History of Sharjah

The history of Sharjah goes back almost 6,000 years when it was called as Sarcoa. The population of the city was really small at that time and the economic activities of the people included trade, farming, hunting, fishing and peal farming. Several early settlements were based around the ‘falaj’, which was a man-made underground water course. The history of Sharjah began to take a definitive shape from 16th century onwards. In 1507, the Portuguese took command of the East Coast in order to control the spice trade.

To ensure security from any outside attacks, they built several forts at Khor Fakkan, Kalba and Dibba. The Portuguese ruled for almost a century tilled the Dutch over-powered them and gained supremacy over the region for the spice trade.

The British came to this region in the 17^th century. They started trading with the Qawassims, the present rulers of Sharjah. The Europeans preferred the Gulf and the Red Sea as the prime route to travel to the Mediterranean and India. By the 18^th century, the Qawassim tribe became powerful sailors who built the crucial maritime power in the southern Gulf. They had their strongholds in Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah. Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr bin Rashid Al Qassimi became the ruler of Sharjah in 1804 and ruled the emirate for more than 50 years.

By the turn of the century, the relationship between the Qawassim and the British became worsened. Whilst the British blamed the Qawassims for all the attacks on their ships, the British were also blamed by Qawassims for other’s wrongdoing. In 1809, the British made their first land based attack on the Qawassim in RAs Al Khaimah. The first of several peace treaties were signed between the British and the Qawassims by 1820. The peace treaties guaranteed peace at sea and protection of the British against attack for the next 150 years. The coast, thus, came to be known as the Trucial Oman and the sheikhdoms as the Trucial States.

Sharjah prospered with trade and pearl fishing. The emirate is first in many things compared to the other emirates. From 1823 to 1954, Sharjah was the base for the Britain’s only political representative on the Trucial Coast. It remained the regional base for the British RAF and Trucial Oman Scouts until the independence in 1971.

The British Government established a staging post in Sharjah in 1932. It was the first airport in Sharjah for flights en route from England to India. The airport is still in use today not as the runway but as a main road. At that time, the airport was located 2 miles away from the town in the heart of the desert. The donkeys were used to bring all the provisions for the travelers including in-flight catering and water from wells. The traders from the town used to travel by camels to carry out business with the foreigners. The airport was crucial when the pearl trade collapsed in the 1930’s. Sharjah met with another setback when the sea trade declined due to silting up of the Creek.

The first properly organized school in the UAE was first established in Sharjah in 1953. On 2nd December 1971, Sharjah joined the UAE as its founder member. His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi became the ruler of Sharjah.

In the same year, oil was found 80 km offshore in the Mubarak oilfield, which is close to Abu Mousa Island. The production of oil began only after two years and produces almost 35,000 barrels at its peak. A few years later, a gas condensate was discovered and drilling began in 1990.</