Editing History of Qatar (section)

==Ottoman control (1871–1913)==
{{Main|Ottoman Empire}}
{{See also|Najd Sanjak}}
[[File:Doha1908.jpg|thumb|250px|Doha in the early 20th century.]]
The [[Ottoman Empire]] expanded into Eastern Arabia in 1871. After establishing themselves on the [[Al-Ahsa Oasis|Al-Hasa]] coast, they advanced towards Qatar. [[Al Bidda]] soon came to serve as a base of operations for Bedouins harassing the Ottomans in the south, and [[Abdullah II Al-Sabah]] of Kuwait was sent to the town to secure a landing for the Ottoman troops. He brought with him four Ottoman flags for the most influential people in Qatar. Mohammed bin Thani received and accepted one of the flags but sent it to [[Al Wakrah]] and continued hoisting the local flag above his house. Jassim bin Mohammed accepted a flag and flew it above his house. A third flag was given to Ali bin Abdul Aziz, the ruler of [[Al Khor]].

The [[British Empire|British]] reacted negatively to the Ottoman's advancements as they felt their interests were at stake. Receiving no response to their objections, the British gunboat Hugh Rose arrived in Qatar on 19 July 1871. After inspecting the situation, Sidney Smith, the assistant [[Persian Gulf Residency|political resident in the Persian Gulf]], discovered that Qatar flew the flags willingly.<ref name="rahman3">{{Harvnb|Rahman|2006|pp=138–139}}</ref> To further add to their apprehension, Jassim bin Mohammed, who assumed his father's role during this period, authorized the Ottomans to send 100 troops and equipment to Al Bidda in December 1871. By January 1872, the Ottomans had incorporated Qatar into their dominion. It was designated a province in [[Najd]] under the control of the [[Najd Sanjak|sanjak of Najd]]. Jassim bin Mohammed was appointed as the [[kaymakam]] (sub-governor) of the district, and most other Qataris were allowed to keep their positions in the new government.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rahman|2006|p=140}}</ref>

[[File:Al Khor Archaeological Tower 01.JPG|thumb|left|A fort in Al Khor.]]
Charles Grant, the assistant political resident, falsely reported that the Ottomans sent a contingent of 100 troops from [[Qatif]] to [[Zubarah]] under the command of Hossein Effendi in August 1873. The sheikh of Bahrain reacted negatively to this because the [[Na'im]] tribe, which resided in Zubarah, had signed a treaty agreeing to be his subjects. Upon being confronted by the sheikh, Grant referred him to political resident Edward Ross. Ross informed the sheikh that he believed he had no right to protect tribes residing in Qatar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023193818.0x000037|title='Persian Gulf Gazetteer, Part I Historical and Political Materials, Précis of Bahrein Affairs, 1854-1904' [35] (54/204)|publisher=qdl.qa|access-date=1 February 2015|date=2014-04-04}}</ref> In September, the sheikh reiterated his sovereignty over the town and tribe. Grant replied by arguing that there was no special mention of the Na'im or Zubarah in any treaties signed with Bahrain. A British government official concurred with his views, stating that the sheikh of Bahrain "should, as far as practicable abstain from interfering in complications on the mainland."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023193818.0x000038|title='Persian Gulf Gazetteer, Part I Historical and Political Materials, Précis of Bahrein Affairs, 1854-1904' [36] (55/204)|publisher=qdl.qa|access-date=1 February 2015|date=2014-04-04}}</ref>

Another chance arose for the Al Khalifa to renew their claim on Zubarah in 1874 after an opposition leader named Nasir bin Mubarak moved to Qatar. They believed that Mubarak, with the assistance of Jassim bin Mohammed, would target the Na'im living in Zubarah as a prelude to an invasion. As a result, a contingent of Bahraini reinforcements was sent to Zubarah, to the disapproval of the British, who suggested that the sheikh was involving himself in complications. Edward Ross made it apparent that a government council decision advised the sheikh that he should not interfere in the affairs of Qatar.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rahman|2006|pp=141–142}}</ref> The Al Khalifa remained in consistent contact with the Na'im, drafting 100 members of the tribe in their army and offering financial assistance. Jassim bin Mohammed expelled some members of the tribe after they attacked ships near [[Al Bidda]] in 1878.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rahman|2006|pp=142–143}}</ref>

