Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi

Sultan was by now in his dotage and took no active role in the conflict over Sharjah, which was eventually settled when Khalid shot Mohammed and threw his body into a well in the desert in late 1860.

However, soon after this victory, Sultan was removed as head of the Qawasim by the Saudi Amir and then as Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah the following year.

Husain bin Ali, the Sheikh of Rams and Dhayah was appointed head wali, or tax collector, for the Saudis in Trucial Oman.

[5] Sultan bin Saqr was held prisoner at the Al Saud capital of Diriyah, today a suburb of Riyadh, in 1809, having been ordered to attend the Saudi ruler there.

Alongside taking part in Saudi-led expeditions against other Gulf ports, the Qawasim were in conflict with the Persians as well as the Sultan of Muscat and still attacking British shipping.

[6] The Persian Gulf campaign of 1809 commenced with the arrival of the British fleet off Ras Al Khaimah on 11 November 1809, bombarding the town the next day.

After an abortive landing attempt took place on the 12 November, the British took Lingeh and Luft before taking Khor Fakkan for the Sultan of Muscat and then proceeding to Rams, Jazirah Al Hamrah, Ajman and Sharjah.

[7] Sultan bin Saqr, the legitimate ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, still being in exile, the British did not attempt to secure a treaty following the 1809 expedition.

However, a further sally the next year saw Sultan once again installed as Ruler not of Ras Al Khaimah, but of Sharjah and Lingeh, the latter being his principle residence.

Under Hassan, the Qawasim found themselves not only in conflict with Muscat, but increasingly with British shipping and a series of incidents led to a peace treaty being signed in 1814 which barely held.

In case of alarm from an enemy, it is stockaded round with date trees and wood sufficient for repelling the attack of Arabs although of little service against regular troops.

The blockade was lifted in June 1829 after peace-making efforts by the Sheikh of Lingeh, both parties being keen to take part in the annual pearling season.

At this point, it was proposed to extend the treaty to a duration of ten years and this, broadly, held (there are several instances of squabbling and jostling on the pearl banks).

[17] Ending almost a century of on and off conflict with Muscat, Sultan Bin Saqr in 1850 agreed a compromise with the Sultan of Muscat in which Al Qasimi rule was agreed north of the line between Sharjah and Khor Kalba on the East coast, but excluding the rough, high land North of the line between Sha'am on the West and Dibba on the East coast.

[19] In 1860, the headman of Hamriyah, Abdulrahman bin Saif, led a force in support of Sharjah against the rebellious communities of Khan and Abu Hail.