Shihuh

The Shihuh (, ') is an Arab tribe living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. In the singular, the name is Al Shehhi, a common family name in the UAE and Oman today. Inhabiting the northern part of the Hajar Mountain range, specifically in the Ruus Al Jibal (Musandam Peninsula), the tribe has long been influential in the affairs of both the east and west coast settlements of the northern UAE and Oman and has fiercely maintained both its identity and independence.

Sections

The Shihuh are divided into two main sections, the Bani Hadiyah and Bani Shatair. The Bani Hadiyah splits into several subsections: the Bani Muhammad; Bani Ali; Bani Ham Mazyud and Khanazirah. The Bani Shatair splits into the Khanabil; Kumazarah; Mahabib and Maqadilah.

At the turn of the 20th century, the tribe numbered some 21,500 people and was mostly settled around the Rus Al Jibal mountains, as well as Sha'am, Ghalilah, Ghubb and Khor Khwair in Ras Al Khaimah. In total, some 14,500 Shihuh had settled the coast, while 7,000 inhabited the mountainous interior, although the members of the tribe would travel seasonally between both domains. The Bani Hadiyah are mostly to be found on the western coast of the UAE, including Khasab, Oman, which would be their principal village. The Bani Shatair are centered around Kumzar, also at the tip of the peninsula. In general, the Shihuh inhabited the mountains to the north of Wadi Bih, while the closely allied Habus tribe settled the wadis and farms to the south of the wadi.

Languages and lifestyle

The Shihuh were essentially agricultural during the winter months, when they would form communities inhabiting the stone-built buildings in the mountains, channelling the available water run-off from the mountains (there are no wells in the mountains) to irrigate their stepped fields. In the warmer months, they migrated mainly to work during the date season, typically to Khasab, Dibba and the Batinah coast of Oman. They also participated in the pearl fishing season. They maintained large herds of goats, the source of rare surplus for them to trade for other commodities. Because of the nature of their frequently hand-to-mouth existence in the mountains, arable land was particularly prized, a fact which has been used to explain the predominance of ''Bint Amm'' (daughter of my uncle) marriages among the Shihuh (land forming part of the marriage dowry).

The lifestyle and distinctive dialect of the Shihuh is markedly different to that of the desert Bedouin of the UAE and these differences led to the Shihuh being dubbed as being of non-Arab descent – to the point where some traditions had them as of Portuguese extraction. Research has shown that the tribe incorporates elements of Iranian origin, the Kumazarah subsection speaking an Iranian language. The Arab element of the tribe's make-up, the majority, is thought to be linked to the wave of immigration from Yemen, which brought groups of ''Malik bin Fahm'' immigrants north in the second century. Bertram Thomas described the dialect of the Kumazarah as "...a strange tongue which has baffled and confused strangers. It is a compound of Arabic and Persian but it is distinct from them both, and is intelligible neither to the Arab nor to the Persian nor yet to the linguist of both."

The unique axe of the Shihuh people, known as the ''Jerz'', is long handled with a small head.

History

Historically, the Shihuh were difficult to govern and their principal northern villages were often secessionist, depending on the inaccessibility of the terrain they inhabited. They were frequently in conflict with the Sharqiyin of the east coast of the UAE, but would settle their differences to make common cause against the central authority represented by Sharjah when the Sharqiyin made one of their numerous attempts to shake off that yoke. The Shihuh were frequently in conflict with the Al Qasimi of both Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah and were generally more ready to accept the Suzerainty of Muscat. However, their economic needs crossed borders and Shihuh often had property or other holdings subject to Ras Al Khaimah or Sharjah. The village of Sha'am is a good example of a territory that became economically and therefore politically dependent on Ras Al Khaimah, even though its Shihuh population originated in the Rus Al Jibal and would have been considered Omani.

The battle for Rams

Sheikh Sultan bin Salim Al Qasimi took Ras Al Khaimah to full independence from Sharjah in 1921 and was determined to maintain the integrity of the emirate, despite a number of secessionist influences. One such was keenly felt at Rams

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