The Hyacinth incident
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The ''Hyacinth'' incident was a 1910
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
military action against suspected gun runners based 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 ...
, then 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 now one of the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, which resulted in street fighting between the town's citizens and British soldiers and culminated in the shelling of Dubai by HMS ''Hyacinth'' using high explosive munitions. The attack and subsequent bombardment resulted in the killing of 37 of Dubai's townspeople, as well as four dead and five wounded British servicemen.


The arms trade in the gulf

Gun-running was a lucrative trade in the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
in the late 19th and early 20th century and the British had presented the Trucial Sheikhs of the area with a treaty intended to eradicate the trade in 1902, the year before
Curzon Curzon may refer to: People Americans * Aria Curzon (born 1987), American actress * Walter de Curzon Poultney (1845–1929), one of Baltimore, Maryland's most colorful and flamboyant high-society members Britons * Christopher Curzon (born 1958), ...
's 1903 Viceregal Darbar in
Sharjah Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. Sharjah is the capital o ...
. British maritime action had curtailed the trade between
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 ...
and
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, but this merely led to inland routes being used instead. Camel trains from
Muttrah Muttrah, ( ar, مطرح) administratively a wilayah (province), is located in the Muscat Governorate of Oman. Before the discovery of oil in Oman, Muttrah was the center of commerce in Oman (Muscat). It is still a center of commerce as one of t ...
in
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
made their way to
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. ...
, Dubai and Sharjah and from there crossed the Gulf. Boats from
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
, in particular, were ferrying large quantities of arms, secure under
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
flags, to Persia. Armaments were also making their way to
Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...
’s forces in the interior of the Gulf, as well as to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. In 1901, Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher Al Maktoum established Dubai as a free port, with no taxation being levied on imports or exports and he also gave merchants land on which to build warehouses and other establishments. A number of traders moved to Dubai from other coastal towns, as well as from the Persian town of
Lingeh Bandar Lengeh ( fa, بندرلنگه, also Romanized as Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e-Langeh and Bandar Langeh; also known simply as Lengeh, Linja, Linjah or Lingah) is a harbour city and capital of Bandar Lengeh County, in Hormozgan province of I ...
, encouraged by these free trade policies and also guarantees of security and tolerance. The imposition of taxes by the Persian government added impetus to the exodus. The impact of Maktoum's policies was immediate, demonstrated by the movements of the steamers of the Bombay and Persia Steam Navigation Company. From 1899 to 1901, the company's steamers visited Dubai five times yearly. In 1902, they called in twenty-one times and subsequently their visits became fortnightly. By 1906, these boats alone were trading 70,000 tonnes of cargo. With the new overland route for guns and ammunition, Dubai's mercantile and opportunistic merchants had a lucrative new avenue.


British action

The British attempted to stem the tide of trade through Dubai, and on 20 December 1910, John Noakes of the first
pinnace Pinnace may refer to: * Pinnace (ship's boat), a small vessel used as a tender to larger vessels among other things * Full-rigged pinnace The full-rigged pinnace was the larger of two types of vessel called a pinnace in use from the sixteenth ...
stationed at Dubai called on Sheikh Butti bin Suhail Al Maktoum, the then-Ruler of Dubai since 1906, and demanded to search a house in the town for illegal weapons. Butti bin Suhail was slow to respond and Noakes was kept waiting for an hour before the party left the Ruler's house and headed for the town, meeting further delays once they arrived. By the time the door of the house in question was opened, Noakes found the cupboard bare, but was encouraged to be told by a slave by the name of Sultan that the arms he was looking for were concealed elsewhere, in the house of a trader called Ahmed.''Dick, James'' Report of James Dick of HMS Hyacinth to CIC HM Ships and Vessels, East Indies 1910 IOR/L/PS/10/115 619/1907 Arriving at Dubai on 23 December 1910, the Captain of HMS ''Hyacinth'', James Dick, briefed by Noakes, decided on a dawn raid. In the early morning of Saturday, 24 December 1910, Captain Dick sent Noakes to wake the Ruler of Dubai and have him ready to meet Dick and his men. Dick himself set off from Hyacinth at 5.30 a.m. with 100 men. Arriving at the Sheikh's house, Captain Dick was told by the Sheikh's father that Butti bin Suhail would not see him. Noakes, who had arrived at the ruler's house at 5 a.m., had also been refused. Captain Dick lost no further time and went with his landing party directly to the house Noakes had searched a few days before. Finding arms buried in the house, Dick left a Major in charge of the search and proceeded with a force of men to the trader Ahmed's house, where men on the roof opened fire on his soldiers. Dick's men returned fire and forced an entrance to the house, posting sentries and searching the premises. Butti bin Suhail arrived at the house at 8 a.m. but a mob had also gathered, At around 8.20 a.m., widespread gunfire broke out and the British force fired volleys into the growing crowd, taking cover in Ahmed's house.


