Sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

Abdullah II Sabah II Al-Jabir I Al-Sabah (c. 1814 – 1892) () was a cavalry commander in the

Military of Kuwait The Kuwait Armed Forces () are the military forces of the State of Kuwait. They consist of the Kuwait Air Force, the Kuwait Army, the Kuwait Navy & the Kuwait National Guard. The governing bodies are the Kuwait Ministry of Defense,

and was the fifth ruler of the

Sheikhdom of Kuwait The Emirate of Kuwait () was an Emirate. The emirate became a British protectorate between 1899 and 1961 following the Anglo-Kuwaiti agreement of 1899. This agreement was made between Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah and the British Government in India, ...

from 1866 to 1892. The eldest son of the fourth ruler of Kuwait, Sabah II, his reign was marked by efforts to manage natural disasters, maintain stability, and fortify ties with the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, a key supplier of drinking water for Kuwait. Notably, the first coins were minted in Kuwait during his tenure.

Early life

On his father's orders, Abdullah II signed, on 24 April 1841, a one-year naval truce with Samuel Hennell, who spoke on behalf of the British. The truce, which was never renewed upon expiry, prohibited Kuwait from undertaking any form of maritime offense as well as handing over all mediation efforts in maritime disputes to the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

Reign

Assuming power from November 1866 to 1892, Abdullah inherited a Sheikhdom experiencing a century of growth in merchant and naval activity, largely stabilized through British support. As ruler, he shifted alliances towards the Ottoman Empire, distancing from British influence while negotiating with the Al Saud family for power retention. Throughout his reign he rebuffed requests from the British Commissioner,

Lewis Pelly Lieutenant General Sir Lewis Pelly (14 November 1825 – 22 April 1892) was a British East India Company officer, and then an imperial army and political officer. At the end of his life, he was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Hackney N ...

, speaking on behalf of the British Empire, to oppose the Ottomans. Known for his modesty and simplicity, Abdullah’s leadership marked a strategic transition in regional allegiances. A great deal of this approval hinged on his relief work during natural disasters. In 1868 a great famine struck and he worked to bring an end to the rampant starvation. In September 1871 disaster struck again, this time in the maritime industry of Kuwait. Hundreds of Kuwaiti pearling vessels were sunk along with their crews due to extremely high waves. Historians are split on whether this was due to great storms in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

or caused by the eruption of

Bushehr Bushehr (; ) is a port city in the Central District (Bushehr County), Central District of Bushehr County, Bushehr province, Bushehr province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Etymology The roots of the n ...

. In 1886–87, under Abdullah II, Kuwait began minting coins in copper due to the lack of Indian

rupee Rupee (, ) is the common name for the currency, currencies of Indian rupee, India, Mauritian rupee, Mauritius, Nepalese rupee, Nepal, Pakistani rupee, Pakistan, Seychellois rupee, Seychelles, and Sri Lankan rupee, Sri Lanka, and of former cu ...

s circulating in the local economy. Abdullah sided with the Jabir bin Mardaw,

Emir Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...

of Khorramshar during the Basra and Muhamarrah conflict with the Al-Nasser tribe under his reign, and helped him consolidate power in the region. In 1871, in recognition of his significant contributions to the Al-Ahsa expedition, or the Ottoman conquest of Al-Ahsa, Midhat Pasha bestowed him with the honorific title of

Kaymakam Kaymakam, also known by #Names, many other romanizations, was a title used by various officials of the Ottoman Empire, including acting grand viziers, governors of provincial sanjaks, and administrators of district kazas. The title has been reta ...

, signifying a provincial sub-governor.

Physical description

In his later years he was described as tall with a heavy athletic body and a long white beard. He wore a purple bisht made of silk and adorned with gold embroidery over a

thawb A thawb, also known as a dishdashah or a kandura in other varieties of Arabic, is a garment traditionally worn by men in the Arab world. It is a long-sleeved, ankle-length robe that has regional variations in name and style. It can be worn in f ...

, with a white silk scarf used as a belt. On both hands rested many diamond rings. At his waist was an ornate janbiya with a hilt made of solid gold, encrusted with pearls and gemstones.

Notes

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdullah II Al-Sabah 19th-century monarchs in the Middle East 19th-century Ottoman military personnel 1810s births 1892 deaths House of Al-Sabah Rulers of Kuwait Arab people from the Ottoman Empire