View source for Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan

{{Short description|Sheikh of Abu Dhabi from 1855 to 1909}}
{{Family name hatnote|lang=Arabic|[[Al Nahyan]]}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
| title        = Zayed The Great
| image        = File:الشيخ زايد بن خليفة آل نهيان (زايد الأول - زايد الكبير).jpg
| caption      = Modern depiction of Zayed bin Khalifa
| spouse       = Maitha Al Mansoori
| issue        = [[Khalifa bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]]<br>[[Tahnoun bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]]<br>[[Hamdan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]]<br>[[Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]]<br>[[Saqr bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]<br>[[Saeed bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]]<ref name=bush27feb>{{cite news|last=Al Hashemi|first=Bushra Alkaff|title=Memories of a simpler time|url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/heritage/memories-of-a-simpler-time|access-date=20 April 2013|newspaper=The National|date=27 February 2013}}</ref><br>[[Hazza bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]]<br>[[Mohammad bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]]
| full name    = 
| styles       = 
| succession   = [[List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Ruler of Abu Dhabi]]
| reign        = 1855 – 18 May 1909
| reign-type   = 
| predecessor  = [[Saeed bin Tahnun Al Nahyan]]
| successor    = [[Tahnoun bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]]
| father       = [[Khalifa bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan]]
| mother       = From the Al-Suwaidi Clan
| birth_date   = {{birth-date|1835}}
| birth_place  = [[Abu Dhabi]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1909|5|19|1835}}
| death_place  = [[Abu Dhabi]]
| house        = [[Al Nahyan family]]
| religion     = Islam
}}

[[Sheikh]] '''Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan''' ({{langx|ar|زايد بن خليفة آل نهيان}}; 1835 – 18 May 1909), also known as '''Zayed the Great''' or '''Zayed the First'''<ref>{{Cite book|title=Spirit of the union : lecture on the occasion of the United Arab Emirates' fortieth national day|author=Āl Maktūm, Muḥammad ibn Rāshid|others=Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Media Office.|isbn=9781860633300|location=Dubai, UAE|pages=34|oclc=957655419}}</ref> was the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi from 1855 to his death in 1909. He was the grandfather and namesake of Sheikh [[Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan|Zayed bin Sultan]], founder of the [[United Arab Emirates]].<ref name=jof3nov>{{cite news|last=Joffe|first=Lawrence|title=Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/nov/03/guardianobituaries.israel|access-date=31 March 2018|newspaper=The Guardian|date=3 November 2004|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828163111/http://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/nov/03/guardianobituaries.israel|archive-date=28 August 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Biography==

He was born in the [[emirate of Abu Dhabi]] sometime around 1835 or 1840.  He lived much of his early life with the [[Bedouin]] of Abu Dhabi. He was made Ruler of Abu Dhabi after the deposition of his cousin, Sheikh [[Saeed bin Tahnun Al Nahyan|Saeed bin Tahnun]], in 1855. He ruled for 54 years, until his death in 1909.<ref>Al-Hajji 2001, pp. 129–36.</ref> He had a wife called Maitha Almansoori.

Early in his rule, Zayed guided Abu Dhabi through a series of conflicts with the Emirate of Sharjah. In 1868, during an armed clash with Sharjah's forces, he advanced ahead of his troops and challenged the Ruler of [[Sharjah (emirate)|Sharjah]], [[Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi (ruler)|Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi]], to single combat. Zayed wounded Khalid mortally and the death of Khalid brought an end to the conflict - although outbreaks of internecine conflict continued to be the norm among the coastal communities.<ref>Al-Hajji 2001, p 140</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf|last=Lorimer|first=John|publisher=British Government, Bombay|year=1915|pages=731–732}}</ref>

He united with [[Oman]]i forces to drive the [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] troops from the [[Buraimi]] area in 1870. This left the forts defending the [[Buraimi Oasis]] in permanent control of Abu Dhabi and forced the Saudis to abandon their designs on Oman. Abu Dhabi's influence and control over this area steadily grew afterwards.<ref>Al-Hajji 2001, pp. 175–6.</ref> Zayed supported the Omani Imam [[Azzan bin Qais]] against the Sultan of Muscat, [[Turki bin Said]], at the [[Battle of Dhank]].

Zayed led Abu Dhabi in an extended [[Qatari–Abu Dhabi War|war]] with [[Qatar]] in the 1880s that secured the western border of Abu Dhabi.<ref>Al-Hajji 2001, pp 171-4</ref> The first conflicts between the two occurred in 1881, during the battles of Baynunah, Suwaihan and Al-Marsaf.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1/%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B1-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1/1743011|title=قطر ومحاصروها الخليجيون.. أزمة قديمة متجددة (إطار)|publisher=Anadolu Agency|language=Arabic|date=24 February 2020|accessdate=18 July 2024}}</ref> In 1887, [[Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani]], accompanied by Ottoman troops, led an expedition into [[Khor Al Adaid]] in southern Qatar to assert his claim over the territory, which was disputed with Zayed bin Khalifa. This action elicited strong British diplomatic protests to the Ottoman Porte, with the British [[Persian Gulf Residency|Political Resident]], Edward Ross, going so far as to threaten military intervention.<ref name="hayajneh72">{{cite journal|last1=Hayajneh|first1=Raed Ahmed|url=https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=aauja|title=Khannour Battle 1889, Causes, Results, and Reactions in the Arabian Gulf: Documentary Research|journal=Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts|language=Arabic|volume=18|issue=1|page=72|year=2021|accessdate=18 July 2024}}</ref>

