Maktum am Hascher

Maktum bin Hascher ( Arabic مكتوم بن حشر, DMG Maktūm b. Ḥašr ; † February 16, 1906 ) was an important sheikh in the emirate of Dubai .

Life

Maktum bin Hascher took over rule in the Emirate of Dubai on April 7, 1894, as the successor to Sheikh Raschid bin Maktum during a cholera outbreak . He is the son of Sheikh Hascher bin Maktum, who died in 1886 . Since he was too young at the time of his father's death, the elders first chose his father's brother as his successor in 1886. This represented the first crack in the line of succession , since for the first time it was not a son of the incumbent ruler, but his brother who came to power.

The Iranian leadership, which took control of Lingah in the neighboring emirate of Sharjah in 1887 , gradually increased the taxes, which on the one hand opened up a significant source of income for the Iranian government and on the other hand drove out more and more merchants who were dissatisfied with the tax policy. When the Iranians transferred the administration of Lingah to Belgian officials in 1902 , they introduced their European regulations and licensing systems, as well as a fixed tax of 5%. This was Lingah's death sentence. Sheikh Maktum bin Hascher recognized this quickly and converted Dubai into a free trade zone as early as 1901 . He abolished all customs duties and trade taxes, which gave Dubai's port a boost in development and an economic boom. His aim was to get the merchants in the port of Lingah to move to Dubai. In addition, he offered them his protection and free land. During his tenure, the port of Dubai became a permanent port of call for steamships and the most important trading port on the entire coast of the Persian Gulf .

The sons of Sheikh Raschid bin Maktum, who died in 1894, Buti and Said, were dissatisfied with his policy, especially towards the British, and wanted to overthrow him. Sheikh Maktum bin Hascher was supported by the majority of the ruling family. He had her arrested and locked up in Dubai's al-Fahidi fort . The ruler of the neighboring emirate Sharjah , Sheikh Saqr (II.) Bin Khalid al-Qasimi stood up for them and offered them exile. Since Sheikh Maktum bin Hascher considered her a member of the ruling family, he agreed to this exile. Both stayed in Sharjah for a decade and only came back to Dubai after his death.

Sheikh Hascher bin Maktum was one of the English's key allies in the Gulf. Its main tasks were to promote stability and rule of law. In 1903 the Viceroy of India , Lord Curzon , visited the region to emphasize the importance of the water for England. It was a sign of Dubai's elevated status, as well as a sign of its personal standing, that Sheikh Maktum was the only leader to be honored by personal invitation from Lord Curzon.

With Dubai's influence, Sheikh Maktum bin Hascher was uniquely positioned to foster the stability the era demanded. He had already shown his military muscles on a few occasions, and now he was able to use his political influence. He was one of the first to hold organized meetings between the Emirates in the Lower Gulf. A process that was continued by his grandson Sheikh Said and later Sheikh Raschid .

Web links

• History of the Emirate of Dubai, on diss.fu-berlin.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Dubai's story on stay-dubai.de, accessed on May 6, 2016.