Page 160 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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Government or the Ruler of Ras al Khaimah. The Sultan of Muscat was also
asked to restrain him and since then there has been no further trouble. In January
1951 Saqr made a sudden attack on the village of Jazirat al Hamrah capturing the
Shaikh and his son whom he imprisoned for a few months and then released. In
March he made a night attack on Rams and captured the Shaikh, but the latter’s
relations escaped. Rams had been more or less independent since 1922 as the
result of an agreement then reached between its Shaikh and the previous Ruler,
Sultan. In July 1952 an attempt was made to ie-capture Rams by the relations of
the imprisoned Shaikh with the assistance of the Shihuh. One of His Majesty’s
ships and a party of Trucial Oman Levies went to the spot on which the attacking
party withdrew and the ringleaders surrendered. Saqr was then induced to release
the imprisoned Shaikh but subsequent efforts to bring about a settlement which
would allow the refugees to re-occupy their gardens at Rams have failed.
36. The State of Ras al Khaimah has about 40 miles of coast and extends
along the western side of the Hajar range for about 100 miles. The boundaries
claimed for it by Shaikh Sultan were reduced to writing in 1937 (Appendix C) and
were accepted by Saqr at the time of his recognition. They have not been
formally accepted by Her Majesty’s Government and except perhaps, at certain
points on the coast the boundaries of the State with Muscat, Umm al Qaiwain,
Sharjah and Fujairah are everywhere uncertain. The Khawatir tribe are regarded
as owing allegiance to the Ruler who pays them an annual allowance of Rs. 11,000.
37. So far as is known Saqr had no dealings with Turki after the latter’s arrival
at Hamasah. The leading Shaikh of the Khawatir visited Turki in Hamasah and
a number of his tribesmen went on to Riyadh. Saqr failed to take any strong action
against them on their return or even to establish a post in their territory in spite of
an offer of assistance in this matter from Her Majesty’s Government. He
subsequently reported rather vaguely that he had reached a satisfactory settlement
with the tribe.
38. Ras al Khaimah has in recent years been the least orderly of the Trucial
Coast Shaikhdoms and its Ruler has had neither the opportunity nor the resources
to develop his State. It possesses quite a large number of gardens irrigated from
springs and wells and is probably capable of agricultural development.

(g) Fujairah
39. The Shaikhdom of Fujairah consists of a number of villages on or near
the coast of the Gulf of Oman, occupied by a tribe called the Sharqiyin. The tribe
was originally under Qasimi rule but since 1901 has successfully asserted its
independence of Sharjah. The Shaikh’s fort at Fujairah was demolished by naval
bombardment in 1925 on account of his complicity in a slavery case. In the early
part of the last war a notorious Persian slave trader, Mirza bin Barkat, for a time
made his headquarters in Fujairah but was eventually expelled by Shaikh
Muhammad bin Hamad at the Political Resident’s request. Since then Shaikh
Muhammad from time to time sought recognition from His Majesty’s Government
as an independent Ruler, but his request at first did not find favour as it was
considered undesirable to bring into being another petty Trucial State. In 1952
however there appeared to be a danger that unless Shaikh Muhammad were
brought into treaty relations with Her Majesty's Government, he might seek the
protection of Ibn Saud or otherwise cause embarrassment and it was considered
desirable to grant him recognition. The Sultan of Muscat and the Ruler of
Sharjah were first consulted. The former raised no objection but the latter claimed
Fujairah as his territory and expressed disappointment and has since refused to
acknowledge Muhammad as a brother Ruler.C2) On March 21, 1952 Muhammad
accepted all the treaties and agreements in force between Her Majesty’s Government
and the Rulers of the Trucial States, and undertook not to grant an oil concession
without the permission of Her Majesty’s Government, to recognise Her Majesty’s
Government’s jurisdiction as defined in the Trucial States Order-in-Council 1950,
to recognise the right of Her Majesty’s Government to fix the boundaries of his
State and to settle any disputes between him and his neighbours, and to render
such assistance to the Trucial Oman Levies as might be required by them.C3) On
(,J) P.R. to F.O. Despatch 25 of April 2. 1952 (EA 1057/5 of 1952).
(lJ) No. 16IV.T.C.