Sheik Abdullah II, in his later years, was described as tall with a heavy athletic body and a long white beard. He wore a purple bisht made of silk and copiously adorned with gold embroidery over a thawb, 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.
Early life
Under the orders of his father, on April 24, 1841 Abdullah II signed a one-year naval truce with Samuel Hennell who spoke on behalf of the British which expired and was never renewed. The truce prohibited Kuwait from undertaking any form of maritime offense as well as giving all mediation efforts in maritime disputes over to the British Empire.
Reign
Sheikh Abdullah II excelled in the art of diplomacy and negotiated with both the Al-Saud family as well as the Ottomans to maintain power. Throughout his reign he constantly rebuffed requests from British Commissioner Sir Bealy, speaking on behalf of the British Empire, to rise up against the Ottomans. He ruled from November 1866 to 1892, inheriting a state that had undergone a century long increase in merchant marine and navy traffic with stable governance partly due to British support. Upon becoming ruler, he quickly pivoted towards the Ottoman Empire and away from the British. He was considered a modest man with simple tastes and had a high degree of public approval. A great deal of this approval hinged on his relief work during natural disasters. In 1868 a great famine struck and he worked tirelessly 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 or caused by the eruption of Bushehr. In 1886–87, under Sheikh Abdullah II, Kuwait began minting coins in copper due to the lack of Indian rupees circulating in the local economy. Sheikh Abdullah sided with the Jabir bin Mardaw, Emir of Khorramshar during the Basra and Muhamarrah conflict with the Al-Nasser tribe under his reign, and helped him consolidate power in the region. Due to his allegiance to the Ottoman Empire, in 1871, he was given the title Kaymakam which means provincial sub-governor. He also held the title of Pasha.
