Page 302 - UAE Truncal States

The External /n/luences

Bani Kalban of Dhank and Ihe Bani Kalaib east of Buraimi, together
with a few minor tribes of the area and the more remote powerful
tribe DunV.
The Hinawi tribes of the Trucial Slates, the most prominent of
whom are the Bani Yas, live chiefly in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and
Shamailiyah. The traditional allies of the Bani Yas are also Hinawi,
Ihe 'Awamir together with the 'Afar and the Manasir. The Dhawahir
of the Buraimi oases and northern Dhahirah, who declared their
loyally to the A1 Bu Falah leading sub-section of the Bani Yas in the
19th century, are also Hinawi; so are the Bani Ghafir of Dhahirah and
several other smaller tribes in the same area, such as the Ahbab. The
important tribe of the Bani 'Ali who traditionally supported the
Hinawi A1 Bu SaTd Sultan, live in the Wadi Dhank and Yanqul near
the A1 Bu Falah-dominated area of al 'Ain. The Balush of Dhahirah
have also traditionally supported the Hinawlyah. Outside this strong
Hinawi grouping west of the Hajar range, there was an important
link with tribes in the north, because the Shihuh, the Habus and the
Za'ab13 are also Hinawi, but the largest Hinawi tribe apart from the
Bani Yas are the Sharqiyin of Fujairah on the east coast.
Outside the Sultanate of Oman the division between Ghafiri and
Hinawi, although relevant politically, was not associated with the
dispute concerning temporal or religious leadership. At times of
peace this division was dormant and alliances were made consider­
ing only the economic advantage to each party. But in periods of
general strife and unrest, an alliance within one’s own faction was
considered the safer arrangement, in particular because over de­
cades of strife between tribes of the opposing factions, it became
inevitable that unresolved cases of blood feud overshadowed any
more practical approach to a political alliance.

Wahhabi influence on the area14
Another development which shook the foundations of a neighbour­
ing society and could not fail to influence the history of the Trucial
States was the religious reform movement in the centre of the
Arabian Peninsula led by Muhammad bin 'Abdul Wahhab. He was
born at the beginning of the 18th century in 'Ayainah in the uplands
of Central Arabia. After studying at Medina and travelling to several
other centres of Islamic teaching such as Baghdad, Isphahan and
Qum he became very critical of what he considered to be the lax way
in which Islam was being practised wherever he went, and he began

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