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enforced without the approval of the British Resident. The Government of Indiawere at first apprehensive lest the new system, by unduly increasing the power ofthe Shaikhs over their subjects, should lead to oppression; but Colonel Ross wasable to assure them that, under the patriarchal form of government which prevailed,cases of genuine oppression were rare, and that the system was not likely to beabused. Experience has now fully demonstrated both the justness of this viewand the beneficial tendency of the Agreement.*
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Relations of Trucial 'Omān with the Wahhabis, etc., 1853–92.
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The power of the Wahhābi agent in Trucial 'Omān, though his presence was Wahhābinot at once removed, had fallen to a low point; and, having no longer any material intrigues.force at his command, he was reduced to maintaining his position by petty intriguesand by playing off one .Shaikh against another.
In 1854 Ahmad the Sadairi, who at this time was still the representative of 1854.the Wahhābi Government in Baraimi, was reported to be making a laudable useof his influence to restrain the Trucial Shaikhs from wanton aggressions on oneanother; and he had even, on the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi declining to hold himselfresponsible for the conduct of the Manāsīr, organised a successful expeditionagainst that predatory tribe.
In 1855 on the contrary, in a difficulty which occurred between a colony of 1855.Shihūh at Hamrīyah and the Shaikh of Shārjah, the suzerain of that place, reasonwas found for suspecting that the Wahhābi agent had encouraged the rebellionwith a view to the eventual creation of a pied à terre for himself upon the Trucialseaboard. In this project he was opposed by the Na'im of Baraimi, one of whosechiefs, Fādhil-bin-Muhammad, had an interview with Captain Kemball at the coastin 1855, and suggested that British influence should be brought to bear for theexpulsion of the Wahhābis; but the Resident explained that the policy of Government was now one of non-intervention in internal affairs, and himself merelycontinued to avoid, as his predecessors had done since 1840, direct communicationwith or recognition of the Wahhābi representative,
From 1864 to 1866 the attention of Turki-bin-Ahmad the Sadairi, Wahhābi 1864-1866.agent at Baraimi, was chiefly engaged by the affairs of the 'Omān Sultanate, onwhich he was trying to enforce payment of an increased tribute; but from thisstruggle, which is described in another place, the Trucial Shaikhs, including ShaikhSultān-bin-Saqar who was now in his dotage and died in 1866, seem to have heldthemselves aloof. About this time Shaikh Khālid-bin-Sultān of Shārjah, who hadthrown in his lot with the Wahhābis, ventured with their assistance to erecta fort on the coveted Zora site between 'Ajmān and Hamrīyah; but, as thisinnovation threatened to disturb the peace of the entire coast, the fort wasbombarded and destroyed by H.M.S. “Highflyer” in January 1866, on theoccurrence of a breach between the British Government and the Wahhābis. Thequestion of Zora remained in abeyance thereafter until 1895.
In 1867, on the re-incorporation of Rās-al-Khaimah with the Shāriah Shaikh- 1867.dom, the intervention of the Wahhābis was sought, but without success, byIbrāhīm, the displaced Shaikh of Rās-al-Khaimah.
In April 1869 the Wahhābi representative at Baraimi, having proceeded to Final expulShārjah, entangled himself in the domestic quarrels of the ruling family with the sion of
Wahhābisresult that, in the general affray which took place, he was shot dead. A number fra
mber from Baraimi,of his followers were killed on the same occasion, and the others withdrew. Two 1869.months later the opportunity thus presented was taken advantage of by Saiyid'Azzān-bin-Qais of Masqat, as related in the history of the 'Omān Sultanate, todrive the Wahhābis once and for all out of Baraimi.
Baraimi affairs, from the departure of Wahhābis, are treated of in theAnnexure on the history of the Abu Dhabi principality, with which the Oasis,though independent, is very closely connected.
In 1888 there were rumours, emanating from Qatar, of a contemplated invasion Threatenedof Trucial 'Omān by Ibn-Rashid of Najd; but, as no invasion was attempted, it invasion,
38.seems probable that they may have been invented and disseminated by Jāsim, the 1000Al Thāni Shaikh of Dāhah, for his own purposes. The Shaikh of Dibai was at
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* The text of the Agreement will be found in Annexure No. 7 to this Chapter.(1) See p. 80 of these Extracts.
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