In the mid-eighteenth century, the Banu Kaʿb had a strong navy, and sometimes attacked British ships, and fought either for or against the Ottoman Empire and Qajar Iran.[4] In 1812, the Emirate of Muhammara emerged as an autonomous emirate under the Banu Kaʿb.[6] The Banu Kaʿb had their tribal flag as a yellow or red flag with tribe and branch sayings.[4]
They also had a skirmish with the naval force of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait from Riqqa. Sheikh Barakat of the Banu Kaʿb asked for the hand of a Kuwait sheikh's daughter in marriage and the sheikh refused; that infuriated Sheikh Barakat and caused him to attack Kuwait. However, his ships got stuck in the sand because of the shallow water. In this skirmish no one died however the Kuwaitis technically won because they salvaged what they could from Banu Kaʿb's stuck ships. Sheikh Barakat tried to muster more men to attack Kuwait but the people killed him for his incompetence and for his willingness to risk the lives of his tribesmen for something trivial.[citation needed]