Page 110 - The Origins of the United Arab Emirates_Neat

8f> I'/ir Origins of the (hilled Arab Emirates

in which they strengthened their ties with the Ibadi leader and
promised help against the Wahhabis.50 Ibnjaluwi was greatly angered
by this move on the part of the two Bani Yas rulers, and blamed
Sultan bin Zayid for having influenced Sa‘id bin Maklum. He
wrote to Sa‘id saying, ‘Our brother Sultan is mad; he does not
know that we arc stronger than he. . . . However, sooner or later
our power shall prevail upon him and others.’51
In December 1925 the forces of‘Isa bin Salih invaded the southern
half of the Dahirah. At first the expedition was accepted on the
basis of its declared intention to resist any Wahhabi encroachments
in Oman; later, however, the general (car pervaded that the move
was actually a means to subordinate the predominantly Ghafiri
area to Hinawi control. The inevitable confusion that ensued from
misinterpretation of motives caused the expedition to disintegrate:
Sulayman bin Himyar, the powerful Ghafiri shaykh of Jabal Akhdar,
who at first had lent ‘Isa his support, withdrew it when he realised
the motives of the expedition; the remaining Ghafiri tribesmen
in the Dahirah decided to follow suit and resist any advances
made by ‘Isa, who was soon unable to cope with the situation;
he succumbed to a severe illness, and before long his army was
disbanded.52
This left the field open to the Wahhabis.53 During the next
four years, they collected zakat, on and off, from the various tribes
of the Dahirah.

Its design seems to be to bring the Baduin camel tribes of
the Dhahirah ... to acknowledge a nominal degree of subordi­
nation and pay zakat without trouble or expense, or military
measures calculated to rouse their antagonism. Clearly the tribes
in close proximity to Hasa, e.g. Minasir and Mizariya’ are unable
to resist, those further removed, the Bani Yas Badu . . . the
Na‘im, Dhuwahir and Duru are in a stronger position, while
the Bani Ka‘ab and Bani Qitab are sufficiently remote to say
‘No’. It is the wisdom of Ibn Saud to demand from the first,
request from the second, and leave it to the volition of the
third.54

By thus extending a degree of control over the tribes of Oman,
Ibn Sa‘ud or Ibn Jaluwi—or both—could command certain events
on the Coast. The rulers of the shaykhdoms had a constant, almost
nagging, fear of the Wahhabi influence on the inland tribes and
knew the bearing it had on their own security. It also served
to deter the expression of any overtly anti-Wahhabi sentiments,
for the rulers were anxious to avoid giving Ibn Sa‘ud or his cousin
any pretext for anger.