Bombardment by HMS ''Hyacinth''

One of the British detachments was pinned down under heavy fire from the townspeople and was relieved by the ''Hyacinth'' firing her six-inch guns into the densely populated town centre. An armoured steamship, ''Hyacinth'' was capable of twenty-three knots and carried six-inch quick firing guns, each firing forty-five kilo
lyddite Picric acid is an organic compound with the formula (O2N)3C6H2OH. Its IUPAC name is 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP). The name "picric" comes from el, πικρός (''pikros''), meaning "bitter", due to its bitter taste. It is one of the most acidic ...
-packed
high-explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...
shells. At 8.45 a.m., Captain Dick stated that he had messaged the Sheikh to stop the local men firing, with which the Sheikh complied, but sporadic firing continued until about 10 a.m. Stopping to retrieve the body of a dead
able seaman An able seaman (AB) is a seaman and member of the deck department of a merchant ship with more than two years' experience at sea and considered "well acquainted with his duty". An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination ...
, Dick and his party took refuge in Sheikh Butti bin Suhail's house before making their way back to ''Hyacinth'' under his protection, a large, armed and angry mob lining the streets. The British force sustained losses of four killed and nine wounded. Commenting on the incident, Rear-Admiral Slade, Secretary of the Admiralty, pointed out, "I must state my opinion that the conduct of both officers and men of the ''Hyacinth'' was extremely creditable but that the operations were somewhat hastily undertaken without paying sufficient consideration to the prejudices and ideas of an oriental people." Thirty-seven of the townspeople of Dubai were killed, an unknown number more wounded.


British demands

A set of demands was laid out following the incident, which Sheikh Butti bin Suhail Al Maktoum was expected to meet, including the installation of a British Agent (a demand that India was to decide was unsupportable) and the payment of reparations. The Rulers of
Sharjah Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. Sharjah is the capital o ...
,
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 ...
and Dubai were shown around the ''Hyacinths armaments and ammunition. The ship was, it was pointed out to them, ready to set up a bombardment should Butti bin Suhail decide not to comply. Butti bin Suhail handed over the 400 rifles demanded, as well as 50,000 rupees. He acquiesced to the setting up of a new "tide pole" to help the British ships gauge the depth of the creek and to the setting up of a telegraph and post office – both desirable to the British and developments he had previously resisted. As a result of the incident, to the grave concern of Butti bin Suhail, who was trying to build his mercantile port by attracting traders to set up their businesses in Dubai, some 150 merchants left the town, mostly Persians involved in the armaments trade.


Censure and media coverage

"The recent occurrence," noted
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. ...
, the British Political Resident, "was of course unlucky and we may have to face newspaper misrepresentation…" Cox was censured by Bombay on 2 January 1911: "The Government of India are not satisfied with situation that has arisen in Dubai… action of Commander was hardly prudent and was likely to provoke reprisals." The Viceroy, Curzon, noted: "object originally in view was hardly worth the risk", labelled the reprisals "Onerous" and urged Cox to restore "friendly relations with the least possible delay". Cox back-pedalled: "I think this is perhaps a case in which telegraphic brevity or faulty expression has conveyed a wrong impression." He cavilled in a telegram back to Curzon, who had balked at the very idea – mooted by Cox – of installing a British agent in Dubai under threat of bombardment of the town, let alone the fine of 50,000 rupees Cox had levied against Butti bin Suhail. ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' weighed in with a piece filed on 31 December 1910, which pointed out that the mood on the coast generally was that the British interdiction of shipping that had been taking place was viewed by the locals as an attempt to disarm the Arabs – a sentiment stoked by Egyptian newspapers and helped by the fact that the British were allowing the trade at Muscat to continue even as they captured and burned
dhow Dhow ( ar, داو, translit=dāwa; mr, script=Latn, dāw) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically spor ...
s in the Gulf. As the Times' report noted: "They see no reason why what is sauce for the Muscat goose should not be sauce for the Dubai gander." Curzon concurred with this view of public opinion on the coast. His cable to Cox ends with an instruction to British forces in the area: "it should be clearly explained to the tribesmen at Dubai, as elsewhere, that they have no intention of weakening their independence, or of preventing their own possession of arms." Cox, under pressure from India, was forced to relinquish his scheme for further bombarding Dubai and installing a British agent. "It was only intended to demolish the fort and then some of the outlying houses," he claimed in a cable to Bombay. The idea of installing a British agent in Dubai was quietly dropped and, in fact, was not to become a reality until 1954, when the British Political Agency was opened in Dubai, eclipsing the former Residency in
Sharjah Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. Sharjah is the capital o ...
.


References

{{Reflist Maritime incidents in 1910 History of the United Arab Emirates History of Dubai