'مقتطفات من كتاب دليل الخليج وعمان ووسط الجزيرة العربية بقلم ج ج لوريمر، الموظف المدني بحكومة الهند' [ظ‎‎٤‎٦] (١٨٠/٩٧)

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autumn, were joined there by the bulk of their relatives, returning from the pearl
banks. The secession was permanent, almost the entire body of the Al Bu Falasah
being to the present day domiciled at Dibai; and that place, which had hitherto
been a dependency of Abu Dhabi, became after 1833 a dangerous rival, and at
times enemy, of the parent state.
The attack on and subsequent blockade of Abu Dhabi town by the Shaikh
of Sharjah in the autumn of 1833 were due to the dissensions, which appeared to
Shaikh Sultan-bin-Saqar to provide an excellent opportunity of crushing the Bani
Yas chief on pretext of obtaining justice for the merchant Bin-Tyan; but the
result was far from answering to the expectations of the wily intriguer.
First In 1835, when heavy damages on account of piratical outrages by the Bani
secession of Yas were being recovered by the British Government from the Shaikh of Abu
the Qubaisat Dhabi, the subjects of Shaikh Khalifah began to disperse in all directions with a
1835 37 v ^ ew t0 avo ^i n g payment of their individual contributions; and it even became
necessary for the British authorities to request other Shaikhs to abstain from
affording asylum to fugitives from Abu Dhabi.
It was impossible, however, to prevent by these means the emigration of the
Qubaisat section of the Bani Yas, who now. under the leadership of Khadim-bin-
Na'aman and leaving their debts at Abu Dhabi unsettled, removed in a body to
Khor-al-'Odaid,—an inlet of the uninhabited coast near the base of the Qatar
promontory, distant nearly 200 miles from Abu Dhabi. The British Resident made
an effort to reconcile the Qubaisat with their chief and to induce them to return
to their allegiance, but it was unsuccessful; and soon afterwards it was reported
that the settlers at 'Odaid were affording encouragement to pirates, especially to
the notorious Jasim-bin-Jabir, Raqraqi, whose depredations occasioned a British
naval demonstration along the Qatar coast in 1836, as related in the history of
that promontory. The usual headquarters of the pirates were at Mirfah, an
anchorage on the coast of Taff in Dhafrah, where they were accustomed to bring
their spoil ashore and load it on camels for despatch to different destinations;
but Jasim had in the first instance issued from 'Odaid, and the headman of that
place continued to countenance him so long as he dared.
At length in May 1837, permission to take such measures as were necessary
having been accorded by the Resident, Shaikh Khalifah contrived to fall without
warning upon the 'Odaid settlement, which he completely destroyed: 50 of the
inhabitants were killed; the fortifications and houses were dismantled; and the
wells were filled up with the ruins of the buildings and the bodies of the slain.
A number of the Qubaisat then took refuge at Dibai, and probably at other places
also; but, when they saw that some of their number who had gone back to Abu
Dhabi were treated with indulgence and had their boats restored to them, they
accepted a general amnesty offered by Shaikh Khalifah and returned to their homes
and their allegiance, among them being Khadim-bin-Na'aman, the chief of the
seceders.
Assassination In July 1845, in circumstances which are not fully explained, Shaikh Tahnun
with his brother Sultan was treacherously murdered by one Tsa-bin-Khalid, who
had long been lying in wait for his life. The deed was committed at a season
when the town was almost deserted by its inhabitants, these having gone either
to the pearl banks or to the date groves of Llwah; and it formed the conclusion
ol a least of which the victims had just partaken, at the invitation of the murderers,
under the shade of a BaUl drawn up upon the beach.
Notwithstanding the fratricidal crime by which he first attained to power, but
which we may consider to have been expiated by the manner of his own death,
the rule of Shaikh Khalifah had been in every respect creditable to his character.
By his gallantry, firmness and prudence he raised the Abu Dhabi principality to
a position much higher than it had ever before occupied; and at the same time
he maintained, at least after 1835, a good understanding with the British authorities,
and restrained his subjects to the best of his ability from breaches of the maritime
peace.
Interregnum, 1845.
On the death of Shaikh Khalifah the headship of the Bani Yas was assumed
by the principal assassin, Tsa-bin-Khalid, apparently with the consent of such of
the tribe as were then at hand; but two months later the usurper was cut off by
Dhiyab-bin-Tsa, who from his name may be supposed to have been a first cousin
of Shaikh
Khalifah,
1845.
Administra
tion of
Shaikh
Khalifah.