'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎761] (904/1782)

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Shaikh Saqar-bin-Khalid, 1883 to the present time.
At the end of March 1883^ Shaikh Salim having gone for a change
of air to Bu Musa Island, where his horses were at grass, and his brother
Ahmad having proceeded on a journey to Kas-al-Khaimah, their nephew
Saqar -bin-Khalid, a youth of 20 years or less who had been left in charge
of Sharjah, seized the opportunity to proclaim himself ruler. He was
shortly recognised as such by the Shaikhs of Ras-al-Khaimah, Umm-al-
Qaiwain, 'Ajman and Dibai; and he also obtained the support of Muham
mad-bin- 'Ali^ a chief of the Bedouin Na'im, and of Mutawwa' Khasu-
wani, the leader of a band of Bani Qitab freebooters. This revolution
was facilitated by the unpopularity of Shaikh Salim, attributable to his
partiality for men of religion and to his indifference to the interests of his
Bubjects j but in general character Salim was not, perhaps, inferior to his suc
cessor, who soon proved to be weak and unobservant of his promises. Shaikh
Salim retained possession of Bu Musa; but in May he paid a visit
to Yusuf, one of the Qasimi Shaikhs in Lingeh, aud in July he moved
to Dibai, where a settlement, guaranteed by the Shaikhs of Ras-al-
Khaimah and Dibai, was arranged between himself and his usurping
nephew. Under the terms of this agreement Salim was to acknowledge the
Shaikhship of Saqar and was in return to receive an annual pension
of $600 and to retain his personal property at Sharjah and Dhaid, while his
debts at Sharjah were to be discharged by Saqar.
In 1884 there were complaints on both sides that this agreement was
not being observed, and the guarantors apparently held that the blame
rested with Salim, who was reported to be again living on Bu Musa. In
the meantime Shaikh Saqar allied himself by marriage to the Shaikh of
Ras-al-Khaimah. Up to this point the Resident had avoided all connection
with the dispute, refusing to give advice or instructions to Saqar on his
accession and declining to take special security against breach of the maritime
peace from Shaikh Salim ; but in June 1884-, on Shaikh Salim appearing
at ; Ajman, the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Agent at Sharjah was able to arrange a
friendly meeting between him and Shaikh Saqar at ''Ajman. On this
occasion a written document was executed by Shaikh Saqar in favoui o
Salim, in which it was promised that the latter should receive a pension
of $400 a year, half in kind and half in cash, also the revenue ot the
island of Sir Bu Na^air, which sometimes amounted to $200 annually,
and, finally, a sum of $250 on account of the past year.
In April 1884 a fatuous attempt was made by the new Shaikh of
Sharjah to recover Hamriyah, which, apparently ever since its secession
in 1875, had continued to enjoy virtual independence, ihe expedient
adopted was to invite Saif-bin-^Abdur Rahman, headman o amnya ,
to Sharjah, and on his arrival there to despatch his brother u amma
bin-''Abdur Rahman to take charge of the place in the in eres o e
Shaikh of Shariah. The coup was effected as arranged; bu - ai , on
return to Hamriyah, at once expelled his brother Muhammad u i mu
slightest difficulty.
Usurpation of
the Shaikh-
dom by Saqar
bin-Khalid,
March 1883.
Intervention
of the British
political re-
firesentative,
1884.
Futile effort
by Shaikh
Saqar to re
cover Harn-
riyab, 188i.