'Extracts from Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia by J G Lorimer CIE, Indian Civil Service' [‎51r] (106/180)

91
of Shamailiyah at this time rose in insurrection and that it was not recovered until
after the death of Khalid; but this is a matter of conjecture rather than of certainty.
Shamailiyah under Shaikh Salim-bin-Sultan, 1868-1883.
Some time after this, Salim, the brother and successor of Khalid, sent a force
to Dibah for the purpose of re-conquering all Shamaillyah, or so much of the
district as was not at the time submissive to his authority; but the Sharqiyin, who
had acquired a taste for independence, combined under the leadership of the
headman of Fujairah to oppose the attempt and formed an alliance with the Shihuh
under Salih-bin-Muhammad, Shaikh of Bai'ah, who were regarded as subjects ot
Masqat. In the result the Qasimi force was besieged in Dibah by the Sharqiyin ana
Shihuh; and Shaikh Salim, being unable to send reinforcements by land from
Sharjah, as the passes through the hills were held by the Shihuh, deputed one of
his brothers to make a friendly settlement. The mission was a success: the
Sharqiyin submitted and promised to pay tribute.
Not long afterwards, in consequence of the Shaikh of Sharjah's representative
at Dibah having imprisoned twelve Sharqiyin of Gharaifah, another combination
was formed between the Sharqiyin and the Shihuh, who closed the nearer passes;
and 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. were again besieged in Dibah. Shaikh Salim on this occasion
sent 50 men with provisions and munitions of war by sea to Dibah; and some
prisoners who had been taken were despatched by boat to Sharjah. On the arrival
of H.M.S. " Arab " at Dibah the fighting there ceased; but in the meanwhile a force
of 800 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. had arrived from the direction of Shinas and taken a fort at
Gharaifah, killing 36 and capturing 30 of the rebels. It was suspected that these
troubles in Shamailiyah had been fomented in the interests of Masqat.
In the spring of 1879 the people of Fujairah rose against and expelled one
Sarur, who had been set in authority over them by the Shaikh of Sharjah, and
replaced him by a certain Marzuq. At the same time they sent a deputation to
Sharjah to inform the Shaikh of their proceedings but Shaikh Salim, instead of
being appeased by this step, confined the members of the deputation, sent a land
force against the fort of Fujairah, which was recaptured and garrisoned with Baluch,
and even transported some prisoners to the island of Bu Musa. An allegation by
the Fujairah malcontents that the Shaikh had attacked them by sea with the help
of their outside enemies was clearly shown to be false.
Upon this Hamad-bin-'Abdullah, the headman of Fujairah and apparently the
most active of the insurgents, made his escape to Masqat, where he arrived in April,
and invited the Sultan of 'Oman to take Fujairah for the future under his own
protection. Discussions between the Sultan and the British authoiities followed,
in which Saiyid Turki at first claimed sovereignty over Fujairah; but eventually he
admitted the liability of the place to pay tribute to Sharjah and only argued against
oppressive interference there by the Qasimi Shaikh in local matters. In this
correspondence the curious fact was elicited that Saiyid Turki had in 1871 given a
sealed document to the Shaikh of Sharjah containing an admission that the whole
of the coast from Khor Kalba to Sharjah, with the single exception of Khasab,
belonged to 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. ; but this agreement he now repudiated on the ground that
it was executed before his accession to the Sultanate and that it was conditional
upon the rendering of certain services by the Qasimi Shaikh which the latter had
never performed. t ^ 11 . £ t ? • - u
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. did not long remain in undisturbed possession or rujanah. A l
the end of I879 or beginning of 1880 Hamad -bin-'Abdullah, having returned from
Masqat by sea but in a peaceable manner, headed a fresh rising at Fujairah in w ic
the Qasimi garrison were driven out of the fort with a loss of eight men killed.
The question of disturbance of the maritime peace which arose in connection
with Shamailiyah affairs in 1876 and again in 1880 is noticed,' being a matter o
general importance, in the history of Trucial 'Oman. Here we are only concerned
to observe that in 1881 the Shaikh of Sharjah having been discouraged m his
original wish to undertake the recovery of Fujairah by sea tell back upon a second
set of demands, viz., that he should be allowed by the British Government to operate
by land, that he should be supported before Fujairah by a British man-of-war, and
that the Sultan of 'Oman should be restrained from countenancing Hamad-bm-
'Abdullah- but the 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. , Colonel Ross, whom the Shaikh visited at
Rebellion in
Shamailiyah
(date
uncertain).
Rebellion
renewed in
Shamaillyah
1876.
Abortive
insurrection
at Fujairah.
1879.
Claim of the
Sultan of
'Oman to
Fujairah,
1879.
Successful
insurrection
at Fujairah,
1879-80.
British
intervention,
1880-81.
* Vide page 724 ante. [See p. 57 of these Extracts.]
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