Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmad Al Mualla (1876–1922, ar, شيخ راشد بن أحمد المعلا) was the 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 1904–1922, 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 ...
and today one of the seven emirates forming the
United Arab Emirates (UAE). He gained influence over the tribes of the interior at the expense of the pre-eminent Trucial Ruler of the time,
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.
Accession
He acceded on 13 June 1904 following the death of his father,
Sheikh Ahmad bin Abdulla Al Mualla. He wrote to the British
Political Resident
In the British Empire a Political Resident or Political Agent was the incumbent of an official diplomatic position involving both consular duties and liaison function.
A Consul or Consul-General has largely consular functions, such as looking afte ...
in September of that year, affirming his accession and accepting the treaty obligations entered into by his forebears. Soon after acceding, he married a daughter of the Ruler of
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 ...
– his Uncle (on his mother's side).
Warring tribes
Rashid bin Ahmed was an astute politician and embarked on a campaign to enhance his influence among the
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 ...
tribes, particularly the powerful
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 ...
. This led, in 1905, to his involvement in a dispute which had broken out in the
Wadi Hatta between the
Na'im
The Na'im () (singular Al Nuaimi ) is an Arab tribe in the United Arab Emirates. The tribe is also present in other gulf countries.
The Na'im is divided into three sections, the Al Bu Kharaiban, the Khawatir and the Al Bu Shamis (singular Al Sha ...
tribe and the Bani Qitab.
The town of
Masfout
Masfout is a village that forms part of the eponymous exclave of Masfout in Ajman, one of the seven emirates forming the United Arab Emirates. It is surrounded by Ras Al Khaimah, the Dubai exclave of Hatta and Oman (Mahdha Wilayat of Al Buraimi G ...
in the Wadi Hatta was traditionally home to the Na'im, who were originally from
Buraimi
Al Buraimi Governorate ( ar, مُحَافَظَة ٱلْبُرَيْمِي, Muḥāfaẓat Al-Buraimī) is one of the 11 governorates of Oman which was split from the Ad Dhahirah Region. Until October 2006, the area was part of Ad Dhahirah Regi ...
. They found themselves under threat when the Bani Qitab built a fort at Wadi Hatta and started to harass caravans passing through the pass to and from the Omani
Batina
Batina ( hu, Kiskőszeg) is a port village on the right bank of the Danube in Baranja, Croatia. Its elevation is 105 m. Administratively, it is located in the Draž municipality within the Osijek-Baranja County.
Geography
Batina is locate ...
coast. Appealing to Sheikh
Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan ( ar, زايد بن خليفة آل نهيان; 1835 – 18 May 1909), also known as Zayed the Great or Zayed the First was the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi from 1855 to his death in 1909. He was the grandfather and nam ...
, the most influential of the Trucial Rulers when it came to tribal affairs, and following a meeting of the
Trucial Sheikhs in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
in April of that year, the Na'im gained Zayed's support. However, Rashid bin Ahmad supported the Bani Qitab and although the Na'im retained Masfout, Rashid gained a role in the affairs of the Bedouin at Zayed's expense.
This ascendancy continued the following year, when the Bani Qitab were in dispute with the Balush of
Dhahirah, a tribe loyal both to the
Bani Yas
Bani Yas ( ar, بَنُو ياس) is a tribal confederation of Najdi origin in the United Arab Emirates. The tribal coalition which consists of tribes from Dubai to Khawr al Udayd southeast of Qatar, was called the Bani Yas Coalition. The tribe has ...
of
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
and the
Al Bu Falasah of Dubai.
The Bani Qitab attacked the Balush at Mazim with a number of lives lost. The Balush appealed to Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa who took up their cause, however finding himself opposed to Rashid bin Ahmad, who supported the Bani Qitab. A general war was averted by a meeting of the Trucial Sheikhs and those of the interior, held at Khawaneej outside Dubai, in April 1906. The meeting resulted in an agreement whereby responsibility for tribes was assigned to the Rulers, with Rashid bin Ahmad taking responsibility for the Bani Qitab. The Balush went on to accept the blandishments of
Muscat
Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is s ...
when oil companies started prospecting in their ''dar'' or district and Dhahirah is today part of Oman.
British interventions
The dispute with Abu Dhabi smouldered on and, in February 1907, the Political Resident in Bushire,
Percy Cox
Major-General Sir Percy Zachariah Cox (20 November 1864 – 20 February 1937) was a British Indian Army officer and Colonial Office administrator in the Middle East. He was one of the major figures in the creation of the current Middle East.
...
, was drawn into the conflict when the two threatened to clash at the inland dependency of Umm Al Quwain, 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 ...
). HMS ''Lawrence'' was moored off Sharjah to reinforce Cox's mediation. Rashid bin Ahmad was delivered up to Cox after a week's negotiations, much the worse for wear after his time in captivity.
As in so many cases in the Trucial States, a relatively small incident boiled into preparations for war when a Somali sailor was killed in
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 ...
in 1919. The culprits escaped to Umm Al Quwain, where Rashid bin Ahmad gave them refuge.
Sheikh Sultan bin Salim Al Qasimi of Ras Al Khaimah sent men to patrol Umm Al Qawain's border in case the men should try and move, and Rashid bin Ahmad sent them instead by sea to vandalise
Jazirat Al Hamra, where a number of huts were burned by them. Other rulers aligned behind the two parties and the British Political Resident intervened to avert war. Under pressure from the friends of the murdered sailor and the British alike, Sultan bin Salim eventually paid the ''diya'' (blood money) to the sailor's family.
Death
Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmad Al Mualla died of pneumonia in August 1922, leading to a period of disputed succession of seven years' duration.
References
{{Rulers of Umm Al Quwain
1876 births
1922 deaths
Sheikhs of Umm Al Quwain
History of the United Arab Emirates
20th-century Arabs