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Chapter Throe

remained in Umm al Qaiwain, sending some of his men lo Daid to
look after his property. The reason for his absence was that the
beduin who had previously manned the fort on behalf of Shaikh
Sultan were still being supported by him with arms, ammunition and
supplies, while Khalid did not have the means to pay enough
retainers nor did he have many volunteer followers or powerful
friends.40
He could not perform the wali’s function of enforcing law and
order, in particular in the disputes between the Bani Qilab and the
Khawatir inhabitants of Daid and their beduin brothers. The
Khawatir gained the upper hand unexpectedly in the summer of
1927, and it is reported that the dale crop was not as good as in other
years, pointing in this context to interference with the water supply
to the gardens. In April 1928 the two paramount shaikhs of the
NaTm, who normally resided in Buraimi, together with Salim bin I
Dayfn of the Bani Ka'ab, went to Daid and effected a peace between
the inhabitants, arranging that authority over this village should be
restored to the Qasimi family. The same shaikhs then proceeded to
Ra’s al Khaimah, and asked the Ruler, Sultan bin Salim, to come with
them to Umm al Qaiwain, then the residence of Khalid bin Ahmad.
There the arrangement was agreed by all that the Ruler of Ra’s al
Khaimah should possess Daid “on behalf of Khalid bin Ahmed". All
the shaikhs then went lo the Ruler of Sharjah.47
The Ruler of Ra’s al Khaimah, however, was not very happy about
I
this arrangement, for several reasons: he could see that Khalid, being
“penniless", would not be able to guard the fort and his possession,
and that he might have to intervene on behalf of Khalid, which would
have been a costly and for him totally useless operation. Also, the
Ruler of Ra’s al Khaimah would hardly have enjoyed responsibility
for Daid when it was conferred on him by the grace of the shaikhs of
the beduin, who clearly saw this agreement as a way to weaken the
Qasimi rule in Daid. Last but not least he would have antagonised the
customary overlord of Daid, the Ruler of Sharjah.
Eventually Khalid did take full possession of Daid, in July 1928,
and neither the Ruler of Ra’s al Khaimah nor the Ruler of Sharjah
raised any objection.40 He still did not reside there permanently, but
visited the fort frequently between sojourns in Umm al Qaiwain,
visits to Ra’s al Khaimah and even to Bahrain. He kept possession of
Daid when he was appointed Regent for the minor Hamad bin SaTd
of Kalba in September 1937.
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