I was very interested in reading Sir Donald Hawley’s book, The Trucial States. It is an analysis that truly deserves to be pondered.

Hawley says in his book: “Those who believed that the system monarchies and conservatism will inevitably fail were wrong in their analysis. These tiny Shaikhdoms that existed prior to the Trucial states enjoyed extraordinary stability rooted by the Rulers’ majlis that was open for all. It was also deeply rooted in the tolerance of their society. After 35 years, these societies and conservative Arab countries are the most stable countries, just like bamboo houses that might look weak, but are able to face up to strong winds.”

This is quite an interesting excerpt that will definitely drive many enthusiasts to revise many of their political beliefs that they have perhaps grown accustomed to, particularly if they are carrying out such a practice as part of their daily life from a political aspect.

Hawley was one of the most prominent Political Agents to the Trucial States who arrived in the UAE sometime between 1958 and 1961 as a representative of the British government. Back then, the Omani Trucial States had a peace treaty with Britain that was signed in 1820 and lasted till 1971, the year in which the federation was formed. How does he deal with this topic in his book? The credit in this presentation must go to Abdul Gaffar Hussain, the author and scholar who was responsible for the book’s translation from English to Arabic. Proficient in various foreign languages, Hussain was able to present the book’s content in an accurate manner and in a fluid and simplified style.

The fact that I was not satisfied with the publication standards and technical production of the book did not deter me from reading it or admiring the quality and significance of its content.

Hussain also went to great lengths to provide comments and corrections that shed light on the authenticity of information in the book without affecting the general context of the original content. Nevertheless, The Trucial States is an interesting read providing insight into how a British Political Agent viewed the UAE prior to the federation.

The author speaks about many important persons, whose significance became more apparent over the years. Among them are the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, late Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum and others. They are mentioned quite often in the book and the author speaks about getting close to Shaikh Zayed in the following excerpt: “During the winter, hunting in the desert occupied most of Shaikh Zayed’s time. Sometimes, he would accompany Shaikh Shakbout during his visits to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Shaikh Shakbout would also be accompanied during those visits by his uncle’s son, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Khalifa. It was really hard to believe the significance of developments witnessed with oil wealth, as well as Shaikh Zayed’s impact on Abu Dhabi and the world.”

Hawley also speaks about the Al Bufalah tribe which Shaikh Zayed belonged to. He describes them by referring to Arabian Sands, a book written by Wilfred Thesiger, a British explorer and travel writer, who wrote: “One of the members of Al Rawashid tribe from the Empty Quarters (Rub Al Khali) said the following about the Ruling Family in Abu Dhabi: “The Al Bufalahs are different from others. If one of their members, even a child, ordered me to do something, I would be stupid to refuse.”

The author was clearly describing the strength of the Al Bufalah tribe among the other tribes in the region.

Another matter that attracts the reader’s attention is how the judicial process was carried out in the area when the British were in control. Hawley says that the British exercised their judicial authority on all citizens in the Gulf and that a certain stipulation was included in the British legislation regarding the joint judicial process for lawsuits that occur between any Gulf citizen and a resident that could be subjected to British law.

Hawley points out an incident of judicial intervention. . For example, when an Indian man killed a Gulf citizen in a fatal road accident, Shaikh Shakbout disagreed with the aforementioned stipulation and insisted that the Indian man must be tried in an Abu Dhabi court. On difficulties faced by the people in the UAE prior to the federation, Hawley provides many examples. Recounting a story from Abu Dhabi, Hawley wrote that it was certain that fuel was going to be commercially produced in 1958. He mentioned that the emirate of Abu Dhabi began to suffer from tough economic conditions due to a collapse in the pearl trade.

Hawley wrote that most dwellings were built from palm fronds and that people suffered greatly during heavy rainfalls in 1960, which led to heightened sea waves that flooded the cities.

Shaikh Shakbout then called for the British Royal Navy to provide assistance and pitch tents to house the people.

If only the current generation can truly understand how much our forefathers have suffered during that period so that they can truly appreciate the current standards of living that we enjoy and work towards maintaining and developing it. By reading Hawley’s book, people in this region can truly understand how quickly the UAE has developed, so that they can compensate for these difficult times of the past by embracing modernity.

Mohammad Hassan Al Harbi is a writer and journalist.