ABSTRACT
The Ottoman occupation of al-Bida was a component in Ahmed Sefik Medhat Pasha's robust foreign policy, which he inaugurated in 1869, when he became the governor of Baghdad. It was Medhat Pasha's grand strategy to bring the length of the Arabian shore of the Gulf under Ottoman suzerainty and check British expansionism. To materialise his design Medhat Pasha extended Ottoman jurisdiction as far as the Qatari town of al-Bida, an enterprise which was accomplished after he had established his authority, firmly at Nejd. While Shaikh Jasim bin Mohammad bin Thani welcomed the Ottoman landing, his father Shaikh Mohammad bin Thani was far less enthusiastic. No sooner had the Ottomans attempted to establish a hold on Zubara, than the Bahraini chief claimed it on historical grounds. The claims and counter-claims continued until, the British government issued a final ruling in 1875, ordering the Bahraini chief to keep away from Zubara and all other parts of Qatar. Shaikh Jasim emerged as the sole ruler of Qatar upon the death of his father. However, relations with the Ottoman authorities both at al-Bida and Nejd became hostile, which eventually led to open conflict near Wajbah, in which the Ottomans forces were defeated. Following this battle, Britain tried unsuccessfully to mediate between Shaikh Jasim and the Ottomans. However, the Ottomans themselves restored peace and order in al-Bida through the direct intervention of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
