History
UAE is a recently created country with a history that is shared by the neighbouring empires such as Persia, Rome, Ottoman empire, and foreign powers such as Portugal and England. The earliest inhabitants were the Neolithic people, 5500 B.C. Significant control, and commerce was established by the successive Persian empires. During the Sassanid era, Persians controlled most of the lands around the Persian Gulf. The Romans also exerted influence on the Persian Gulf. Envoys from the Islamic prophet Muhammad saw the islands convert to Islam around 630 C.E. The Portuguese would then battle the then dominant force in the Persian Gulf, the Safavid empire and control UAE for the next 150 years. During the 16th century, the Ottomans took control of the Islands and UAE was known as the "Pirate Coast." By the 19th century the British empire had taken complete control of the land then called "Trucial Sheikhdoms"/"Trucial States"/"Trucial Coast". Oil was discovered in 1959. Trucial Sheikhdoms were under the control of the British empire until 1971. Consequentially, with weakening British control, the Trucial Sheikhdoms became the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1971-1972.
The term Emirati comes from the Arabic word emir (Arabic: أمير) which means commander. Each emirate is ruled by an emir, whose citizens (generally) belong to his clan. The Bani Yas tribe forms the basis of many clans within the United Arab Emirates. Sub-clans of the Bani Yas include
- Al Bu Falah (Abu Dhabi)
- Al Bu Falasah (Dubai)
- Al Qawasim (Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah)
- Al Ali (or Al Mualla) (Umm Al Quwain)
- Al Sharqiyan (Fujairah)
- Al Nu'aim (Ajman)
Another definition of "Emirati" is Arabs with origins in the UAE.
Read more about this topic: Emirati People
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)