Despite the opposition of many prominent Qatari tribes, Jassim bin Mohammed continued to show support for the Ottomans. However, there were no signs of improvement in the partnership between the two parties, and relations further deteriorated when the Ottomans refused to aid Jassim in his expedition of [[Abu Dhabi]]-occupied [[Khor Al Adaid]] in 1882. In addition, the Ottomans supported the Ottoman subject Mohammed bin Abdul Wahab, who attempted to supplant Jassim bin Mohammed in 1888.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rahman|2006|pp=143–144}}</ref>

===Qatari–Abu Dhabi War===
{{Main|Qatari–Abu Dhabi War}}
During the period of Ottoman influence, Qatar was involved in a protracted conflict known as the [[Qatari–Abu Dhabi War]]. This series of territorial disputes and military conflicts occurred between Qatar, led by Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, and the [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi]], under [[Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]], from 1881 to 1893.<ref name="omar1">{{cite web|last1=Omar|first1=Ihab|url=https://raseef22.net/article/120756-%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%82|title=خراب الدوحة... عن الخلافات القديمة بين قطر وجيرانها|publisher=Raseef22|language=Arabic|date=30 May 2018|accessdate=18 July 2024}}</ref> The conflict was rooted in longstanding territorial disputes over poorly defined borders, competition for control of resources such as grazing lands and pearl banks, and the secession of the Qubaisat tribe from Abu Dhabi to Qatar in 1869.<ref name="qdl69">{{cite web|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023526379.0x000047|title='Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.' [35r] (69/92)|publisher=Qatar Digital Library|accessdate=19 July 2024}}</ref> It was further complicated by allegations of piracy in disputed territories and the broader imperial rivalry between the Ottoman Empire and Britain in the Gulf region.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hayajneh|first1=Raed Ahmed|url=https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=aauja|title=Khannour Battle 1889, Causes, Results, and Reactions in the Arabian Gulf: Documentary Research|journal=Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts|language=Arabic|volume=18|issue=1|page=70|year=2021|accessdate=18 July 2024}}</ref>

The war began with early skirmishes in 1881, including the battles of Baynunah, Suwaihan, and Al-Marsaf.<ref name="omar1"/> Tensions escalated over the following years, with both sides engaging in raids and counter-raids. A significant incident, commonly known as the Second Destruction of Doha, occurred in August 1888 when Abu Dhabi forces attacked Doha, resulting in numerous casualties including the death of Jassim's son, Ali bin Jassim.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023526379.0x00004a|title='Persian Gulf gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Précis of Katar [Qatar] affairs, 1873-1904.' [36v] (72/92)|publisher=Qatar Digital Library|accessdate=19 July 2024}}</ref>

The conflict reached its climax with the [[Battle of Khannour]] from January to February 1889. Jassim, with limited Ottoman support, mobilized a coalition of tribal forces to capture the fort of Khannour in Abu Dhabi territory after a 20-day siege. Following this, Qatari forces conducted extensive raids across Abu Dhabi territory, reaching as far as [[Al Ain]] and [[Al Buraimi Governorate|Al Buraimi]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hayajneh|first1=Raed Ahmed|url=https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=aauja|title=Khannour Battle 1889, Causes, Results, and Reactions in the Arabian Gulf: Documentary Research|journal=Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts|language=Arabic|volume=18|issue=1|page=78|year=2021|accessdate=18 July 2024}}</ref>

After years of hostilities and diplomatic maneuvering, the conflict was finally resolved in 1893 through an agreement jointly brokered by the British and Ottomans.<ref name="omar1"/> This war marked an important phase in Qatar's transition towards independence and its emergence as a distinct political entity in the Gulf region, even while nominally under Ottoman rule. The conflict also reinforced British dominance in the region while exposing the limits of Ottoman influence.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hayajneh|first1=Raed Ahmed|url=https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=aauja|title=Khannour Battle 1889, Causes, Results, and Reactions in the Arabian Gulf: Documentary Research|journal=Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts|language=Arabic|volume=18|issue=1|page=77|year=2021|accessdate=18 July 2024}}</ref>

