File 87/1926 Pt 2 'Arabia: Bin Saud: Relations with H.M.G. Revision of Treaty.' [‎183r] (53/840)

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5. The coastal tracts east of Katar and the Dhafrah desert, with its numerous
oases, on the other hand, are inhabited—more or less sparsely—by Bani Yas, who are
fellow-tribesmen of the Chiefs of Abu Dhabi and Dibai, and Manasir, who have
no connection with Hasa but deal with the towns of Trucial Oman A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , and resort, in
considerable and increasing numbers, to its pearl-banks.
6. East of Dhafrah are the oases of Dhaid, Baraimi, Hafit and Mahadha.
By some authorities the last three of these are geographically located in a region
called Jau, which Mr. Lorimer styled “ Independent Oman.”
Dhaid, which is 30 miles inland and east of Shargah, belongs to that chiefship,
but the Bedouin who live round it are Beni Kitab, subordinate to the Sheikh of
Umm at Kaiwain.
Baraimi is occupied by two opposing tribes—the Dhawahir, who are allies of
the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi, and the Naim, who for the last three years have been
actually at feud with this chief. The Naim properly belong to Dhahirah (Oman
Sultanate), but they also own Hafit, and a large contingent of them, including the
Chief of Ajman and the petty Sheikhs of Hamriyah and Hairah, subordinate to
Shargah, are settled on the trucial coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. . In the deserts surrounding Baraimi,
besides the Naim, are Awamir and Daru Bedouin, whose main bodies reside further
east in Muscat territory.
Mahadhah, inhabited by Bani Kaab, according to my latest information, should
be regarded as belonging to the Sultanate of Muscat.
7. South-east of Dhafrah is the large district of Dhahirah, containing
numerous towns, which indubitably belongs historically and geographically to the
Oman Sultanate. Until lately its political sympathies appear to have leant to the
side of the Sultan of Muscat against the Ibadhi Imam of Oman; but last year the
latter made a determined effort to attach it forcibly to his side, fearing that
otherwise the Wahabis will absorb it. The attempt failed, and it remains to be
seen who will make the next move to deprive the Sultan of Oman of this district.
8. The recent history of all this disputed country, so far as can be ascertained,
is as follows :—
When Sheikh Sultan-bin-Zaid murdered his brother Hamdan, the Chief of Abu
Dhabi, in 1922, he found that his family's authority in Baraimi had fallen to a low
ebb. The Naim had summoned to their aid the Bani Kitab, the Awamir and the
Daru of Dhahirah and were then holding their own in conflicts in Dhafrah with the
Bani Y r as, who were led by Sheikh Sultan’s brothers and cousins. In June 1925 it
was reported that the Awamir and the Daru had appealed to the Amir of Hasa to
protect them from the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi. Presumably they really wished their
encroachments on Dhafrah to be confirmed to them. It was reported in the same
month that the Amir had sent an official named Said to collect zikat in the Baraimi
oasis. This official employed about sixty men, who went about in fifteen parties.
They were generally, but not invariably, successful. The tax demanded was 1 rial
per camel, 1 piastre per head of cattle and 5 per cent, of the flocks. Said arrested
and hanged a Hasawi refugee in Baraimi. It was also he who notified to the Sheikhs
of Abu Dhabi and Dibai that the Amir of Hasa had taken the Awamir and Daru
tribes (Muscat subjects, fundamentally) under the Sultan of Nejd's protection.
9. In July 1925 it was reported that the Sheikhs of the Naim of Baraimi, the
Bani Kaab and the Bani Kitab had been negotiating with the young Sheikh of
Shargah for mutual assistance in the event of aggression by the deputy of the Amir
of Hasa.
10. In August 1925, after a conference between relatives of the Sheikh of Dibai
and Sheikh Isa-bin-Saleh, the Ibadhi supporter of the Imam of Oman, it was agreed
that these two sheikhs should support each other in resisting Wahabi encroach
ments. Immediately afterwards the Chief of Abu Dhabi paid visits to Dibai, Shargah
and Umm-al-Kaiwain, while Sheikh Isa-bin-Saleh visited Baraimi.
11. In December 1925 the Chief of Umm-al-Kiawain and the Naimi headman
of Hamriyah took the Bani Kitab Sheikh to Abu Dhabi to settle the feud between
the Bani kitab and the Bani Y^as.
12. In the same month the Ibadhi leaders of Oman, who are equally
anti-Sultan (of Muscat) and anti-Ibn Sand, commenced their offensive against
Dhahirah and Baraimi and initially achieved considerable success. After the
capture of Ibri, however, they quarrelled. Sheikh Suleiman-bin-Hamyar defected,
the Sheikh Isa-bin-Saleh fell'ill. The Imam and Sheikh Isa then abandoned the
expedition and returned to their homes.
[1451 c—1J
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