Bahrain has a Rich History and Culture (Coursework Sample)

Bahrain has a Rich History and Culture

Bahrain comprises some of the most ancient civilizations in the globe. By 3000 BC, the Dilmun civilization was already a commercial center between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, which is the current day India (Jones, 2017). Later, the Assyrians and Persian Empire took control of Bahrain. When the Greeks and Alexander the Great came, they renamed it Tylos. In the next several years, various Mediterranean and Arab leaders ruled the country. In 1783, the Al Khalifa monarchy from the tribe of Utbah, reclaimed Bahrain and have governed the island since then. Bahrain became a British protectorate in 1830s, a move meant to protect it from the Turkish Ottoman (Jones, 2017). The British government ended its treaties in 1968 and in 1971 Bahrain became independent.
Regional Conflicts, 1700-1869
The Persian Empire ruled Bahrain for two centuries with brief attacks from the Oman Ibadhis in 1717 and 1738. Most of the time, the Persian governors ruled Bahrain indirectly, through the city of Bushehr or the migrant Sunni Arab communities. Sunni Arab clans came back from the Arabian faction of the Persian Gulf northern regions and were called the Huwala (Jones, 2017). In 1753, the Huwala clan represented Karim Khan Zand, invaded Bahrain, and established direct Iranian rule. However, in 1783, the Bani Utbah tribe defeated Nasr Al-Madhkur in the battle of Zubarah that began in 1782.
The Al Sauds and the Omanis both attacked Bahrain at the start of the 19th century. In 1802, a 12-year-old Salim ruled Bahrain, having been appointed by Sayyid Sultan, his father (Lawson, 2019). The British political representative in the Gulf, William Bruce, received a letter from the Sheikh in 1816. The Bahrain’s leader was disturbed by a rumor that Britain would support the Imam of Muscat to attack Bahrain. Bruce reassured the Sheikh that Britain would be neutral and the two signed an informal treaty that Britain would never attack or support invasion of Bahrain (Lawson, 2019). In 1820, Great Britain endorsed Al-Khalifa as the Bahrain’s ruler following the signing of the leadership treaty.
In 1860, Al Khalifa wrote letters to the Persians and the Ottoman and placed Bahrain under the protection of Ottoman who proposed better conditions to the island. When the Persians refused to protect Bahrain, the British India government subdued it. Shortly afterward, Al Khalifa and Colonel Pely signed a new treatise that placed Bahrain under the British Protectorate and rule (Lawson, 2019). Following the Qatari-Bahraini War of 1868, the Al Khalifas and the British representatives signed another treaty, stipulating that the king would not apportion his regions to anybody except Great Britain and would seek permission from the British to engage with foreign administrations (Lawson, 2019). On their part, the British would protect Bahrain from maritime confrontations and support it when invaded on land.
Ahmad Ibn Mohammed Al Khalifa “The Conqueror”
Bahrain was under the Persian Empire when the Bani Utbah tribe, which Al Khalisa led, invaded it from the British Protectorate of Qatar. Ahmed bin Muhammad was the Al Khalifa leader who was mostly called the conqueror (Lawson, 2019). Although his successors encountered many challenges in the next 75 years, they succeeded in keeping Bahrain under control. The island of Bahrain was always under constant threats from Wahhabis and Oman, which controlled it temporarily. Ottomans and Persians also claimed most parts of the country (Lawson, 2019). In 1820 and 1861, Britain signed treaties with Bahrain and recognized Al Khalifa as the ruler.