Abu Dhabi - The Paramount Sheikhdom (1855-1909) PDF

Chap 7 Abu Dhabi - the Paramount Sheikhdom from 1855 to 1909 Dr. Ibrahim Al Darmaki 1. Zayed Bin Khalifah 2. War with Qatar 3. Proposed settlement at Zora  Zayed Bin Khalifah Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa was summoned and elected as the new ruler "by a vote of nearly...

Chap 7 Abu Dhabi - the Paramount Sheikhdom from 1855 to 1909 Dr. Ibrahim Al Darmaki 1. Zayed Bin Khalifah 2. War with Qatar 3. Proposed settlement at Zora  Zayed Bin Khalifah Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa was summoned and elected as the new ruler "by a vote of nearly all of the members of Bani Yas." Young Zayed, a born leader, showed early signs of being a strong personality. He spent much of his time with the Bedouins, learning their ways and methods of dealing with tribal matters, and inadvertently grooming himself to be the future ruler of Abu Dhabi.  Sheikh Zayed was destined to manage the affairs of the emirate for half a century (1855 - 1909), until everyone called him, in reverence and appreciation, Zayed the Great for the great deeds he provided for his people. In Abu Dhabi and its suburbs. He established social peace among the tribal region, after became the undisputed sheikh of the Trucial States in his time, and Abu Dhabi has become a political and economic center. Zayed the Great's achievements Abu Dhabi has witnessed remarkable prosperity as an effective and influential economic force, especially in the diving and pearl trading profession. With this leader, the goal of unifying the Trucial Coast Emirates emerged, but the local and regional conditions were not conducive to achieving this goal. In 1901, the Gulf accounted for 90% of the world's pearl trade. In alliance with Omani forces, he managed to force the Saudis to withdraw from the Buraimi Oasis. In 1880, his reign also witnessed a war with Qatar. War with Qatar The Turks took the opportunity to expand their influence along the Gulf coast as they succeeded in creating a relationship with Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, the emir of Al Bida, and stationed themselves there. Sheikh Jassim, encouraged by Turkey, attempted to settle his population in Al Odeid, a move opposed by the British "because Al Odeid was hereditarily subject to the chief of Abu Dhabi".  This provoked retaliation from Abu Dhabi and directly affected relations between Zayed and Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani. The hostility between Al Thani and Zayed remained the most prominent feature of the relationship between Abu Dhabi and Qatar during most of Zayed's rule. In 1877, when the British authorities took part in bringing about an amicable reconciliation between the chief of Abu Dhabi and his clan in Al Odeid, the sheikhs of Al Bidda and Al Wakrah did their best to thwart all such attempts.  In May 1881 Sheikh Jassim confirmed that Odied was part of Qatar and that he intended to settle some of his people there. The Political Resident immediately told him that no interference on his part would be tolerated as many of them were under the authority of the President of Abu Dhabi. A long war between the sheikhs of Doha and Abu Dhabi suddenly broke out in 1888. There were fierce attacks and counterattacks by the Qataris in Liwa and Al Dhafra, and Bani Yas in Doha. This resulted in heavy losses - including the killing of Jassim’s son Ali- and destruction of property.  Sheikh Jassim carried out incursions into Liwa during January and February 1889, expelling the residents of Manasir and Bani Yas from their huts to a fort. They were then overpowered and about 200 people were killed, including many old people and women, while the date orchards were destroyed. The Bani Yas tribe responded with an expedition to the Barr al-Qaraa region. Eventually, the Turks and Qatar tired of their plots against Abu Dhabi and the tribal war gradually subsided when the Qataris rebelled against the Turks. Subsequently, Doha  Proposed settlement at Zora With Zayed’s emergence as the premier Sheikh of the Coast, the other Shaikhdoms were willing to accept his mediating their disputes but were not prepared to extend Abu Dhabi’s power at their expense. The case of Zora in 1895 furnished an example of the other Sheikhdoms’ determination to block Zayed’s intentions. Situated on a sandy tract fronting the sea between the towns of Ajman and Hamriyah, Zora appeared to be a Noman's land. Zora was claimed by the Chiefs of Sharjah and Ajman because it happened to be situated near their territories. However, during the  The fort was later destroyed by the British in 1866 and the place has remained uninhabited since then. Sheikh Zayed fully realized the advantages of the secluded location of Al-Zora, as he aspired to lead all the Bedouin tribes of Trucial Oman. He saw in Zora a safe haven and an excellent base from which to deal with hostilities with tribes far from his capital. Sheikh Zayed renewed his request for the British to establish a settlement for the Sultan bin Nasser clan and his men. It should be noted in this regard that Zayed was a Swaidi on his mother's side, and he also married the daughter of the Swaidi Sheikh Sultan bin Nasser.  References Maitra, Jayanti & Al-Hajji, Afra. Qasr Al Hosn: The history of the rulers of Abu Dhabi 1793- 1966, Abu Dhabi: Centre for Documentation and Research, 2004, 2nd edition, Ch04, pp.136-202.