From Tylos to Bahrain

Archaeological surveys dating back to 2300 BC, establish Bahrain’s importance as a trading port. With thousands of burial mounds spread over the western and northern areas of the island, the country is also the site of the largest pre-historic cemetery.

Bahrain, earlier known as Dilmun and Tylos, was also more specifically a major port of call on the sea trade routes between Mesopotamia and India, and the centre of a thriving pearl industry.

Bahrain was forced to look into its own resources, since its prosperity started to decline from around 1800-1600 BC when  Indo-European tribes broke through into what is now Pakistan and destroyed the cities of the Indus valley civilization. Until the end of the century, Bahrain was ruled by a series of Persian rulers.

Under rule from its huge eastern neighbor, it took 350 years for Bahrain to become an independent kingdom, this time embracing Muslim faith with its followers, since the governor was an Arab.

In 1507, the Portuguese set about establishing Bahrain as a trading centre and a military outpost to protect trade routes between India, Africa and Europe. Following this insecure rule, a wealthy Bahraini merchant was murdered by a Portuguese governor in order to grab his wealth, mainly the pearls.

The merchant’s brother, to avenge his death, killed the Portuguese governor and captured the fort and put himself under the protection of the Persians, if you didn’t get it, they (Persians) were the main rivals of the Portuguese in the Gulf!

Even before it could enter Gulf, the Omani pirates destroyed the Portuguese fleet that set sail from India destined for Hormuz and Bahrain.

At the turn of the 17^th century came the Omani rulers. With them came problems in religion since they were of a different religious sect than people present in Bahrain. They caused such havoc and suffering that that a large proportion of population fled the country never to return.

The Persians were failing in their attempt to hold their rule in the Gulf state, and it is now that that independent shaikhdoms began to appear.

The battle between the Omanis and the Persians continued, and Bahrain for sometime fell into the hands of both.  

 We now take an U-Turn and go back 30 years to something that is of importance today. The venue- Deserts of modern day Iraq. Three families known as the Bani Utbah Tribe, gave up their nomadic life and settled in the present town of Kuwait.

The tribe was part of a larger group of families known as the Anizah Confederation in which Bahrain’s Al Khalifa family, the Saud’s of Saudi Arabia and the Al Sabah family of Kuwait were all a part. The Al Khalifas were led by Faisal and it was under his successor Mohammed that their fortunes began to blossom.

Owing to the family’s interest in pearls, they moved to Zubara, a pearling industry hub, and set up a town that prospered. The Persians, again tried to capture, repeatedly attacked, however failed.

The Al Khalifas’ occupation of Bahrain gave a considerable boost to the trade of the islands as they put every effort into fostering good relations.

Al Khalifas and the pearls may have been responsible for Bahrain’s improvement, but what we also have to remember is that it was Shaikh Isaab who had lived long enough to see the discovery of oil, a commodity that would change the face of this country and the rest of the Arab world.

The British have left their mark in Bahrain too! Bahrain remained unaffected during the Second World War. It was at this point in time when that the British signed over to Bahrain a number of responsibilities.

The British military finally withdrew in 1971, they signed a treaty of friendship. Thus, Bahrain gained membership of the League of Arab States and the United Nations.