Saeed bin Tahnun Al Nahyan | |
---|---|
Sheikh | |
Ruler of Abu Dhabi | |
Reign | 1845–January 1855 |
Predecessor | Khalifa bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan |
Successor | Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan |
Died | 1855 |
Issue | unknown daughter |
House | Al Nahyan |
Father | Tahnun bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan |
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnun Al Nahyan was the ruler of Abu Dhabi, one of the Trucial States which today form the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 1845 to 1855. [1]
Saeed acceded following the murder of his uncle, Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan. The murder led to a period of fighting for the leadership of the Bani Yas, with Sheikh Khalifa's maternal nephew and murderer, Isa bin Khalid al-Falahi attempting to take power but being himself killed by Dhiyab bin Isa. Khalid bin Isa then murdered Dhiyab and fled to Sharjah, leaving two influential leaders of the Bani Yas, Mohammed bin Humaid and Rashid bin Fadhil, to remove a claimant to the fort of Abu Dhabi, one of Khalifa's brothers, and nominate a son of the former leader Tahnun bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan, Saeed bin Tahnun. [2]
Saeed arrived in Abu Dhabi to a smooth accession, supported by his two influential sponsors as well as approved of by the British. He quickly moved to quell a disturbance among the formerly secessionist Qubaisat and brought them to Abu Dhabi, stripped their boats and compelled them to pay their debts, return to the rule of Abu Dhabi and additionally pay a fine. [2]
Saeed also moved on Buraimi, capturing his two forts back from the Wahhabis with the help of both the Dhawahir and Awamir tribes. He then pulled together the Bani Qitab, Ghafalah, Awamir and Bani Yas in Khatam and placed the Manasir and Mazari Bani Yas in Dhafrah to block the relieving Wahhabi army under Sa'ad bin Mutlaq. By 1850, Saeed's great tribal association had cleared Burami Oasis of Wahhabi forces. He subsequently accepted a stipend from the Sultan of Muscat for the defence of Buraimi. [3]
Saeed bin Tahnun played a significant role in the Battle of Mesaimeer, a conflict that occurred in Qatar from June 2-4, 1851. This battle was fought between Qatari-Bahraini forces, led by Mohammed bin Thani and Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and the invading army of Faisal bin Turki, Imam of Emirate of Nejd. At this time, Qatar was considered a nominal dependency of Bahrain, and Faisal bin Turki was attempting to stage an invasion of Bahrain from the peninsula. Ali bin Khalifa, the Bahraini representative in Qatar, made overtures towards Saeed requesting assistance, and again wrote to him on 18 May, 1851, stressing the need for immediate reinforcements as Faisal's forces were a mere two days away from Al Bidda. Saeed obliged his request and rendezvoused with Ali bin Khalifa in Al Bidda. [4]
Heavy gunfire was exchanged on 2 June near Al Bidda between the allied and Wahhabi forces, with the allied forces successfully repelling the initial invasion. On 3 June, the forces of Ali bin Khalifa and Saeed retreated to their ships and observed the ensuing close-combat skirmishes between Qatari and Wahhabi forces from sea. On the final day of battle, Faisal's forces retreated to their camp in Mesaimeer. Shortly after the final day of battle, Mohammed bin Thani sent a letter to Faisal's camp requesting peace and agreeing to be his subject, to which Faisal obliged. [5] On 8 June, Qatari forces assumed control of Burj Al-Maah, a watchtower guarding Al Bidda's main water source, close to Al Bidda Fort where the allied forces of Ali bin Khalifa and Saeed were stationed. Upon hearing the news, they fled to Bahrain without incident. [6]
Following the battle, tensions remained high between the various factions. Saeed, who maintained cordial relations with both the Bahraini rulers and the Qatari leadership, emerged as a key mediator in the ensuing diplomatic efforts. His involvement was prompted by concerns shared with other rulers of the Trucial Coast, particularly the Sultan of Muscat and the Sheikh of Sharjah, regarding the potential threat posed by Faisal's prolonged presence in Qatar. [7]
In the third week of July 1851, Saeed arrived in Al Bidda (modern-day Doha) to facilitate negotiations. Working in conjunction with Ahmed bin Mohammad Sudairi, the chief of Al Ahsa, he successfully brokered a peace agreement by 25 July. The terms of this accord included: [7]
Saeed personally traveled to Bahrain to secure Mohammad bin Khalifa's ratification of the agreement. His diplomatic efforts were crucial in de-escalating the conflict and restoring a measure of stability to the region. The successful mediation led to Faisal's departure from Qatar on 26 July, 1851, the lifting of the Bahraini blockade of Qatif and Al Bidda, and the withdrawal of British naval forces from the area. [8]
In 1855, Saeed bin Tahnun was embroiled in a dispute involving the murder by a tribal elder of his[ whose? ] own brother. The murder was considered not without justification but Saeed was deaf to the imprecations of the Bani Yas and resolved to have the killer put to death. A promise was made to the man of forgiveness, but when he was brought into Saeed's presence, Saeed drew out his own dagger and killed the man. The resulting violent uprising drove Saeed to take refuge first in his fort and then to exile on the island of Qish. [9]
Saeed was succeeded by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.
