Page 84 - UAE Truncal States

The Tribal Structure of Society

reach of each oilier and formed a socio-economic entity with a
distinctly maritime character. Their internal politics became inler-
woven with their interest in maritime peace, which the British
Government of India pursued in this region for many decades. This
•‘circuit” can be labelled the “Qasimi Empire” because almost all the
territory north of the line between the creek at Dubai and Khaur
Kalba was much of the lime dominated by the Qawasim Rulers. The
third "circuit” was the western foreland of the mountains with
Buraimi, Daid, and some small oases forming focal points for the very
involved tribal politics. Now. this district is partly Omani territory
and partly in the United Arab Emirates, but at the time when the
material for the Gazetteer was being compiled, it was deemed that
the most suitable term for this district was "Independent Oman”.91

Naim
Most tribes which made up the population of the coastal towns or
villages on the Gulf proper had beduin sections who shared parts of
this semi-desert clar. The most important tribe in the hinterland used
to be the NaTm, not only because they were the most numerous tribe
and considered this district as their headquarters, but also because
they were widely dispersed throughout Trucial Oman and the
Sultanate. The total strength of the beduin and settled members of
the NaTm after World War II was estimated at 5.000. They could
muster about 2,000 armed men. According to the Gazetteer the tribe
was about 13,000 strong at the turn of the century, but its strength
and their political influence had been on the decline for decades
because the tribe was torn by constant in-lighting among its sub-
tribes.92
The NaTm are divided into three sections: the A1 Bu Kharaiban, the
Khawatir, and the A1 Bu Shamis. The latter section has, however,
become almost independent during the last five decades and
associated itself very frequently with the A1 Bu Falah. Its shaikhs
have nevertheless staled from time to time that the section still
recognises the tamlmah of all the NaTm.93 Having gained a predomi­
nant position in the Buraimi oasis area mostly at the expense of the
Dhawahir, the Ghafiri NaTm resented the inroads made by the Bani
Yas and their allies the Manaslr, both of whom were Hinawi in
Omani political terms.
Unlike most of the tribes in the area they adopted the Wahhabi
doctrines. But later the NaTm were among those tribes who assisted
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