The conclusion of treaties and agreements with the region's various tribal rulers was one of the central means by which Britain enforced its hegemonic presence, and Khaz’al was no exception to this trend.

[4] After Jabir's death in 1881, his elder son, Maz'al, took over as tribal leader and Sheikh of Mohammerah, as well as the provincial governor-general, which was confirmed by an Imperial firman (executive order).

Some accounts state that he was assassinated by his younger brother,[5] Thereafter Khaz'al assumed his position as Sheikh of Mohammerah, proclaiming himself not only the leader of the Bani Kaab, but also the ruler of the entire province.

[8] The Emirate of Mohammerah, under the leadership of the Banu Ka'b tribe, had a long-standing history of autonomy and shifting allegiances between the Ottoman and Persian empires.

Sheikh Khazʽal’s predecessors, including his father, Shaikh Jabir Ibn Merdaw, skillfully navigated these complex relationships to preserve the emirate’s autonomy.

The waning influence of the Ottomans in the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf provided Sheikh Khazʽal with opportunities to assert greater autonomy.

This assistance earned him the recognition of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, who, in appreciation of his contributions, awarded him the 1st Class Majidi Order, one of the highest honors of the Ottoman Empire.

In 1909, Sheikh Khazʽal convened a conference at his residence in Al-Fayliah Palace in Mohammerah, to advocate for the rights of Arabs under the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire expressed considerable interest in the proceedings, which ultimately led to the appointment of Suleiman Pasha Al-Nazif as Governor of Basra in November 1909.

Sheikh Khazʽal capitalized on this decline by distancing his emirate from Ottoman influence and aligning more closely with British and Arab nationalist movements.

The Prince Regent wrote an encouraging letter to Khaz’al, all in the name of the Shah and for protection of the constitution, and said that the bearer would discuss matters with the Shaikh in detail.

[14] He declared that he would abandon his defensive measures only if Reza agreed to the following: (i) to give written guarantees regarding the safety of life and property of those who were helping the Sheikh – especially the Bakhtiari Amir Mujahid.

(ii) to withdraw all troops from Arabistan including Bebehan; (iii) to cancel the revenue settlement of the previous year and return to the pre-war basis; and (iv) to give a more specific confirmation of his firmans.

On September 16 the Sheikh had also addressed a telegram to the foreign legations in Tehran in the nature of a proclamation against Reza Khan, who was described as a usurper and a transgressor of the Persian Empire.

The commander, General Fazlollah Zahedi, accompanied by several government officials, met with Khaz'al and spent an evening with him on board his yacht, anchored in the Shatt al-Arab river by his palace in Failiyeh near the city of Mohammerah.

Later that evening several gunboats, sent by Reza Khan, stealthily made their way next to the yacht, which was then immediately boarded by fifty Persian troops.

However, many of his personal assets in Arabistan were quickly liquidated and his properties eventually came under the domain of the Imperial government after Reza Khan was crowned the new Shah.

Some of these emigrants found their way to the city of Ahwaz where,"...under the protective shadow of His Highness the Sardar Aqdas… they found refugee, and when their numbers increased, they approached His Highness asking for a plot of land that they may build a church and a school to bring up their children and he accepted with what he promised of the welcoming of the heart and the tolerance of the palm and he granted them the land and he provided them endowment.

[citation needed] He explained that those of his spiritual children who had remained happy in the East were the ones who emigrated to Ahwaz and lived under the shadow of the Sardar Aqdas.

[22] Meanwhile, al-Said, without Faisal's knowledge, informed Henry Dobbs, the British Ambassador to Iraq, of the latters intentions of kidnapping Khaz’al.