'Extracts from Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia by J G Lorimer CIE, Indian Civil Service' [‎32v] (69/180)

54
1843.
1844.
1846-47.
Aggression
by the Shaikh
of Sharjah on
the Shihah
of Ruus-al-
Jibal, 1839.
Conflict
between
'Ajman and
Hamriyah,
1848.
expressed an intention of building others; and, in effect, he said that he would
only desist under compulsion. The Shaikh of Sharjah, with his usual acuteness,
refused to discuss any compromise and appealed to the honour of the British
officials. Eventually the Shaikh of Umm-al-Qaiwain was obliged to suspend his
building operations, and the case was referred for the orders ot Government.
In May 1843 the Assistant Resident, armed with authority from Government,
again proceeded to the spot, and Shaikh 'Abdullah-bin-Rashid, until he found
that coercion would be used if necessary, was just as obstinate as beiore; but the
conclusion of the Ten Years' Maritime Truce, which took place at this time,
deprived the question of its practical importance, and it was decided that, after
the Shaikh of Umm-al-Qaiwain had fulfilled his obligations by destroying the
works constructed in violation of the treaty, the treaty itself should be annulled
and the Shaikhs and the British Government absolved from their mutual
responsibilities. The British Agent was directed to remain at Umm-al-Qaiwain
to witness the demolition of the towers, and their destruction was commenced;
but, after one tower had been levelled to the ground, the Shaikh of Sharjah, at
the intercession of the Shaikh of Dibai and not uninfluenced by a threat on the
part of the Shaikh of Umm-al-Qaiwain to ruin the pearling season by beginning
a war on land, agreed that the remainder should be spared—a concession which
the British authorities readily confirmed.
In 1844 Shaikh Sultan-bin-Saqar was driven by adverse winds to take refuge
in the harbour of Umm-al-Qaiwain, and Shaikh 'Abdullah-bin-Rashid overlooking
the past, invited him ashore and treated him as a distinguished guest during a night
and day. This, however, seems to have been a mere incident ol Arab hospitality,
for it led to no improvement of the bad relations between the two chiefs.
In the general war which broke out along the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. in 1846, chiefly
in consequence of the ambition of Shaikh Sultan-bin-Saqar, the Shaikh of Umm-
al-Qaiwain played an important part. In marked contrast with Shaikh 'Abdul
Aziz of 'Ajman, the other member of the triple combination, who finding it to
his advantage to do so soon changed sides, Shaikh 'Abdullah-bin-Rashid supported
with unswerving loyalty his ally of Dibai; and by these two the war was carried
to a not unsuccessful conclusion. Early in the operations an encounter took place
in the neighbourhood of Umm-al-Qaiwain between a force under the personal
command of the Shaikh and a raiding party of Bani Qitab and others accompanied
by Saqar-bin-Sultan of Sharjah; in this affair, the son of the Qasimi Shaikh having
been slain after a fierce struggle, the partisans of Sharjah were put to flight. The
Shaikh of Umm-al-Qaiwain was included in the peace of 1847; but, though he
subsequently co-operated with the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. in an expedition to Batinah he ever
remained on his guard against the vengeance of the Shaikh Sharjah for the death
of his son.
It will be interesting, before leaving the subject of Shaikh Sultan-bin-Saqar
and his attempted aggrandisements, to notice some operations which he undertook
in 1839 against the neighbouring Shihhi tribe. The Saiyid of Masqat is said to
have admitted in 1836 the dependence of the Ruus-al-Jibal district on the Qasimi
Shaikh; but the Shihuh, inhabiting the same, apparently held other views. One
of their forts having fallen by treachery into the hands of Shaikh Sultan's repre
sentative at Dibah and having been demolished by him, the Shihuh embarked
on a series of raids and forays, to which the Qasimi Chief replied by unsuccessful
land expeditions against their chief towns of Khasab and Kumzar. Shaikh Sultan
had, in consequence of these reverses, resolved on a naval blockade of the Ruus-
al-Jibal coast, when the success of the Egyptians in Najd drew his attention to a
different quarter, and even caused him to take the initiative in seeking peace with
the Shihuh.
It remains to mention an isolated conflict; between the people of 'Ajman
and those of Hamriyah; it did not, apparently, disturb the relations of 'Ajman
with the Shaikhdom of Sharjah, to which Hamriyah belonged. In September 1848,
on the death of Saif-bin-'Abdullah, Shaikh of Hamriyah, the inhabitants of that
village elected one 'Abdullah as Shaikh in his place. This proceeding seems to
have^ been resented by 'Abdul 'Aziz, Shaikh of 'Ajman, for he immediately set
out to attack Hamriyah at the head of 400 men; but the 'Ajmani host, were routed
at the first encounter by an inferior number of the people of Hamriyah, who
pursued them back to the very gates of their own town. In this engagement
Shaikh 'Abdul 'Aziz was killed and his brother Hamaid-bin-Rashid wounded, while
the newly elected chief of Hamriyah also lost his life; and, besides the leaders,
<here were 26 men killed and 20 wounded on the side of 'Ajman and 5 killed and