=":2" />}}

[[Ibn Saud]] imposed a tight trade blockade against Kuwait from the years 1923 until 1937.<ref name="block"/><ref name=do>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R0NH1CbXf24C&pg=PA80|title=Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City: The Socio-cultural Dimensions of the Kuwait Courtyard and Diwaniyya|author= Mohammad Khalid A. Al-Jassar|year=2009|pages=80|isbn=9781109229349}}</ref> The goal of the Saudi economic and military attacks on Kuwait was to annex as much of Kuwait's territory as possible.<ref name="block"/>