The history of Qatar spans from its first duration of human occupation to its formation as a modern state. Human occupation of Qatar dates back to 50,000 years ago, and Stone Age encampments and tools have been unearthed in the Arabian Peninsula. Mesopotamia was the first civilization to have a presence in the area during the Neolithic period, evidenced by the discovery of potsherds originating from the Ubaid period near coastal encampments.
Faisal bin Turki Al Saud was the second ruler of the Second Saudi State and seventh head of the House of Saud.
The Emirate of Nejd or Imamate of Nejd was the Second Saudi State, existing between 1824 and 1891 in Nejd, the regions of Riyadh and Ha'il of what is now Saudi Arabia. Saudi rule was restored to central and eastern Arabia after the Emirate of Diriyah, the First Saudi State, having previously been brought down by the Ottoman Empire's Egypt Eyalet in the Ottoman–Wahhabi War (1811–1818).
Shaikh Isa Bin Tarif Al Bin Ali was chief of Al Bidda, known today as Doha, the capital of Qatar, as well as the chief of the Al Bin Ali tribe from the beginning of the 19th century until his death in 1847. He was described by the political agents in the Persian Gulf as being one of the most energetic and powerful chiefs in the Gulf region
Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, also known as "The Founder", was the founder of the State of Qatar. He had a total of 56 children, 19 sons and 37 daughters.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani, also known as Mohammed bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir, was the first Hakim (ruler) of the whole Qatari Peninsula, officially being recognized by the British in September 1868 following a meeting with British representative Lewis Pelly. He is known for being the father of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, the founder of Qatar and who fended off the Ottoman army in the late 19th century.
The Qatari-Bahraini War, also known as the Qatari War of Independence, was an armed conflict that took place in 1867 and 1868 in the Persian Gulf. The conflict pitted Bahrain and Abu Dhabi against Qatar. The conflict was the most flagrant violation of the 1835 maritime truce, requiring British intervention. The two emirates agreed to a truce, mediated by the United Kingdom, which led to Britain recognizing the Al-Thani family of Qatar as the semi-independent ruler of Qatar. The conflict resulted in wide-scale destruction in both emirates.
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Obeid bin Said bin Rashid was the first Ruler of Dubai under the Al Bu Falasah, jointly leading a migration of the tribe from Abu Dhabi alongside Maktoum bin Butti bin Sohail. He ruled for three years prior to his death in 1836.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan was the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, one of the Trucial States which today form the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 1833 to 1845. His bloody accession led to the secession of the Al Bu Falasah and the establishment of the Maktoum dynasty in Dubai.
The AlManasir is a tribe of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Nomadic, warlike and fiercely independent, they roamed between Buraimi and Qatar, the Persian Gulf coast to Liwa and also settled in the Northern emirates. They subsisted through date farming, pearling and moving goods with their camel trains, as well as camel breeding.
The Dhawahir is a tribe of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tribe's main centre was the Buraimi Oasis and the village, then town of Al Ain. They have long had a strong alliance with the Ruling family of Abu Dhabi, the Al Nahyan, and the Bani Yas confederation.
The Sudan is an Arab tribe of Qahtanite origin in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and other Gulf states.
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The Battle of Mesaimeer was a significant military engagement that took place from June 2–4, 1851, near the village of Mesaimeer in Qatar. The conflict primarily involved Qatari forces led by Mohammed bin Thani and Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, then under Bahraini suzerainty, against the invading army of Faisal bin Turki, Imam of Emirate of Nejd, who was seeking to stage his third invasion attempt of Bahrain from the peninsula. Bahraini and Abu Dhabi forces, nominally allied with Qatar, remained largely uninvolved in the fighting.
The Battle of Khannour was a series of military engagements between the forces of Abu Dhabi led by Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and Qatar under Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani that took place in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Trucial States from January to February 1889. The conflict centered around the eponymous fortress of Khannour in Abu Dhabi and extended to several regions within the emirate, including Liwa, Al Dhafra and Al Ain.
The Qatari–Abu Dhabi War was a series of territorial disputes and military conflicts between Qatar, led by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, under Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. From 1881 to 1893, tensions were escalated through a series of raids and counter-raids between the two emirates. The first conflicts between the two occurred in 1881, during the battles of Baynunah, Suwaihan and Al-Marsaf.
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