"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٧‎٣‎٣] (١٧٨٢/٨٧٦)

4-^4
738
the coast also, where the Shaikhs of Ras-al-Kh^mah and Umm-al-Qaiwain
associated themselves with Ajman and a coun^]" alliance was formed
between Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. No actual hostilities, however, took
place among these chiefs ; and in December the ShaiVb of 'Ajman, who
had gone to Baraimi, returned to his home after witmssing the success
of hie proteges amongst the Na'im.
During the years 1880 and 1881 general tranquillity prevailed. 1880-81.
In 1882 a quarrel, arising out of family relationships, cane to a head 1882.
between the Shaikhs of Umm-al-Qaiwain and Ras-al-Khaimah and ended
in open warfare ; the principal cause was a marriage contracted by
Ahmad-bin- ; Abdullah of Umm-al-Qaiwain with a sister of Hamaid-bin-
^Abdullah of Ras-al-Khaimah, subject to a stipulation that the lady
should continue to reside at Ras-al-Khaimah and that her husband
should spend a part of each year with her there. A divorce was declared
by the Shaikh of ^Ajman, who went to Ras-al-Khaimah ; or the purpose
as agent of the Shaikh of Umm-al-Qaiwain; but it die not end the
dispute; and wrangling continued on the subject of property. Ahmad-
bin-'Abdullah, who was of a more turbulent disposition than his
adversary, then allowed seven boats from his port to proceed to
Rams for the purpose of provoking a quarrel, which they did most
effectually by assaulting the crew of a Ras-al-Khaimal fishing boat;
these proceedings, however, verged upon a breach of the maritime peace,
and the Shaikh of Umm-al-Qaiwain was accordingly reprimanded by
the British Political Resident and compelled to pay a fine, lighting
on land ensued, in which the Shaikh of Umm -al-Qaiwan was assisted
by the Shaikh of 'Ajman and the Shaikh of Ras -al-Khaimah by his own
brother, the Shaikh of Sharjah, and by a part of the T^Vim tribe. At
length, in January 1883, a reconciliation between the parties was arranged
by the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi, on the condition that all injuries should
be mutually condoned. The Shaikh of Dibai was at this time on good
terms with the Shaikhs of both Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
The years 1883 and 1884 were uneventful. The chief of Abu Dhabi 18^3-84=
was now regarded as the most powerful among the Trucial Shaikhs,
the hegemony having been lost by Sharjah chiefly through the incompe
tence of its ruler, Saqar-bin-Khalid, who succeeded to the bhaikhship in
1883. Presents were exchanged between the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi and the
Sultan of'Oman, and between the Shaikh of Umm -al-Qaiwain and the
Sultan of Zanzibar; but they had apparently no political significance^
at least of a local character.