'Historical Memorandum on the Relations of the Wahabi Amirs and Ibn Saud with Eastern Arabia and the British Government, 1800-1934' [‎23v] (46/64)

42
Pol. Res. to
G. of L,
137 S ,
30.4.27,
P. 3996/27.
P.R. to Gr. of
I., 181 S.,
29.5.27,
P. 3404/27.
P.Gr. Ad.
Reports,
1928-33.
In March 1926 the Amir of Hasa sent two officials to collect zakat in Dhafra and
Baraimi, and in two judicial cases about this time he is stated to have written
first to the Kazi of Shargah and secondly to the Sheikh of Debai <£ chiding them
for not satisfying Nejdi complainants. The Kazi sent his son to Hofuf to
express regret.”
Views of Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , 1926.
204. The Political Pesident expressed the view in 1926 that the region of
Dhafra, some 14,000 miles square, which stretches 175 miles from west to east
and 80 from north to south, bounded on the north by the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and on the
south by the Pub al Khali, belonged, with three smaller coastal tracts to its west,
historically and de jure to the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi. The first business of the
Wahabis, if they were to establish themselves in Eastern Arabia, must be to
absorb this region. East of it they would have little difficulty in procuring the
adherence of the people of Baraimi, Haffit and Dhahirah, on account of the
antipathy of some for Abu Dhabi and of others for the Ibadhi fanatics of the
Muscat hinterland. He added that the kazis in all the chiefships except Abu
Dhabi and Debai were actually Nejdis.
205. The Resident stated that the tribal situation was that Abu Dhabi and
Debai were wholeheartedly opposed to Ibn Saud, and were followed by the Beni
Yas and Manasir of Dhafra, Mijan, Akal, and the Dhawahir of Baraimi.
Umm al Qaiwain, the Beni Khatib tribe and the Beni Kaab were inclined to be
neutral. Shargah and Pas al Khaimah had a century earlier been bigoted
Wahabis.
Trucial Oman A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and the Wahabis, Afril 1927.
206. A further report by Sir Lionel Haworth in the spring of 1927 confirmed
that Debai and Abu Dhabi were opposed to Wahabism and had no desire to come
under the sway of Ibn Saud, and stated that Pas al Khaimah and Shargah were
closely sympathetic to the Wahabis, and that with them there might be bracketed
the lesser chiefs of Ajman and Ummal Qaiwain. “ The latter four chiefs were
actually Wahabis some hundred years ago, and are already in private
communication with the Wahabi leaders.”
Position at Baraimi 1927-34.
207. The oasis of Baraimi was, the Resident reported, occupied by three
different sections of Arabs, the Naim, in close touch with Muscat and with no
desire to be absorbed by the Wahabis; the villages belonging to the Sheikh of
Abu Dhabi, partly occupied by the Dhawahir, and equally anti-Wahabi; and the
El Shamis, a branch of the Naimi, in close touch with the chiefs of Pas al Khaimah
and Shargah and strongly Wahabi in tone. ££ The Baraimi section of this tribe
have recently paid willing tribute to the Wahabi agent of the Governor of Hasa,
who came to Baraimi, and they would encourage the extension of Wahabi power.”
Of these sections, the first were the strongest and their chief occupied the fort at
Baraimi. It will be seen that the pro-Wahabi element was in a minority and
did not in 1927 occupy the fort, and this is of importance in estimating the
weight to be attached to the payment of zakat to the Wahabis by Baraimi.
208. Later in the same year, however, the Baraimi Sheikhs, apparently
acting under the influence of Ibn Sand’s agent, and possibly apprehensive that
the presence of the Wazir Minister. of Muscat, Mr. Bertram Thomas, portended aggressions
by the Sultan, or that the establishment of a landing ground was likely to be
a threat to their independence, refused to allow an P.A.F. party to reconnoitre
the oasis. For convenience it may be recorded at this stage that despite this
incident, however, no interference with the affairs of the Trucial Sheikhs by
Ibn Saud’s agent for Baraimi was reported in 1928-1931. In 1932, a cousin of
the Sheikh of Baraimi having been ambushed by Bedouin consisting of Abu Dhabi
subjects and Manasir tribesmen, hostilities broke out between Abu Dhabi,
Baraimi and Dibai. Peace was restored after three months’ fighting. It may
be noted that there appears to have been no interference in this dispute by any
representative of Ibn Saud and that the parties fought it out among themselves
without any outside interference. There is no record since that date of Saudi