Page 238 - UAE Truncal States

Social Aspects of Traditional Economy

Government of India. After such a dispute the two Bin Lutah were
made to pay a fine of 5,000 Rupees for their behaviour, which was
considered “incompatible with their status as British subjects
engaged in commerce".25 However, in their answer to the Political
Resident they maintained that since they had pearling interests in
'Ajman and Umm al Qaiwain as well as in Dubai, they naturally tried
to mediate between the three Rulers when a dispute was brewing
among them, because they, the Bin Lutah, wanted to safeguard their
commercial interests. They also stated that they left Dubai to settle in
'Ajman because they had fell unwelcome in Dubai. But in doing so
they took a large group of divers with them, an action which led to the
usual problems over settlement of their debts. The two Bin Lutah had
owned three houses each in Dubai, some of which were sold, some
were occupied by relatives who remained in Dubai, and others were
leased for rent.26
The presence of the Bin Lutah in 'Ajman meant an increase in the
number of pearling boats belonging to that port, and this attracted a
considerable number of divers who had obligations in either Dubai
or Umm al Qaiwain. The Ruler of 'Ajman, Humaid bin 'Abdul 'Aziz,
did not, however, conform with the common practice of returning
divers. For two people,27 indeed, he asked the Ruler of Dubai to send
their belongings. Furthermore, he insisted in several letters that the
Bin Lutahs’ status was that of the people of 'Ajman “in regard to
property and life", a statement which was considered inappropriate
for merchants who claimed and were accorded the status of British
subjects. But it was not long before the Ruler of 'Ajman and the Bin
Lutah also had arguments.
In contrast with the stringent measures taken in 1912 by the
British Government, in 1924 the Bin Lutah of 'Ajman, now Ahmad
'Abdullah and Nasir’s son Hussain, figured prominently as British
subjects on whose behalf the Government of India even sent a man-
of-war to 'Ajman. Shaikh Humaid was then accused of interfering in
their diving business by compelling divers who had been maintained
by the Bin Lutah over the winter to dive for him, and even of sending
their divers away to Dubai. The intervention of the Senior Naval
Officer, who ordered the Ruler of 'Ajman and the Bin Lutah aboard
Triad on 21 April 1924, helped the Bin Lutah to get their divers
back.28 Thus, in this case, as on many other occasions, the Political
Resident in Bushire in the end came out in support of the British-
protected party with little regard for the history of the dispute.

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