Hamad bin Abdullah Al Sharqi

Hamad was headman of Fujairah town in 1879 when he led an insurrection in spring of that year against Sheikh Saqr bin Khalid Al Qasimi of Sharjah, who claimed suzerainty over the Gulf of Oman coast (known as Shamaliyah) and had placed a slave named Sarur in charge of Fujairah.[2] This followed a prolonged period of contested ownership of areas of the coast between the Al Qasimi of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah and the Sultan of Muscat.[3]

The insurrection replaced Sarur and a delegation was sent to Sheikh Saqr but they were badly received, imprisoned and a force sent back against the insurrectionists, taking Fujairah Fort and forcing Hamad bin Abdullah into exile. At the end of that year or possibly early 1880, Hamad returned from his exile and led a fresh bid to proclaim the independence of Fujairah, this time forcing a rout of Fujairah Fort, with eight men among the defenders killed.[2]

The settlement of a peace was placed in front of the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah to arbitrate and, in 1881, Hamad bin Abdullah signed a document confirming him as a dependent of Sharjah. It was the British viewpoint at the time that the 'complete independence of Fujairah ought not to be promoted'. However, Hamad was a troublesome subject and played both Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah off against each other, as well as involving the Sultan in Muscat wherever he could.

In 1884, he took Al Bithnah Fort, a strategically important asset guarding the Wadi Ham, which was the major route inland from Shamaliyah.[4]

Bithnah Fort

Control of Bithnah was to be essential for Hamad bin Abdullah when, in 1901, he once again refused the suzerainty of Sharjah and used the fort at Bithnah to refuse aid to the headman of Kalba, who was related to Sheikh Saqr bin Khalid of Sharjah.[4]

As in so many occasions in the history of the Trucial States, the dispute flared up and each side gathered its backers. In April 1902, Saqr bin Khalid Al Qasimi had gathered a force of 250 mounted Bedouin to attack Fujairah, while Hamad bin Abdullah petitioned Dubai and Ajman as well as the Sultan of Muscat for their help. The British caught wind of the impending conflict and intervened, warning Muscat and Dubai to stand down.[4] Attempting to mediate the dispute in Sharjah, the British Residency Agent found both Saqr bin Khalid protesting that he could not control his Bedouin and Hamad bin Abdullah refusing to recognise a safe pass to Sharjah as legitimate.

In November, repenting of his conciliatory attitude, Saqr bin Khalid had two Fujairah men killed on their way to Ajman.

The next month, the British Political Agent in Bahrain, Gaskin, travelled to Sharjah in the RIMS Lawrence and then on to Fujairah, holding two days of negotiations between the warring parties. The situation onshore being increasingly threatening and both parties intractable, the attempt was abandoned and the British left them to it, with the sole proviso that they wouldn't break the Maritime Peace.[5]

Declaring his independence in 1901, Sheikh Hamad enjoyed the recognition of this status by all concerned, with the sole exception of the British.[6]

In 1903, the British once again decided not to recognise Fujairah but to consider it a dependency of Sharjah. Despite a sally by Saqr bin Khalid against Bithnah early in the year and an exhortation to peace by Curzon during his 1903 vice regal Durbar, Fujairah remained a nominal dependency at best and in 1906 was claimed as a dependency of Abu Dhabi, with no opposition from Sharjah.[7]

In 1926, the strained relations between Fujairah and the Sharjah dependencies of Kalba and Khor Fakkan broke out into open warfare, despite Hamad bin Abdullah having married the daughter of the Al Qasimi wali of both towns. Open fighting continued for the following three years and broke out again in 1927.[8]

Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Sharqi died in the early 1930s and was succeeded by his son, Saif bin Hamad Al Sharqi.[9]