Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913 memorandum sent to the Ottoman Government. By this time, it seemed likely that the terminus for the German funded and engineered Baghdad Railway would be situated in Kuwait. Kuwait had been under Ottoman administration since 1871 and in 1875 was included in the Basra Vilayet, yet Ottoman rule was mainly nominal. Although the sheikhdom now fell under the Empire’s jurisdiction, no Ottoman official was stationed in Kuwait. Influence over Kuwait was crucial to British foreign policy in the Persian Gulf with regard to commerce and strategic interests concerning India. To the British, further extension of the railway line meant further
Rise of the Ottoman Empire judge ("Kazasker") was created, indicating an increasing level of social stratification between the emerging military-administrative class ("askeri") and the rest of society. Murad I also instituted the practice of appointing particular frontier warriors as "Lords of the Frontier" ("uc begleri"). Such power of appointment indicated that the Ottoman rulers were no longer merely "primus inter pares" but sat at the top of a hierarchy of leadership. As a way of openly declaring this new status, Murad became the first Ottoman ruler to adopt the title of sultan. Beginning at the latest by the 1430s, but most likely earlier, the Ottomans