1 | 2 Description (Page 1)
Bahrain is a small archipelago of 33 islands located just off the eastern coastline of
Saudi Arabia in the
Persian Gulf, with the largest island being Bahrain Island. Modern causeways connect the four main islands, and all are connected to
Saudi Arabia by the 16-mile-long King Fahd Causeway.
Long ruled by Arabs, the ancient land of Bahrain was an important trading center, dating all the way back to Roman times.
The Achaemenian dynasty incorporated Bahrain into the Persian Empire in the 6th century BC, and the islands remained under their ruling until the 3rd century when the Parthians took control.
Then in 899 AD Bahrain was seized by the Qarmatians, a millenarian Ismaili Muslim sect wanting to form a utopian society. The Qarmatians prevailed as a powerful force in much of the
Middle East and
Persian Gulf through the 10th century, and provoked a series of attacks, launching raids along routes crossing Arabia and massacring thousands of pilgrims.
An uprising occurred on the island of Bahrain in 1058, forcing the decline of the Qarmatian's power over the region, and pushing the Uyunids into control. The Uyunids ruled until 1235, then the islands were passed along to the Usfurids, followed by the Jabrids in the mid-15th century.
Portuguese explorers began making their way up the
Persian Gulf in the early 16th century, and invaded Bahrain in 1521, driven towards the wealth created by the island's pearl industry. They remained through force for eighty years before an insurgence developed, and Persian ruler, Shah Abbas I, gained control.
Over the next few centuries, Bahrain fell under the control of a number of rulers, including the Persians,
Iranians, and the Omanis (at which point the islands were governed by 12 year old Salim, who was Omani ruler Sayyid Sultan's son).
The Al Khalifa tribe succeeded in rising to power in 1820, and began a treaty relationship with
Great Britain. This brought on a new era of prosperity and trade for Bahrain, and the islands were no longer dependent upon pearling.
Most notable was Bahrain's trade with
India, as India's cultural influence on the islands grew dramatically.
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