Page 57 - Su'udi Relations with Eastern Arabi & Uman (1800-1870)

prevailing tradition, Hasan b. Rahmah of Ra’s al-Khaymah paid a visit to
al-Dir‘Iyah to renew the Qawasim allegiance to the new amir and to discuss
related matters. ‘Abd Allah was apparently pleased by the role played by the
Qawasim in serving the Su‘udl-Wahhabi cause and in harassing their enemies.
At their meeting, the two men discussed the contents of the letter addressed to
each of them by the Resident at Bushire.369 ‘Abd Allah instructed his tributary
to work within the lines of his own policy and instructions towards the English
and cautioned him not to provoke them.
From al-Hasa, on his way back to Ra’s al-Khaymah, Hasan b. Rahmah
dispatched Hasan b. Ghayth with letters from himself and from Amir ‘Abd
Allah to Bruce, the Resident at Bushire.370 In his letter ‘Abd Allah informed
the Resident that former policy with respect to the British government would
be maintained and that the Qawasim’s attacks on non-British vessels would
continue.371 Since there were ships from various communities sailing in the
Gulf, ‘Abd Allah asked the Resident to identify those that were English so that
they be recognized and spared.372 For his part, Hasan b. Rahmah denied that
the Qawasim had failed to respect the British flag and wanted his emissary to
renew the treaty of 1806 on his behalf.373 In addition, he proposed the
negotiation of a more formal treaty in Bombay. The emissary also explained
that the incessant naval warfare in which the Qawasim were engaged was
necessary for the maintenance of their position in the Gulf and that without it
they could not live in safety from their enemies.374 Bruce and Ibn Ghayth
signed a preliminary agreement stating that the past would be forgotten if the
Qawasim would fly a special flag to distinguish them from other maritime
Arabs as well. This agreement was ratified by the Bombay authorities.375 As a
result, the Qawasim became recognized as a power capable of maintaining
ordinary international relations with other states. Furthermore, with the
consent of their treaty partner, they were allowed to plunder the shipping of
other enemy states.376
In the meantime, sea warfare in the Gulf between the Su‘udl allies and their
Arab neighbours continued to rise, as did their troubles with the British
government. The ruler of Masqat set out against the Qawasim by sea, and in an
incident fought off Quryat, was wounded and very nearly captured along with
his 40-gun frigate, “The Caroline”.377 One year later, in 1816, he blockaded
Ra’s al-Khaymah for four months but was finally unable to assault the town.
Despite this failure, Sa‘Id proceeded to undertake a project he had been
preparing for months, namely the conquest of al-Bahrayn. The British
Resident at Bushire did his utmost to dissuade him from this enterprise, but in
vain.378 Even so, the island of al-Bahrayn never fell into Sa‘Id’s hands. 379
In retaliation for these attacks, the Qawasim captured a ship belonging to
Masqat which was filled with remounts for His Majesty’s 17th Light Dragoons
and with sulphur for the British government, and they conducted similar
attacks against other native vessels on the Indian coasts.380 Rahmah b. Jabir,
chief of the Jalahimah, who at that time followed and was protected by the
Su‘udl amir and who, incidentally, had never harassed English ships, also
continued to pose a major threat to non-British vessels in the northern part of
the Gulf.
In the light of the aforementioned letters addressed to the Resident by ‘Abd
Allah and the subsequent agreement concluded with the Qawasim, only
British ships and property remained immune to harassment. Thus, ‘Abd Allah

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