Perpetual Maritime Truce

The Perpetual Maritime Truce of 1853 was an important agreement made between the British and the leaders of the areas that are now the United Arab Emirates. This treaty came after British forces had controlled some coastal towns, following a military campaign in 1819.

The idea for this truce started from a British leader in the area, Colonel Samuel Hennell. He wanted to keep peace at sea during the time when people were collecting pearls, which was very important for the local economy. The truce was signed in August 1853 by leaders from the area, meeting on the island of Qeshm and in a place called Bushire.

This truce helped bring lasting peace to the seas around these coastal towns and was an important step in the history of the region.

Background

For many years, there were problems between British ships and a group of Arab sailors called the Qawasim near the Persian Gulf. The British sent soldiers from Bombay to Ras Al Khaimah in 1809, but they only bombed the area and did not invade it. They made a peace treaty, but it broke down, and more problems happened.

In 1819, the British decided to act again. They sent a big force led by Major-General William Keir Grant to Ras Al Khaimah with help from Said bin Sultan of Muscat. They attacked several places along the coast, destroying ships and forts in towns like Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, Sharjah, Abu Hail, and Dubai. They also destroyed ships that had taken shelter in Bahrain. No British soldiers were hurt in these attacks.

After this, the leaders of these areas signed the General Maritime Treaty of 1820 with Britain. This treaty stopped piracy in the Persian Gulf and slavery. It also said that all ships had to be registered and fly special red and white flags, which are still used today.

Seasonal maritime treaties

In 1829, fights broke out between Abu Dhabi and its northern neighbours like Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. These fights led to a blockade of Abu Dhabi in 1833. A short peace was made, but a longer agreement came in 1834 when Abu Dhabi agreed that the people of Dubai would be under Sharjah's rule.

These fights set the stage for the Perpetual Maritime Truce of 1853. The British helped make treaties to keep peace during the pearling season, starting in 1835. The idea was to stop fights at sea between May and November each year. The rulers had to promise not to attack, report any problems, and let the British help fix any issues. This made the British the main peacekeepers in the area.

The idea was liked by the rulers when they met at Basidu on Qeshm. They all signed the truce in Bushire on August 21, 1835. This helped bring peace during the important pearling time from May to November 1835. People along the coast were happy to hear about the truce.

Perpetual Truce

The Perpetual Maritime Truce was signed on May 4, 1853. It was meant to stop any fighting at sea between the coastal towns of the Lower Gulf. Leaders from Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, Dubai, and two tribes signed this agreement.

This truce helped create peace and led to the area being called the Trucial States. The rulers agreed to bring any problems to British leaders for help. This peace lasted until the United Arab Emirates was formed in 1971.

Further codicils

After the treaty in 1853, some extra rules were added to help keep things fair and peaceful.

In 1856, a rule was added to stop unfair trading of people.

In 1864, another rule was added to protect a special line used for sending messages by the British, near Telegraph Island. This line worked for only a short time before a new one was built between Aden and Bombay.

Sometimes, people who owed money would run away to avoid paying, which could cause big problems between towns. In 1879, new rules were made so that if someone ran away owing money, they would have to go back and pay, or the town where they hid would have to pay a fine. These rules were agreed upon by leaders from the area and a British representative.