Page 227 - UAE Truncal States

Chapter Six

province, which contributed to making their small community of
about 65 very inward-looking. The Hindus were all involved in the
export of pearls and were for some time also the chief importers of
cloth, rice, coffee and sugar. Since the trade in both directions was
almost exclusively arranged in India, the Hindu merchants had the
edge over their Arab colleagues particularly in the wholesale
marketing of imports. The resident Hindu merchants usually sold
their pearls to Hindus who came only for the pearling season to the
Trucial Coast and Bahrain. Their religion, eating habits, customs and
dress marked them as aliens. They remained aliens even after several
generations had lived in the country, and their men were not allowed
to marry a Muslim girl, although marriage of a Muslim man to a
Hindu girl was acceptable.
The integration of non-tribal Muslims, even if they were Shiites,
was much less of a problem because the town population of tribal
and non-tribal origin mixed quite freely, although not at all social
levels. There were instances of immigrants from Khamlr who did so
well in the pearling industry that they owned several boats within a
few years of their arrival, and they became not only well accepted but
leading citizens; and in due course their families married into the
ruling family.
Quite apart from the sociological and cultural barriers, the
integration of Hindus was practically impossible because their
status as aliens was perpetuated by their being British subjects.
There were many moments in the history of the Trucial Slates when
even the notion that British-protected lives and property might be in
danger was sufficient to bring a British man-of-war on to the scene.
This status, which must have appeared akin to diplomatic immunity,
did not endear the Hindus to the population of their host
shaikhdoms.

Entrepreneurs in the Abu Dhabi pearling industry
As time went by, some entrepreneurs in the pearling industry in Abu
Dhabi town became more prosperous and eventually they owned
several pearling and trading vessels. One of the most successful of
these businessmen was Khalaf Otaibah. The share in the industry of
the Llwa-based beduin tribal co-operatives was not affected, because
the growth of the industry could absorb the additional boats, and, as
pointed out earlier, immigration and the employment of slaves
was
provided enough people to man the boats. Eventually the entre-
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