Ikhwan Revolt

The Ikhwan Revolt began in 1927, when the tribesman of the Mutayr and Ajman rebelled against the authority of Ibn Saud and engaged in cross-border raids into parts of Trans-Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait. The relationship between the House of Saud and the Ikhwan deteriorated into an open bloody feud in December 1928. The main instigators of the rebellion were defeated in the Battle of Sabilla, on 29 March 1929. Ikhwan tribesmen and troops loyal to Abd al-Aziz Ibn Saud clashed again in the Jabal Shammar region in August 1929, and Ikhwan tribesmen attacked the Awazim tribe on October 5, 1929. Faisal al-Dawish, the main leader of the rebellion and the Mutair tribe, fled to Kuwait in October 1929 before being detained by the British and handed over to Ibn Saud. Faisal Al-Dawish would die in Riyadh on the 3rd of October, 1931 from what appears to have been a heart condition. Government troops had finally suppressed the rebellion on January 10, 1930, when other Ikhwan rebel leaders surrendered to the British. In the aftermath, the Ikhwan leadership was slain, and the remains were eventually incorporated into regular Saudi units. Sultan bin Bajad, one of the three main Ikhwan leaders, was killed in 1931, while al-Dawish died in prison in Riyadh on October 3, 1931.

Background
In the beginning of the 20th century Arabia was an arena of tribal wars, which had eventually led to unification under the leadership of Al Saud. The main tool for achieving these conquests was the Ikhwan, the Wahhabist-Bedouin tribal army led by Sultan bin Bajad al-Otaibi and Faisal al-Dawish. From the Saudi core in Nejd, and aided by the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War, the Ikhwan had completed the conquest of the territory that was to become Saudi Arabia by the end of 1925. On 10 January 1926 Abdul-Aziz declared himself King of the Hejaz and, then, on 27 January 1927 he took the title of King of Nejd (his previous title having been 'Sultan').

The Ikhwan undermine the authority of Ibn Saud
After the conquest of the Hejaz, some Ikhwan leaders wanted to continue the expansion of the Wahhabist realm into the British protectorates of Transjordan, Iraq and Kuwait. The tribesmen had already attempted external territorial gains in the Kuwait-Najd Border War and raided Transjordan, but suffered heavy casualties. Defying Ibn Saud, elements of the Ikhwan, mainly constituting of the Mutair tribe under al-Dawish, raided on southern Iraq in November 5, 1927, clashing with Iraqi troops near Busayya, resulting in some 20 casualties on both sides. Ikhwan elements also raided Kuwait on January 1928. In both occasions they looted camels and sheep, and though they raided brutally, they suffered heavy retaliations from the Royal Air Force and Kuwaitis.

In January 1929, an Ikhwan raid on into the Sheikhdom of Kuwait resulted in killing of an American missionary, Dr. Bilkert, who was traveling by car with another American, philanthropist Charles Crane. With no signs of Ibn Saud mobilizing his forces to stop the raids, RAF resources were extended to Kuwait.

Battle of Sabilla
Abdul-Aziz, however, refused to agree to the wild Ikhwani raids. Although the Ikhwan had been taught that all non-Wahabbis were infidels, Abdul-Aziz recognized the danger of a direct conflict with the British. The Ikhwan therefore openly revolted on December 1928. The largest confrontation of the parties occurred in March 30–31, 1929, in the Battle of Sabilla, where the Ikhwan leadership were massacred. The Battle of Sabilla was the last major battle of camel raiders, thus having an historic importance. It had become a scene of carnage for the technologically mediocre Ikhwan against the cavalry and machine-guns of Ibn Saud's army. In the aftermath of the battle some 500 Ikhwan tribesmen died, whereas Ibn Saud's losses were about 200.

Battle of Jabal Shammar
Ikhwan tribesmen and government troops clashed again in the Jabal Shammar region on August 1929, resulting in the deaths of some 1,000 men.

Attack on Awazim tribe
Despite their losses, the Ikhwan tribesmen went on with their rebellion by attacking the Awazim tribe on October 5, 1929, resulting in the deaths of some 250 individuals.

Final accords
Faisal Al-Dawish fled to Kuwait in October 1929, and government troops finally suppressed the rebellion on January 10, 1930, when Ikhwan rebel leaders surrendered to the British.

Aftermath
In the aftermath, the Ikhwan leadership was slain, and the remains were eventually incorporated into regular Saudi units. Sultan bin Bajad, one of the main Ikhwan leaders, was killed in 1931, whereas Faisal al-Dawish died in prison in Riyadh on October 3, 1931.

In September 1932, the two kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd were united as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.