Bahrain History Arab.net

/Home/A-B Countries/Bahrain (Country Code 973)/Bahrain History

Bahrain
The pre-Islamic period

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.

Dilmun developed as a centre of trade and commerce because of its location along the trade routes (pictured) linking Mesopotamia (southern Iraq) with the Indus Valley (today's India and Pakistan). And its decline dates from the time the Indus Valley civilization fell in the middle of the second millenium BC. This would of course have stripped Dilmun of its importance as a trading centre between Mesopotamia and India.

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 islands were formally annexed by the Sassanian Persians 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.

Islam's arrival and after

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.

The discovery of oil

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.)

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.


Modern-day Bahrain

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 the late sheik Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa who became both Emir (Prince) and Prime Minister of the then 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.