Page 336 - UAE Truncal States
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The External Inpucncos

         Her Britannic Majesty’s Court for the Trucial Slates.05 He presided
         over the Trucial Slates Council from its creation in 1952 until 1965,
         after which the chairmanship rotated among the seven Rulers. The
         Political Resident in Bahrain became the “Commander-in-Chief” of
         the Trucial Oman Levies, the British-officered force which came into
         existence in 1951.86 The British initiative in identifying and im­
         plementing development schemes for these Stales involved their
         representatives in various ways: the Political Agent or his deputy
         usually presided over or at least participated in the hospital and
         trade school board meetings, and various other committees engaged
         in development projects.07
           Although British representation was thus substantially upgraded
         during the 1950s and 1960s to enable the new policy of greater
         involvement in affairs of these States to be carried out, the Political
         Agents did not as a rule force the views of the British Government
         upon the shaikhs. In spite of this, they did expect that their advice
         would be heeded by the Rulers.

         Making the countryside secure
         When the tribes were at war with each other it was never very safe or
         easy for strangers to travel in the hinterland.08 The stale of war which
         existed between Abu Dhabi and Dubai from 1945 until 1948 made it
         dangerous, even for tribesmen who had no part in the quarrel, to
         travel in the desert of the Trucial States. British officials and
         geological parties were certainly not welcome in the desert during
         that time, and even the well-adjusted desert traveller, Wilfred
         Thesiger, and his beduin companions had initially to keep clear of
         the parlies involved in the war.
           The continued economic depression of the post-war years added to
         this natural insecurity because a growing number of tribesmen were
         driven to make a living by lawless means. Raiders fell upon
         unprotected villagers and stole their animals and belongings89 or
         they held up caravans and vehicles.
           The old problem of arms and ammunition being smuggled through
         the Trucial States to Baluchistan and to Oman also obliged the
         British Government to step up control, or else to risk being accused of
         tacitly assisting the secessionist movements in Baluchistan and
         Makran against the Persian Government and in Oman. The source of
         the relatively old arms was usually East Africa, from whence they
         were shipped to the Batinah or to Saudi Arabia and reached the

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