The Ajman were noted for being important players in the politics of eastern and central Arabia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Their most famous leader (or "shaikh") during the 19th-20th century was Rakan bin Hithalayn, who is still well known in Arabian tribal lore. He was noted for his poetry. He is often known as the maternal grandfather of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman. The Ajman were defeated by Faisal bin Turki, the Imam of the Second Saudi State, who later married into the tribe. Later they supported the cause of the Saud Al Kabir branch of the Al Saud against their cousin Abdulaziz bin Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia.