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134 The Origins of the United Arab Emirates

any responsibility for what had happened. Afraid that the Na'imi
shaykh would resort to arms, two people tried to mediate: the
shaykh of Ras al-Khaimah wrote to all the concerned parties,
particularly urging Shakhbut to restrain the Manasir, and the Resi­
dency Agent asked Sa‘id bin Maklum, who had helped to settle
many an inter-tribal dispute in the past, to use his influence to
prevent any bloodshed. Furious at Shakhbut’s unwillingness to take
any action, Muhammad of Buraimi attacked ‘Ayn Dawahir, a fort
belonging to Abu Dhabi and garrisoned by men from the shaykhdom,
early in May 1931. Despite heavy losses on both sides, the Na‘im
were finally obliged to withdraw, unable to capture the fort. Shakh­
but, with a force of 1000 rifles, pursued the retreating men for
thirty miles, and then set up camp by a well, sending word to
Sa‘id bin Maktum to join them. The ruler of Dubai was at first
reluctant to enter the fighting; but lie changed his mind when
two caravans of food sent to Shakhbut’s force, one of which had
come from Dubai with three men of the Bani Yas sent by Sa‘id
himself, were captured by the Na‘im. On 21 June he left Dubai
with a force of 700 men and decided to meet with the Na‘imi
shaykh at Jimi.33 At this juncture, Sultan bin Saqr of Sharjah
called for a conference to be held at Ras al-Khaimah and attended
by him and the rulers of Ras al-Khaimah and Ajman. They decided
that, if Sa‘id bin Maktum were actively to help Shakhbut, they
would band together against them, in a natural alliance of Ghafir-
iyyah against Hinawiyyah.34
Sa‘id was able to arrange for a truce from 23 June to 8 July,
but even this was violated a number of times, especially by the
Manasir.35 But Shakhbut was clearly not anxious to avert a war;
he instead sought revenge for the harm done by the Na‘im, reinforced
by the Duru* and men from ‘Ibri, when they had blocked the
springs that watered the date gardens of Abu Dhabi people and
had cut down the date trees. The Abu Dhabi force captured Hafit,
a village at the foot of Jabal Hafit, immediately south of Buraimi,
and on 2 July it destroyed a caravan from Ajman on its way
to Buraimi. Safid’s role as mediator was especially difficult, as
Shakhbut wanted compensation for the damage caused by the Na‘im,
who refused to pay it. Sa'id was, however, able to obtain an
extension of the truce,38 but a peaceful solution to the dispute
could not be found and on 17 July war was declared. It did
not amount to very much, for the raids and counter-raids that
took place were minor, and on 9 August Sa‘id finally succeeded
in persuading the shaykh of Buraimi to have the blocked springs
cleared, so allowing peace to be restored.37
The authority of Abu Dhabi in Buraimi was thus re-established.
Had Shakhbut backed down in any way, his position would never

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