Page 314 - UAE Truncal States

The External /n/lucnccs

Capturing, transporting, selling and owning slaves had been as
profitable an enterprise for many British individuals as it had been
for other Europeans and for Arabs, Turks and Africans. But during
the 18th century the growing moral indignation, fanned by reports of
the terrible sufferings endured particularly by the people captured
and transported to the American continent, led to the outlawing of
slavery in the British Isles. Against many vested interests, the legal
campaigning proceeded until in 1838 proprietary rights in slaves
were abolished throughout the British dominions. The Government
of India, too, had to support the anti-slavery cause, and tried to
persuade the rulers of the littoral Stales of the Indian Ocean and
the Gulf to abandon slavery voluntarily.34 In Arabia the Africans
contributed a necessary source of labour. When slavery was out­
lawed, the consequences were not only felt by the entrepreneurs who
had profited from transporting slaves on their ships and selling them
at an Arab port, but were also obvious in the fast decline of
agricultural output in Oman, where the area under irrigation and
cultivation was reduced considerably during the 19lh century partly
because of the growing labour shortage.
The age-old institution of slavery is treated as a fact of life in the
Koran; it does not advocate it and it does not outlaw it. But people in
Arabia were aware of the need for a Muslim to observe many rules in
his relationship with a slave, and it was considered a deed worthy of
merit to free a slave or to assist him to buy his freedom. It was
therefore not too difficult for the British authorities to obtain support,
if not enthusiasm, for their anti-slavery regulations.
The earliest example of an attempt on the part of the British to curb
slavery, Article 9 of the General Treaty of 1820, did not. however,
spur the Government of India into action against violators of the
article. But soon afterwards, in 1822, a treaty was concluded with
Sultan Sa'Id of Muscat,35 which forbade the selling of slaves to
Christian nations. The Government of India intended to enforce this
treaty and they obtained the agreement of the Sultan to place an
agent on the East African coast who could monitor the adherence of
Omani shipowners to the treaty. The authorities in India continued
to concentrate their anti-slavery efforts on Oman,36 concluding
several further agreements, and tried also to persuade the other
littoral States of the Gulf to sign similar agreements.
In 1838/39 the Trucial Rulers conceded to British Government
vessels the right to detain and search at sea ships from their ports
289