Page 88 - The Origins of the United Arab Emirates_Neat

(>4 The Origins of the United Arab Emirates

Hirah; and sending a British political officer with an infantry guard
to live for a while at Sharjah.33 News of these discussions was
leaked out, subduing all opposition to the sentence; and on 16
June ‘Abd al-Rahman was surrendered to Captain Parry and sent
to Aden.
The exile produced so many protests that it did not last the
prescribed four years. The Al-bu-Shamis continued to express their
anger, and continually harrassed the Residency Agent; ‘Abd al-Rah-
man’s family, together with the ruler of Sharjah, made continuous
pleas for the return of the prisoner; and the British authorities
eventually decided that the banishment should be terminated. ‘Abd
al-Rahman’s return to Sharjah occurred a year after the death,
in 1928, of Humayd of Ajman, who was succeeded by his son
Rashid. The new ruler perpetuated his father’s feud with Sharjah,
especially after ‘Abd al-Rahman’s return, which led to sporadic
hostilities between Sharjah and Ajman. Rashid continued to fight
the Al-bu-Shamis bedouin as when, in August 1929, he sent some
‘Awamir bedouin to raid them. On their way there, the ‘Awamir
came across a messenger carrying letters from Sultan bin Saqr
to the Al-bu-Shamis. The ‘Awamir suspected a Sharjah-Shamis
alliance against them and shot the messenger; they carried him
to Ajman, where they discovered that the letters contained no
evidence of intrigue.34 The Al-bu-Shamis bedouin could not overlook
Rashid’s aggressiveness, and in February 1931 made an unsuccessful
attempt on his life.35
Undaunted, Rashid twice tried to have ‘Abd al-Rahman killed,
once in 1931 and again in 1932, but on both occasions the intended
victim succeeded in escaping in time.36 Matters reached a head
in *933> when a further attempt on ‘Abd al-Rahman’s life was
made. Three residents of Ajman who were being entertained at
‘Abd al-Rahman’s house shot at their host, just missing him.37
Rashid admitted to the Senior Naval Officer that he had sent
the men on their mission, and said that he intended to kill ‘Abd
al-Rahman even if it meant declaring war on Sharjah.38 The Senior
Naval Officer recognised the danger of this threat and became
involved in a lengthy process of mediation that culminated in an
armistice that was to last for four months from August 1933. When
the truce ended, late in December, fighting broke out again; this
time hostilities were brought to an end, a month later, through
the mediation of Sa‘id bin Maktum of Dubai.39
It is clear from the behaviour of both Humayd and then Rashid,
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as rulers of Ajman, that they realised how closely their internal
and external affairs were linked. The presence of ‘Abd al-Rahman
in Hirah, although outside Ajman, had a direct bearing on the
security of its ruler, both as regards his relationship with his people,

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