Tensions peaked in 1888 following a series of raids and counter-raids. Following several of these skirmishes was the [[Battle of Khannour]] from January to February 1889, in which Jassim's forces penetrated deep into Abu Dhabi territory.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hayajneh|first1=Raed Ahmed|url=https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=aauja|title=Khannour Battle 1889, Causes, Results, and Reactions in the Arabian Gulf: Documentary Research|journal=Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts|language=Arabic|volume=18|issue=1|page=78|year=2021|accessdate=18 July 2024}}</ref> The conflict was eventually resolved in 1893 through an agreement jointly brokered by the British and Ottomans.<ref name="omar1">{{cite web|last1=Omar|first1=Ihab|url=https://raseef22.net/article/120756-%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%82|title=خراب الدوحة... عن الخلافات القديمة بين قطر وجيرانها|publisher=Raseef22|language=Arabic|date=30 May 2018|accessdate=18 July 2024}}</ref>

In 1895, Zayed saw in [[Al Zorah]] (today part of Ajman) an ideal base for supplying [[Bani Qitab]] forces loyal to him in conflicts with the Northern Sheikhs and applied to the British Resident for permission to move supplies there by sea. Unaware of the true reasons for the movement, the Resident gave permission but Zayed faced opposition in his scheme from other Sheikhs and was unable to complete the movement. In 1897, a section of the [[Sudan (tribe)|Sudan]] (singular Al Suwaidi) tribe under Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi requested permission to settle Al Zorah with the support of Zayed (himself a Suwaidi on his mother's side and married to one of Sultan's daughters) and this was granted by the Resident.

Alarmed by the scheme, the Ruler of Ajman built a fort at one of the waterways connecting Al Zorah with the mainland (it was at the time an island) and the Ruler of Sharjah, in 1890, appealed to the Resident to prevent this establishment of a non-[[Al-Qasimi|Al Qasimi]] stronghold in the midst of his territory. This being upheld, to the annoyance of Zayed who had seen Al Zorah as an extension of his claim to the Northern coast, the scheme was abandoned and the decision to block it was subsequently upheld after a visit to Al Zorah by Major Percy Cox, the British Political Resident.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf|last=Lorimer|first=John|publisher=British Government, Bombay|year=1915|pages=750–1}}</ref>

Zayed was noted by Cox to be "troublesome" and guided the rest of the Sheikhs of Dubai and Umm Al Quwain to not adopt the [[Flag of the United Arab Emirates#Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah|White Pierced Red]] flag, the intended flag of the Trucial States, referencing that the flag represents the Al Qawasim tribal federation.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Coll 30/15 'Anthems and Flags of Various States. Bahrein [Bahrain], Koweit [Kuwait], Muscat, Asir, Yemen, Qatar, Trucial, Oman' [61r] (103/261) |url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100042699662.0x00006a |publisher=British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers |page=103 }}</ref>

In 1892, Zayed signed a [[treaty]] with the [[United Kingdom]] which effectively ceded control of Abu Dhabi's international commercial relations to the [[British Empire|British]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_JorDwAAQBAJ&q=1892&pg=PA13|title=The Report: Abu Dhabi 2016|date=2016-05-09|publisher=Oxford Business Group|isbn=9781910068588|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/19743733.pdf|title=UAE-Saudi Arabia Border Dispute: The Case of the 1974 Treaty of Jeddah|website=core.ac.uk}}</ref>

By 1894, Zayed was considered the most powerful of the Trucial Sheikhs, replacing the hegemony of Sharjah.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf|last=Lorimer|first=John|publisher=British Government, Bombay|year=1915|pages=733}}</ref>

Through strategic marriages he had many sons. The eldest of whom was named Khalifa, and had maternal heritage from the Manasir people.<ref>{{cite web|title=SHEIKH SHAKHBUT AND THE GREAT DECLINE|url=http://www.christopherdavidson.net/files/ADOAB_chapter2.pdf|access-date=8 July 2016|language=en}}</ref>

He had a brother called Dhiyab who had three sons, Sultan, Mohammed, and Ahmed.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}}

== See also ==
* [[Al Jahili Fort]]

== Sources  ==
{{reflist|2}}

== References ==
* Al-Hajji, Jayanti Maitra Afra (2001). ''Qasr Al Hosn: The History of the Rulers of Abu Dhabi: 1793–1966'',  Abu Dhabi: Centre for Documentation and Research.
* [http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/196801/discovery.the.story.of.aramco.then-chapter.1.contact.htm Discovery! The Story Of Aramco Then].

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[Al Nahyan family|House of Al Nahyan]]||1840|19 May|1909}}
{{s-reg}}
{{succession box
| before = Sheikh [[Saeed bin Tahnun Al Nahyan|Said]]
| after = Sheikh [[Tahnoun bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan|Tahnun II]]
| title = [[List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Ruler of Abu Dhabi]]
| years = 1855–1909
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Rulers of Abu Dhabi}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zayed Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan}}
[[Category:19th-century births]]
[[Category:1909 deaths]]
[[Category:House of Al Nahyan|Zayed Khalifa]]
[[Category:Sheikhs of Abu Dhabi]]
[[Category:19th-century Arab people]]