Page 95 - The Origins of the United Arab Emirates_Neat

Maintenance of Power: Political and Social babric 7'

and left the same clay. The agreement remained the basis for
settling later outbreaks of hostility between Kalba and Fujairah,
the outcome of which greatly weakened Kalba.
A few months later there was another clash, resulting in the
escape to Sharjah of Sa‘id bin Hamad.44 Fujairah s position had
been greatly strengthened by the conclusion of an alliance with
the Shihuh, and this had in turn prompted the ruler of Sharjah
to solicit the help of the Na‘im of Buraimi; soon it became clear
that a full-scale tribal war was imminent. The Political Resident
was so exas perated by the situation that he telegraphed the Political
Agent in Muscat,

As Shaikh of Fujayrah is friendly with Shihuh tribe who are
subjects of Muscat, it occurs to me that extinction of trouble
might be effected by exchange of territory between Sultan and
Trucial Shaikhs. Kalba to be given to the Shihuh of west coast
and latter removed from Rams Tibat and perhaps Bakha, which
would be added to Ras al Khaima state.45 H

The Resident sought Bertram Thomas’s advice. Thomas thought
that partition was not feasible, principally because the sultan of
Muscat would not feel himself capable of keeping Shaykh Hamad
in order. By December 1926 the round of hostilities between Kalba
and Fujairah had been brought to an end through the mediation
of Shaykh Salih bin Muhammad of Dibba, whose settlement was
based on the agreement signed in May.46
But, before long, the fighting had started once more. In January
and again in September i927,*minor troubles between Kalba and
Fujairah, fomented in both eases by the latter, erupted into violence.
The situation threatened to deteriorate further when the rulers
of Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah expressed an interest in actively
supporting their Qasimi relative. This time the Senior Naval Officer
went to Kalba and negotiated a new settlement.47 It achieved
a temporary peace, which broke down almost regularly, but there
was little doubt that Shaykh Hamad had emerged victorious. He
gradually became powerful enough to claim most of the land over
which Shaykh Sa‘id ruled. The balance of power was much in
Hamad s favour; but in 1936 other considerations took precedence
over this fact, and the British Government granted Kalba independent
status, which did much to strengthen Sa‘id against his great enemy.