Page 239 - UAE Truncal States

Chapter Six

Viewed as an isolated incident, the Resident’s reaction to the case
of the Bin Lutah might be explained largely by the fact that Humaid’s
attitude to the representatives of the British Government was not
considered very co-operative at the best of times, and that the Bin
Lutah affair of 1924 was just one of a great many disagreements
between that Ruler and successive Political Residents. Other ex­
amples do, however, support the observation that the recovery of
debts on behalf of an Indian British subject appeared to be a major
concern of the officials who represented the British Government. The
obligation to “safeguard the lives and property of British subjects", a
phrase which was used time and again in this context, offered a
convenient pretext for influencing local disputes, the majority of
which arose over debts, and frequently therefore involved Indian
creditors. The affairs were further complicated by the fact that the
subjects of one Ruler, if they could not obtain sufficient credit in their
home port, would go a few miles along the coast and borrow from
someone in another shaikhdom.
There are many examples of intervention by the Resident on behalf
of creditors who were British subjects. Particularly illustrative is the
case of 'Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad, a shaikh of the A1 Bu
Shamis who resided in HIrah in Sharjah territory. On 15 June 1920, in
a surprise attack he evicted Humaid bin 'Abdul 'Aziz al Na'aimi, the
Ruler of 'Ajman, from his fort in an unwarranted attempt to re­
establish the Al Bu Shamis leadership, which had been eclipsed
some generations previously by Humaid bin Rashid al Na'aimi,
originally shaikh of the Buraimi village of Sa'arah.29 Humaid bin
'Abdul 'Aziz, assisted by the Ruler of Sharjah, Khalid bin Ahmad,
and the Residency Agent in Sharjah, 'Isa bin 'Abdul Latif, persuaded
the intruders to leave the fort after promising them safe conduct. But
the Ruler of 'Ajman threatened to avenge the deeds of 'Abdul
Rahman bin Muhammad if he returned to his house in HIrah, because
he had lost some personal property in the incident, some of his
subjects had lost their lives in the fighting, and the shops of others
had been burnt down. The Ruler of Sharjah, too, was indignant at so
insubordinate a subject.
But when it transpired that 'Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad had
diving debts amounting to 21,560 Rupees and also that several of the
many creditors were British subjects,30 the Residency Agent corn-
pletely changed his stance, and took 'Abdul Rahman to his house. He
afforded the offender sanctuary in order to make sure that the
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