Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mualla II was Ruler of

Umm Al Quwain Umm Al Quwain is the capital and largest city of the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates. The city is located on the peninsula of Khor Al Bidiyah, with the nearest major cities being Sharjah to the southwest and Ras Al Khaimah ...

from 1922–1923, one of the

Trucial States The Trucial States ( '), also known as the Trucial Coast ( '), the Trucial Sheikhdoms ( '), Trucial Arabia or Trucial Oman, was the name the British government gave to a group of tribal confederations in southeastern Arabia whose leaders had s ...

, today the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His short rule was dominated by fears of a coup by his uncles and was brought to an abrupt end by the machinations of his cousin.

Accession

Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmad died of pneumonia in August 1922. At the time only his mother and the family slaves were present and they acted quickly to get word to Rashid's eldest son, Abdullah, that his father had passed away. Abdullah, who was only 20 years old and who was himself travelling in Falaj Al Ali (today

Falaj Al Mualla Falaj Al Mualla is the inland oasis town of Umm Al Quwain, one of the seven emirates which comprise the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Originally called Falaj Al Ali, after the Al Ali tribe which settled Umm Al Quwain, Falaj Al Mualla is located s ...

), rushed home and secured the house and Sheikdom, aware that his male relatives – particularly Rashid bin Ahmad's brothers, Ibrahim and Saeed, would likely contest the succession. Abdullah sent a messenger to Mohammed Ali bin Huwaidan, the headman of the powerful

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...

tribe, the

Bani Qitab The Bani Qitab ( ar, بني كتب) is a tribe of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The singular form of the name, Al Ketbi, is a common family name in the Northern UAE today. Consisting of a settled southern section and a nomadic northern section, t ...

, who owed their loyalty to the house of Al Mualla and Mohammed Ali travelled to Umm Al Quwain with a force of some 100 men to guard the town. The move was inspired: Ibrahim bin Ahmad stayed at Falaj Al Ali and Saeed bin Ahmad fled to

Ras Al Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) ( ar, رَأْس ٱلْخَيْمَة, historically Julfar) is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. It is the sixth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain ...

. Another possible claimant, Abdullah bin Saeed – who was married to Rashid bin Ahmad's daughter – stayed in Umm Al Quwain but was placed under house arrest. Abdullah himself maintained a house in Ras Al Khaimah. Abdullah bin Rashid refused to allow his uncles to return to Umm Al Quwain, but Saeed bin Ahmad went to the British Residency Agent and complained. The agent, Isa bin Abdel Latif, travelled to Umm Al Quwain in October 1922 to try and mediate with Abdullah, but found the young man obstinate and fearful of his relatives. Abdel Latif also noted that Abdullah had alienated many members of the ruling family and that many people from Umm Al Qawain were travelling to meet Saeed, who had decamped to

Ajman Ajman ( ar, عجمان, '; Gulf Arabic: عيمان ʿymān) is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. It is the fifth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. Located along the Persian Gulf, it is ...

. The British Political Resident, Arthur Prescott Trevor, met with Saeed in March 1923 and was persuaded by his arguments that the Bani Qitab were stoking animosity and that he had been dispossessed by Abdullah bin Rashid. The British Agent visited Umm Al Qawain in September and, finding Abdullah well established as Ruler, proceeded to take Abdullah's promise to abide by the treaties with the British. Abdel Latif urged Abdullah to settle with his family but he refused. In October 1923, Abdullah's cousin, Hamad bin Ibrahim, set a slave from his household to murder Abdullah. Immediately following the funeral, Hamad bin Ibrahim Al Mualla outwitted the family and its guards and took over the government house, proclaiming himself Ruler.

References

{{Rulers of Umm Al Quwain 1923 deaths Year of birth missing History of the United Arab Emirates Sheikhs of Umm Al Quwain 20th-century Arabs