Page 61 - The Origins of the United Arab Emirates_Neat

The Challenge lo Power: Brother, Nephew and Son 37

Table 6
Rulers of Ajman

Ruler Dates of rule Length Relationship Termination
of rule lo of rule
(years) predecessor

Rashid bin Humayd pro 1820 c. 18 natural death
1838
Humayd bin Rashid 1838-1841 3 son deposed
‘Abd al-‘Aziz bin
Rashid 1841-1848 7 brother killed in
battle
Humayd bin Rashid 1848-1873 25 brother natural death I
Rashid bin Humayd 1873-1891 18 son natural death !
Humayd bin Rashid 1891 1900 9 son killed I
‘Abd al-‘Aziz bin
Humayd 1900-1910 10 uncle killed
Humayd bin ‘Abd al
‘Aziz 1910-1928 18 son natural death
Rashid bin Humayd 1928- son

factionalism within the family group would have had serious conse­
quences in terms of the size of the opposition, which could be
expected to amount to well over 100 people. Factionalism of such ;<
a kind would clearly be disastrous for a commercial community
like that of Dubai.
Ajman and Umm al-Qaiwain also had much in common. Both
were small and relatively unimportant in the power hierarchy of
the Coast. There are no available estimates as to the respective
sizes of their ruling families early in the present century, but it
is clear that both were quite small, as in the case of Sharjah
and Abu Dhabi. Since they were both less important and less !
powerful than the latter two shaykhdoms, however, there were
I’
fewer rulers deposed or murdered.
The period of instability following the death of a ruler was
usually greatest where he had held power for a long time. Two
reasons for this seem clear. The first is that, with the passing
of the years, the number of contenders for the leadership—brothers,
nephews, cousins and sons—would naturally increase. Secondly, the
length of his reign would give the ruler time to consolidate his
position and that of the shaykhdom, leaving the rest of the ruling
family more to fight over.
We have already seen how the death of Sultan bin Saqr of
Sharjah, who ruled for over sixty years, brought on great internal
instability. As it was, his rule was punctuated by much turbulence
within the Qasimi family, particularly over the administration of