protectorate · Arabia and the Gulf
Trucial States
Origins
After expeditions against the Qawasim of the Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah, Britain imposed the General Maritime Treaty of 1820 on the rulers of the coast. The Perpetual Maritime Truce of 1853 banned warfare at sea, giving the Trucial States, or Trucial Coast, their name, and exclusive agreements in 1892 gave Britain control of their foreign relations.
Rule and society
Each sheikh governed his own territory; Britain managed defence and foreign affairs through a political agent, based at Sharjah and from 1954 at Dubai. Members were Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah, later Fujairah and briefly Kalba. A Trucial States Council from 1952 and the Trucial Oman Scouts provided common institutions, and oil from 1962 transformed Abu Dhabi.
Decline and legacy
In 1968 Britain announced its withdrawal from east of Suez. After negotiations, six sheikhdoms formed the United Arab Emirates on 2 December 1971, and Ras al-Khaimah joined in 1972.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (9)
- Trucial States was a protectorate of British Empire1820 CE – 1971 CE
- Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah was part of Trucial States1820 CE – 1971 CE
- Sheikhdom of Sharjah was part of Trucial States1820 CE – 1971 CE
- Sheikhdom of Abu Dhabi was part of Trucial States1820 CE – 1971 CE
- Sheikhdom of Ajman was part of Trucial States1820 CE – 1971 CE
- Sheikhdom of Umm al-Quwain was part of Trucial States1820 CE – 1971 CE
- Sheikhdom of Dubai was part of Trucial States1833 CE – 1971 CE
- Sheikhdom of Kalba was part of Trucial States1936 CE – 1951 CE
- Sheikhdom of Fujairah was part of Trucial States1952 CE – 1971 CE
More states of Arabia and the Gulf →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Trucial States. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/trucial-states
- MLA
- “Trucial States.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/trucial-states. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Trucial States.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/trucial-states.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Trucial States’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/trucial-states (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