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Bahrain - History |
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The main island of Bahrain (there are a
total of 33 islands) is thought to have been torn from the Arabian
Peninsula around 6000BC. It has almost certainly been inhabited since
prehistoric times.
The islands of Bahrain first stepped onto
the stage of history some 3000 years BC as the centre of one of the
great trading empires of the ancient world. This was the civilization of
Dilmun, founded during the Bronze Age and lasting in one form or another
for over 2000 years.
Once the decline had set in, it continued
over the following centuries. There is mention of Dilmun as a vassal of
Assyria in the 8th century BC and by about 600BC, it had been fully
incorporated into the Babylonian empire.
Though Dilmun enjoyed considerable power
and influence, it is difficult to gauge exactly how much. There is no
question that at one time, Dilmun controlled a large part of the western
Gulf shore (what is now eastern Saudi Arabia). But there is dispute over
how far north and inland its influence was felt. At various times in its
history, Dilmun probably extended as far north as Kuwait and as far
inland as the oasis of Al-Hasa in modern Saudi Arabia.
There is virtually no information about
what happened between Dilmun's absorption by Babylon and the arrival of
Nearchus, a general in the army of Alexander the Great. He established a
colony on the island of Falaika off the coast of Kuwait in the late 4th
century BC. It is known that he explored the Gulf at least as far south
as Bahrain. From the time of Nearchus until the coming of Islam in the
7th century AD, Bahrain was known by its Greek name of Tylos.
The six hundred years from about 300B.C. to
300A.D. seem to have been relatively prosperous ones. Writing in the
first century A.D., Pliny mentioned that Tylos was famous for its
pearls. During these years, Bahrain was strongly influenced and often
directly ruled by various Persian civilizations; indeed, the Sassanian
Persians formally annexed the islands in the 4th century A.D.
Interestingly, it was during the 3rd or 4th
centuries A.D. that many inhabitants of Bahrain appear to have adopted
the new Christian faith. It is a fact that the Nestorian sect of
Christianity was well established in Bahrain and on the Arabian side of
the Gulf by the early 5th century. Church records show that Bahrain was
the seat of two of the five Nestorian bishoprics existing on the Arabian
side of the Gulf at the time of the arrival of Islam. It is uncertain
when the two bishoprics were dissolved though they are known to have
survived until 835A.D.
The people of Bahrain are very proud of the
fact that they were one of the first territories outside mainland Arabia
to accept Islam. And to do so peacefully. About the year 640A.D., the
Prophet Mohammed sent a letter to the ruler of Bahrain inviting him to
adopt Islam. For whatever reasons he did so fairly soon thereafter and
for another two centuries, Christians and Muslims lived peacefully
together in Bahrain. Even today in 1996, Bahrain has a tiny community of
indigenous Christians.
Bahrain was a part of both the Umayyad and
Abbasid empires from the 9th to 11th centuries. It was a staunchly
Shiite Muslim community -- once again because of the Persian influences
-- and during these years, it appears to have been well-governed and
prosperous. It once again became an important port on the trade routes (pictured)
between Iraq and India. Bahrain changed hands often during the Middle
Ages and was caught in various squabbles and disputes between petty Gulf
sheikhs who seem to have been constantly fighting with one another.
In 1487 the Omanis conquered Bahrain and
built a fort whose ruins can be seen today. Prior to their arrival, the
island had been visited two years earlier by a Portuguese explorer who
had commented on both the quality and the number of pearls. The
Portuguese were in the Gulf for a little over a century, being driven
from Bahrain in 1602 by the Bahrainis themselves. After the expulsion of
the Portuguese, the Bahrainis appealed to the Persians for protection
and so once again came under their control.
The
Al-Khalifa, the ruling family of Bahrain,
arrived in the islands in the mid-18th century. They came from Kuwait
where they had helped their relatives, the Al-Sabah, to establish power
there. At first, the Al-Khalifa had settled on the northwestern coast of
Qatar but in the early 1780's, they drove the Persians out of Bahrain
and occupied the principal islands. From then until now, the Al-Khalifa
have maintained their control of Bahrain.
Because Bahrain was the first Gulf state to
discover oil, it was also the first to enjoy the benefits that came with
the revenues -- specifically, a marked improvement in the quality of
education and health care.
The oil reserves of Bahrain are quite small and,
by Gulf standards, it produces only a token quantity of oil. This has
proved to be an advantage, however. Without the resources for a boom,
Bahrain has moved more slowly and thoughtfully into the technological
age. The necessity to diversify their economy as well as their long
history as a trading country have proved to be a fortuitous set of
circumstances.
Bahrain remained a protectorate of Great
Britain until 1968, when the agreement between the two countries was
cancelled by mutual consent. In 1971, Bahrain achieved total
independence under the rule of sheik Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa who
became both Emir (Prince) and Prime Minister of the newly formed state. Bahrain's modern day history was an example of stability, despite the fact that the Parliament was dissolved in 1975. At the end of 1994, "foreign backed" militants caused unrest in the state by attacking hotels and restaurants using explosive devices, the situation was contained and stability returned to Bahrain. On 6 March 1999, the ruling prince, sheik Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, died of natural causes at the age of 65. His son, sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ascended to the throne in a smooth transition. |
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In June 1932 oil was discovered in
commercial quantities in Bahrain. It was important for two reasons:
first,
it was the initial discovery of oil on the Arab side of the Gulf and
second, it more or less coincided with the collapse of the world pearl
market. (The Japanese had been instrumental in this with their
manufacture of cultured pearls.) 
