'Extracts from Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia by J G Lorimer CIE, Indian Civil Service' [‎47r] (98/180)

of Shaikh Khalifah. Dhiyab was slain in his turn by Khalid-bin-'Isa, a son of
his victim; but this individual, instead of attempting to secure the Shaikhdom for
himself, prudently returned, after avenging his father's death, to Sharjah whence
he had set out. A brother of Khalid contrived to obtain possession of the fort of
Abu Dhabi; but he was speedily ejected by Muhammad-bin-Hamaid and Rashid-
bin-Fadhil, two influential leaders of the Bani Yas, who now declared for Sa'id, a
son of the former Shaikh Tahnun and consequently nephew of the late Shaikh
Khalifah.
Shaikh Sa'id-bin-Tahnun, 1845-55.
The chief authority was retained in their own hands by Muhammad and Accession of
Rashid until the arrival of Shaikh Sa'id, who, being generally regarded as the ^45 SaId '
most eligible chief, and being supported moreover by the moral influence of the
British Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , established himself in power without any difficulty.
In 1849, dissatisfied at the favour shown by Shaikh Sa'id to the Mahafibah Second
section of the Bani Yas with whom they were at feud, encouraged also by the ^"essmn of
Shaikhs of Sharjah and Dibai to hope that the Wahhabi Amir would shortly assist the L Qubaisat
them to establish themselves at 'Odaid, the Qubaisat of Abu Dhabi once more to 'Obaid,
abandoned their homes and settled temporarily at Dohah in Qatar. Effectual 1849.
measures to compel their return were at once taken, in November or December
1849, by the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi. After imprisoning some of the Qubaisat who
still remained at Abu Dhabi, he sent for the leaders of the Dohah colony and on
their arrival gave them a flattering reception. During the following night, however,
the boats in which they had come were stripped of masts, sails and all other gear;
and the entrapped envoys, thus deprived of the means of escape, found themselves
obliged to agree to the terms imposed by the Shaikh, which included, besides return
from Dohah, the satisfaction of all debts due by the Qubaisat to private creditors
and the payment of a fine to himself.
In 1855 Shaikh Sa'id became embroiled with the entire body of his subjects. Expulsion of
The occasion was the murder by a tribal elder of his own brother, apparently not Shaikh Sa'id
without justification, for the Bani Yas as a whole sided with the elder and resisted of shaikh S10n
the intention of Shaikh Sa-id to put him to death. On a promise given by the ^aid. ^55
Shaikh to remit both that and every other penalty the murderer was brought into
his presence, whereupon Sa'id, reverting to his original determination, drew his
dagger and with his own hand struck the man dead. The populace at once rose
in arms; and Shaikh Sa'id, after defending himself for some time in his citadel,
escaped to the Persian island of Qais, taking with him most of his property both
in goods and cattle. To the British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. the Shaikh represented his expulsion
as due to efforts which he had made to punish a piracy, committed by Bani Yas
of the Hawamil and Maharibah sections, upon a Shu'ai belonging to one 'Abdul
Karim.
Shaikh Zaid-bin-Khalifah, from 1855.
On the flight of Shaikh Sa'ld-bin-Tahnun, his first cousin, Shaikh Zaid-bin-
Khalifah, was elected to succeed him. According to an arrangement apparently
customary among the Bani Yas, a brother named Dhiyab was associated with Zaid
in the government; but as usual nothing was heard, after the first, of the assistant
chief.
In July 1856 a piratical and altogether unexpected descent upon the town of ^ tac ^ h 0 ?-
Abu Dhabi was made by the exiled Shaikh, Sa'ld-bin-Tahnun, who in this affair tow u n by a t ^ e
took Sharjah for his base of operations; his fleet consisted of three vessels, all ex-Shaikh
small, of which one was his own, one belonged to the island of Qais, and the other Sa'id, 1856.
was obtained at Abu Hail in the Sharjah principality. On the 19th of July, the
principal Shaikh (Zaid) being then absent in Dhafrah, Sa'ld-bin-Tahnun landed
at Abu Dhabi and obtained possession of the town, which was plundered by his
adherents; Shaikh Dhiyab and the few inhabitants then present at Abu Dhabi
shut themselves up in the fort, and there held out until the arrival of Shaikh Zaid
from the interior with a party of Bedouins. On the appearance oi the relieving
48533
N