Chap 4

Political Situation

The close of 18th century and turn of 19th

century

Dr. Ibrahim Al Darmaki

 Political Situation
The close of 18th century and turn of 19th century

• Political situation in Trucial Coast

• Political situation in Abu Dhabi Sheikhdom
• Political situation in Shakhbut bin Dhiyab’s reign

• Wahabi incursions
• Relations with Oman
• Relations with Al Qawasim
• Relations with the British
1. Political situation in the Trucial Coast

• Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the region was named in various forms
such as "Pirate Coast", "Trucial Coast" or "Trucial Oman" in British documents.
• The disagreements and conflicting interests led to a long-running political competition
throughout this period between the Qawasim and their neighbors, the Imam of Oman.

• But, the situation worsened with the arrival of the Wahhabis in 1800, which posed a
threat to all neighboring powers.
2. The political situation in the sheikhdom of Abu Dhabi

• The main problem, which Abu Dhabi had to face in the early stages of its
development, was to maintain its independence in the face of threats from
its powerful neighbors.

• The heads of the Al Bu Falah family who ruled Abu Dhabi in succession,
from Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab to Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa, proved that
they are leaders who are able to combine their military strength with vision
and foresight.
• They managed, step by step, to transform their Sheikhdom into a strong
identity of its own, which is second in importance after the Qawasim.

• However, under the dynamic leadership of Zayed the Great (1855-1909),

the island of Abu Dhabi emerged as a great power on the Gulf coast.
 
3. The political situation during the reign of Shakhbut bin Dhiyab

• Sheikh Shakhbut was able from the outset to identify potential allies and
opponents of his sheikhdom, and thus establish a successful foreign policy.

• Evidence of the wisdom and appreciation of Shakhbut was clear when he

settled on the island, which by virtue of its strategic location gained many
advantages as a tribal capital.

• The deserts of the Empty Quarter and Al Dhafra provide enormous natural
defenses for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. They constituted a valuable barrier to
penetration by the Saudi government.
• For strategic and military reasons, Sheikh Shakhbut realized the need to
befriend and exercise control over the Bedouins so that he could seek their
help in times of necessity.

• Sheikh Shakhbut's relations with neighboring countries were formed

within three main issues that dominated the Gulf scenario at that time:
(1) The advance of the Wahhabi forces.
(2) Competition between tribes for supremacy on the Gulf coast
(3) The emergence of the British as a naval power in the Arabian Gulf.
• With the Wahhabis, the policy of Shakhbut was a policy of mutual
tolerance
  without adopting their religious beliefs.

• He maintained friendly relations with the Imam of Muscat for economic

and political reasons.

• With his powerful neighbor in the north, Al-Qasimi Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr,
he maintained "open relations of friendship" but "did not join the Qawasim in
the attack on the ships of the English.

• With the ports of Bandar Abbas and Kishm on the other side of the Gulf,
friendly relations have always been maintained.”
4. Wahabi incursions

• In 1800, the Wahhabis reached Buraimi and established a stronghold to

control western Oman.
• Their policy was to transform the tribes into followers of their religious
movement.

• The majority of the tribes that became Wahhabi, such as Al Qawasim, Al

Naim and Al Bushames, were also from Al Ghafri faction. But Al Busaid
family, Bani Yas and Al Dhuaher who resisted Wahhabism belonged to the
Al Hanawi faction.
• Between 1800 and 1869, the Wahhabis attacked and temporarily held Al Buraimi on
five occasions, but each time they were evacuated, the ruler of Abu Dhabi played a
key role at times.

• Finally, in 1869 Azan bin Qais, the Sultan of Muscat and Oman expelled of the
Wahhabis from Al Buraimi.
5. Relations with Oman

• The policy of cooperation between the governments of Oman and Abu

Dhabi prevented the Wahhabis from taking control of Oman.

• The main factor in forming the alliance between Abu Dhabi and Oman
was the need for a comprehensive defense policy in the face of external
risks that were threatening both sides.
• In the face of the repeated Wahhabi invasions of Oman, and the
hostility of the Ghafirian sheikhs from the Qawasim tribe to the Hanawi
Omanis, it was natural for Abu Dhabi and Muscat to establish a policy of
mutual support.

• This policy of friendship has been a constant factor between the Sheikhs of
Abu Dhabi and the Omani government, until Abu Dhabi eventually came to
be referred as 'The Shield of Oman'.
6. Relations with Al Qawasim

• After 1806 the Omanis attacked Khor Fakkan, Sultan bin Saqr rushed to
return the city. After severe fighting, the Imam of Muscat withdrew from
Khor Fakkan, where the Qawasim chased him to Sohar.

• In 1813 the imam of Muscat prepared an expedition against Al Qawasim,

then the imam went to Sheikh Shakhbut, who agreed to cooperate in the
attack on Ras al-Khaimah with 2,000 men.

• However, the Omani campaign failed because of the lack of effective

cooperation from Bani Yas against Al Qawasim.
• In 1814, another campaign was launched against Ras al-Khaimah, with the
forces of Muscat again asking help from Bani Yas. In this campaign, more
than 300 Qawasim were killed and 400 camels captured.

• With the growing power of Abu Dhabi and its control over diving activities
in the Gulf, the tension between the two sheikhdoms remained until the
death of Sheikh Shakhbut in1866. There was a competition between Sheikh
Sultan bin Saqr with the rulers of Al Bu Falah over the sovereignty of the
Gulf coast.
7. Relations with the British

Faced with the Saudis and the Qawasim, Shaikh Shakhbut found it
necessary to strengthen the position of Abu Dhabi by establishing good
relations with the British who had become increasingly involved in Gulf
.
politics since the turn of the 19th century.
For the sake of Abu Dhabi and the other Gulf states, as well as for the sake
of her own strategic and common interests in the area, the British since the
early 19th century were consistently opposed to the extension of Saudi,
Turkish, Persian, Egyptian or Iraqi rule over them
For more than two decades Shaikh Shakhbut guided the fortunes
of his Shaikhdom and his newly established capital in Abu Dhabi in
a statesmanlike manner.
It goes to his credit that, in dealing with both the internal affairs of
his nascent kingdom and in his relations with the neighbouring
tribes and external powers, he combined his native Bedouin
statesmanship with a remarkable farsightedness and balanced
approach. This policy, which was also followed by his successors,
contributed to the strength and success the future of Abu Dhabi