Umm Al-Quwain - History

History

The earliest settlements in Umm Al Quwain had strong Hellenistic traits; some of these are more than 7,000 years old. Traces of these ancient communities are still discernible in Al-Dour, near Umm Al Quwain.

Arrowheads and other polished flint tools have been unearthed in various sites across the UAE while pieces of Ubaid pottery have been unearthed along the shores of the emirate. All evidence obtained so far indicate that contact with Mesopotamia existed as early as the 5th millennium BC as an indigenous ceramic industry did not emerge until the 3rd century BC.

During the Bronze Age (3000 – 1300 BC), semi-nomadic tribes inhabited the region; they shifted in groups from place to place foraging for timber from the indigenous acacia for smelting copper. The metal was sent to all the prominent ports on the Persian Gulf, Umm Al Nar being one of them. Ties with Mesopotamia were jealously maintained and consequently the trade in copper ushered in prosperity in the region.

Also during the Bronze Age, agriculture flourished, with dates being the prominent crop. Wheat, millet and other grains were also cultivated wherever there was enough water for irrigation. It is now widely believed that the climate during the period was more temperate than now. During the Umm al-Nar period (2500–2000 BC), buildings and fortress towers came up in Umm Al Quwain. The most common buildings associated with this era are the circular burial tombs.

The modern history of Umm Al Quwain began some 200 years ago when the Al Ali tribe moved their capital from Al-Sinniyah Island to its present location in the mid-18th century due to declining water resources. In 1775, Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, founder of the ruling Al Mu’alla lineage of the Al Ali tribe, established an independent Sheikhdom in Umm al-Quwain.

On 8 January 1820, Sheikh Abdullah I signed the General Maritime Treaty with the United Kingdom, thus accepting a British protectorate in order to keep the Ottoman Turks out. Like Ajman, Dubai, Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah, its position on the route to India made it important enough to be recognized as a salute state with a three gun salute.

On 2 December 1971, Sheikh Ahmad II joined its neighbors Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah in forming the United Arab Emirates, with Ras al-Khaimah joining later in early 1972.

The successive rulers were:

• 1775 - 17.. Sheikh Majid Al Mu`alla
• 17.. - 1816 Sheikh Rashid I bin Majid Mu`alla
• 1816 - 1853 Sheikh Abdullah I bin Rashid Al Mu`alla
• 1853 - 1873 Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Mu`alla
• 1873 - 13 June 1904 Sheikh Ahmad I bin `Abd Allah Al Mu`alla (b. 18.. - d. 1904)
• 13 June 1904 - August 1922 Sheikh Rashid II bin Ahmad Al Mu`alla (b. 1875 - d. 1922)
• August 1922 - October 1923 Sheikh `Abdallah II bin Rashid Al Mu`alla
• October 1923 - 9 February 1929 Sheikh Hamad bin Ibrahim Al Mu`alla
• 9 February 1929 - 21 February 1981 Sheikh Ahmad bin Rashid Al Mu'alla (b. 1904 - d. 1981)
• 21 February 1981 - 2 January 2009 Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmad Al Mu'alla (b. 1930 - d. 2009)
• 2 January 2009 Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla