Page 56 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

voyages to the Red Sea and East Africa.359 The British expeditions also failed
to restore to Masqat its dependencies, which were lost instead to the Su‘udls.
For the next two years the Qawasim lay quiet, rebuilding their towns and
recovering from the hardships imposed by the expedition. The loyalty of the
Qawasim towards their overlords continued to hold. Despite the growing
pressures from the Egyptian attacks in central Arabia and the gradual decline
of Su‘udl power on the western borders of the state, the Qawasim persistently
resisted all attempts to weaken their contact with al-Dir‘Iyah. Sultan b. Saqr,
the former QasimI paramount shaykh who had been deposed and imprisoned at
the Su‘udi capital, managed to escape and made his way to the camp of
Muhammad ‘All in Hijaz.360 The latter, making use of any opportunity to
exploit opponents of the Su‘udls, appointed Sultan b. Saqr as his envoy to Said
b. Sultan, the ruler of Masqat, and sought Said’s cooperation in the name of
common interest against a common enemy.361 The envoy was well-received by
Said b. Sultan, who consequently made an unsuccessful attack on the Qawasim
in 1813 in an attempt to eliminate Su‘udl influence by force.362 The following
year, however, Said met with a certain success; he managed to negotiate a
temporary peace with the Qawasim, who agreed to abstain from aggression
against the inhabitants of either side of the Gulf.363 Under the peace terms,
Said obliged Sultan b. Saqr to relinquish all claims to Ra’s al-Khaymah.
However, it was agreed that the latter should have Shariqah, a port of less
importance than Ra’s al-Khaymah, and it was there that he resided for the next
few years.364 Despite these developments, the Su‘udls retained their influence
and the QasimI leadership remained intact.
Reporting on the Su‘udls in 1813-1814, Warden states:
The power of Saood, however, was still very considerable; for,
independently of the predominance of his influence on the Persian side of
the Gulf, the whole of the sea coast on the Arabian shore was subject to
him To the south, his influence extended to Cape Museldom on the
sea coast, and in the interior, joined the Muskat territories, where again,
his power was acknowledged by those southward of Ras-ool-Gate. 365
Hasan b. Rahmah, who had succeeded his retired cousin Husayn b. ‘All and
was, like him, a favourite Su‘udl appointee, remained as a de facto paramount
shaykh residing at Ra’s al-Khaymah. Meanwhile, the balance of power in
central Arabia had undergone a drastic change. The Turkish-Egyptian army
had penetrated the western region of Arabia and now controlled part of Hijaz,
keeping the Su‘udls on a defensive line. In May 1814 Amir Su‘ud died and was
succeeded by his son ‘Abd Allah, who, after a year of continuous war against
the invading army, agreed to enter into a short-lived truce with the Egyptians
by relinquishing his claims to the Holy Cities.366
Aware of the increasing English support to Masqat against his allies on the
coast in the few months prior to his death, Su'ud made his second attempt to
neutralize the British government and prevent further trouble in the area. In a
letter to the British authorities in the Gulf, Su‘ud expressed his desire for
mutual friendship that might prove beneficial for both states.367 Knowing of
the Qawasim’s allegiance to Su‘ud and intent on the prospect of annihilating
their power, the British promised to keep up friendly intercourse but refused
to establish any formal agreement with him.368 When Amir ‘Abd Allah came to
power, he followed the policy of his father in coastal politics. Keeping up the

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