=== Battle of Al Wajbah ===
{{Main|Battle of Al Wajbah}}
[[File:Olddoha2-771x410.jpg|thumb|245px|Old city of Doha, January 1904.]]
In February 1893, Mehmed Hafiz Pasha arrived in Qatar to seek unpaid taxes and accost Jassim bin Mohammed's opposition to proposed Ottoman administrative reforms. Fearing that he would face death or imprisonment, Jassim bin Mohammed moved to [[Al Wajbah]] ({{Convert|10|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} miles west of [[Doha]]); he was accompanied by several tribe members. Mehmed demanded that he disband his troops and pledge his loyalty to the Ottomans. However, Jassim bin Mohammed remained adamant in his refusal to comply with Ottoman authority. In March 1893, Mehmed imprisoned his brother, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Thani, in addition to 13 prominent Qatari tribal leaders on the Ottoman [[corvette]] ''Merrikh''. After Mehmed declined an offer to release the captives for a fee of ten thousand [[Turkish lira|liras]], he ordered a column of approximately 200 Ottoman troops to advance towards Jassim bin Mohammed's fortress in Al Wajbah under the command of Yusuf Effendi.<ref>{{cite book |last= Fromherz|first= Allen|date= 13 April 2012|title= Qatar: A Modern History|publisher= Georgetown University Press|page= 60|isbn= 978-1-58901-910-2}}</ref>

Shortly after arriving at Al Wajbah, Effendi's troops came under heavy gunfire by Qatari infantry and cavalry troops, which totaled 3,000 to 4,000 men. They retreated to Shebaka fortress, where they once again sustained casualties from a Qatari incursion. After they retreated to the fortress of Al Bidda, Jassim bin Mohammed's advancing column besieged the fortress and cut off the neighborhood's water supply. The Ottomans conceded defeat and agreed to relinquish the Qatari captives in return for the safe passage of Mehmed Pasha's cavalry to [[Hofuf]] by land.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rahman|2006|pp=152}}</ref> Although Qatar did not gain full independence from the [[Ottoman Empire]], the result of the battle forced a treaty that would later form the basis of Qatar emerging as an autonomous country within the empire.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.qatarvisitor.com/index.php?cID=439&pID=1701 |title=Battle of Al Wajbah |publisher=Qatar Visitor |date=2 June 2007 |access-date=22 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117024415/http://www.qatarvisitor.com/index.php?cID=439&pID=1701 |archive-date=17 January 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Later Ottoman presence===
On the cusp of Ottoman withdrawal from the Peninsula in 1915, the British government wrote the following description of the Ottoman presence in Qatar:

{{quote|
"The Qatar Peninsula, to the east of the island of Bahrain, is ruled by Shaikh ’[[Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani|Abdullah bin Jasim]], a rich and powerful chief, who has a following of about 2,000 fighting men. Some few years ago his father was engaged in hostilities with the Turks, who succeeded, after some hard fighting, in establishing a garrison in the fort of Al Bida’ (Dohah) on the eastern side of the peninsula and in reducing Jasim to nominal subjection. He is now styled qaim-maqam of the peninsula under the Porte, and flies the Turkish flag, but he dislikes his rulers and would be glad to be rid of them. The Bani Hajar tribes can muster about 4,500 fighting men, which with the Shaikh’s 2,000, would give altogether 6,500; but 4,500 represents as large a force as he is ever likely to bring together. Since about 1900 various attempts have been made by the Porte to assert its sovereignty in other parts of the Qatar peninsula, and in 1910 Turkish mudirs were to be despatched to Zubarah, [[Khor Al Adaid|Odaid]], Wakrah, and Abu ’Ali Island. His Majesty’s Government, however, protested against this, and, indeed, have never acknowledged Turkish rule in Qatar. In 1913 Turkey consented to remove her garrison from Qatar; but that agreement has not yet been signed, hence the garrison remains.

The Turkish garrison lives in the fort of Al Bida’, which is in the centre of the town and a little back from the sea. The garrison consists of, at the most, 100 infantry and there are said to be 12 gunners in charge of two old guns. There is an outpost of eight Turkish soldiers in a tower, over the well of [[Mushayrib|Mushairib]], about a mile from the fort.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100035495108.0x0000c3|title='Field notes. Mesopotamia' [95r] (194/230)|date=3 October 2016 |publisher=Qatar Digital Library|access-date=14 January 2019}} ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''</ref>

Shaikh Abdullah, who succeeded to the chiefship of Qatar in 1913, is friendly towards the British, and afraid of Bin S’aud. He would no doubt be glad to be rid of the Turks."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100035495108.0x0000c4|title='Field notes. Mesopotamia' [95v] (195/230)|date=3 October 2016 |publisher=Qatar Digital Library|access-date=14 January 2019}} ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''</ref>
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