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The Trucial States in 1939: The Dawn of a New Age 181

profound cflcct on the social and economic structure of the area,
for, while some shaykhdoms, such as Ajman and Umm al-Qaiwain,
became more dependent on fishing, the framework of others, such
as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and, to a much smaller extent, Sharjah,
was modified by the gradual emergence of a new class of merchants
and traders. This new class showed a strong sense of awareness
of itself and its powers, relative to the existing power structure.
The existence of a lorry syndicate in Sharjah in the 1930s is one
example, but by far the most outstanding is the reform movement
in Dubai, which challenged the authority and power of the ruler
while retaining him as a figurehead. One of the first reforms carried
out in Dubai was the creation of schools, in a region where they
were rare.
The 1930s brought other changes, loo. The firm rule of Shakhbut
bin Sultan in Abu Dhabi brought about a resurgence in that
shaykhdom’s powers. Shakhbut showed himself determined to consoli­
date his position in Buraimi, and was successful, as is affirmed
by the Military Report and Route Book: The Arabian States of the
Persian Gulf (prepared in 1939 by the General Staff, India):1 ‘The
Shaikh of Abu Dhabi is a powerful ruler and holds a dominant
position in the Baraimi oasis area.’2 It also remarked, ‘There are
indications that the influence of Ibn Saud in the Baraimi oasis
... is on the decline and that the dominant position is now held
by the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi.’3
One reason for the resurgence of Abu Dhabi’s prestige was the
corresponding decline of the Na‘im. The fact that the Na‘im was
ruled by a duumvirate contributed to this, for the brothers rarely
acted together and this eventually caused their people to rebel.
In 1938 Saqr was described as being ‘disliked and despised by
Abu Dhabi (as by everyone else)’.4 His brother Muhammad, shaykh
of Dhank, hated him as well, and it was reported that Saqr lived
in constant fear of being killed by his brother. Saqr was also
on bad terms with Ahmad al-Salf, Na‘imi shaykh of Hafit, who
was related by marriage to Muhammad bin Rahmah (from
Sunaynah), of the Al-bu-Shamis, and was dominated by him. The
Al-bu-Shamis, especially those living at Hamasah, were on good
terms with Abu Dhabi, basically because of the discord between
Saqr and Rashid bin Hamad, the Ghafiri chief of Hamasah. The
Na‘im were further weakened when they became involved in a
war with the Al-bu-Shamis in the summer of 1938, after Saqr
had been to Muscat to tender his loyalty to the sultan, and had
returned with money and ammunition.5 The fact that Hamasah
was the chief slave market of Buraimi was one reason for the
hostility between the Al-bu-Shamis and the Na‘im, Rashid bin
Hamad reputedly receiving 20 rupees on every sale.6 An uneasy