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50 The Origins of the United Arab Emirates

for the administration of Ras al-Khaimah and in 1869 was able
to achieve the status of an independent ruler. Humayd’s position
was strengthened when a combined attack on him by Salim bin
Sultan and Ibrahim bin Sultan caused the Political Resident to
intervene, because of a breach of the maritime peace. The Resident,
Colonel Lewis Pclly, ordered Sultan and Ibrahim to withdraw their
force from Ras al-Khaimah, and subsequently Sharjah acknowledged
Humayd’s independence.49
Humayd proved to be a strong and able ruler. During the thirty-
one years of his reign, he consolidated the internal position of
Ras al-Khaimah, acting swiftly when any district showed signs
of insubordination, and was acknowledged and respected by his
fellow rulers on the Coast, not least by those of Sharjah. In 1900
he suffered a stroke, and died shortly after. He apparently had
not designated any successor, so a month later Saqr bin Khalid
of Sharjah peacefully annexed Ras al-Khaimah and reincorporated
it in the shavkhdom of Sharjah. At first Saqr sent his cousin
Hamad bin Majid to govern Ras al-Khaimah, but, being displeased
with his administration, he recalled Hamad and appointed his own
son Khalid instead. Khalid died in 1908, after which Salim bin
Sultan, who had been ruler of Sharjah from 1868 to 1883, when
Saqr had seized power from him, became the next governor of
Ras al-Khaimah. As Saqr’s hold on Sharjah gradually became
weaker, Salim was able to increase his own power in Ras al-Khaimah.
Saqr realised that he was powerless either to recall or to depose
his uncle, and until he could muster the strength for this was
forced to accept Salim’s de facto independence in Ras al-Khaimah.
Although the British authorities were aware of the situation, they
withheld any official recognition of Salim’s status, particularly as
Saqr made it clear that he had not given up hope of ousting
his uncle. The British refusal to grant Ras al-Khaimah separate
status was also prompted by fear that the Germans might seize
the opportunity to petition Salim, as an independent Qasimi ruler,
to restore to them the red-oxide concessions that Saqr, at British
B prompting, had cancelled in 1907.50 These had been held by the
German firm of Wonckhaus and had related to the island of Abu
Musa.
In December 1907 Salim became paralysed, but he continued
nominally in power, with his eldest son Muhammad as the effective
leader of Ras al-Khaimah. In July 1919 Muhammad renounced
his position in favour of his brother Sultan,51 who became ruler
of Ras al-Khaimah when his father died, in August 1919. Although
German interests in the Abu Musa oxide concessions had been
= removed automatically as a result of the German defeat in the