Dubai first enters the records of British India in 1799. It is possible that Dubai existed
under alternate names earlier than this. It is understandable to expect some degree of
confusion between the settlements of Dubai and Dibba in the earliest records. Dubai
may have been known as al Wasl, inpix now the name of a very familiar road and area within
modern day Dubai. By the beginning of the 19th Century it seems that Dubai was a
dependency of Abu Dhabi, inhabited by the Bani Yas tribe.In approx 1833 there was a
split amongst the ranks of the Bani Yas. It is estimated that 800 members of the tribe
moved to Dubai after a dispute with the ruler of Abu Dhabi. This migration marks the
beginning of Dubai as a separate Sheikhdom. What followed was 20 years of
sporadic conflict as the ruler of Abu Dhabi fought to regain political control of Dubai.
Sharjah was also dragged into local conflicts from time to time. The newly founded
community at Dubai was ruled by Maktoum bin Buti up until 1952. The current ruling family
takes its name from Maktoum Bin Buti. bocoranadminriki

Towards the end of the 19th century there was conflict between the Qawasim and
Oman who were allied to Britain. The Qawasim were a successful and dominant tribal
group who now provide the ruling families of both Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah. They
were a formidable maritime power. During this time incidents occurred between the
Qawasim and vessels from the British East India Company. The British viewed these
acts as piracy and wee determined to limit the disruption to their important trade routes.
The Qawasim saw this from the other side of the coin and were equally determined to
retain their share of the lucrative trade routes to and from India. splitacdubai

Over the next few decades British Naval vessels arrived from various stations in India to
quash the Qawasim strongholds. After numerous skirmishes, animeloved in 1819 the British
attacked Ras al Khaimah. RAK and other Qawasim strongholds capitulated.
The British then embarked on establishing a General Treaty of Peace with the leading
Sheikhdom’s along the coast. Trade became more stable and the pearling industry
began to establish itself along the gulf coast. It was the pearling industry that led the
various Sheikhdom’s including Dubai to sign a maritime peace agreement for the
duration of each annual pearling season. kjro

The British, still anxious to ensure stability and s ecurity along its trade routes,
established a small naval force in the Persian gulf and in 1830 a British Agent was
appointed to Sharjah to represent British interests in the area. florbiz

By the beginning of the 20th century the coastal Sheikhdom’s had increased their
dominance of the interior of the area. Challenges by, amongst others the French and
Russians to the dominance to the British control of the area was the catalyst for a
number of treaties between the Sheikhdom’s and the British. This had the effect of
enhancing and confirming the separate authorities of the coastal sheikhs. lytron

At this time (1900) Dubai was well and truly established as a cosmopolitan settlement
of approx 10,000 under the rule of Maktoum bin Hashar. Trade and the pearling
industry continued to thrive. As the result of harsh customs measures imposed by the
Iranian central government, much of the lucrative trade from India crossed the gulf
further enhancing the role of Dubai as a trading hub. qau