British Involvement in Arabic Peninsula - Dissertation Example

? British Involvement in Arabic Peninsula The Arabic Peninsula has been an interest to the British for a very long time now. The desire for the British to intervene in the Arabic affairs was not there before the twentieth century. During this time, the Arabic peninsula was part of the Ottoman Empire. However, the interest into the Arabic Peninsula is motivated by the beautiful landscape of the place. The terrain and climate of the Peninsula had successfully kept away any adventurers for years. The British contact into the area was just on the individual level and not on governmental level at all (ROGERS, 2006). These individuals were mainly explorers who were visiting the place, and many other places around the world, for adventure. It is through the activity of these explorers that the world came to know about the Arabic peninsula. Some of the outstanding explorers were Charles Doughty and Richard Burton who get the credit for opening up this place to the western world. The peninsula’s location in the Arabic region was the spark to the British interest. For a long time, traffic from between the Orient and Europe used to pass through a corridor which bordered the Sahara on the south-west, and the mountains of turkey and Persia on the north-eastern region. It is along this corridor that the Arabic peninsula stretches. The corridor was, therefore, completely not penetrable. Explorers and people on adventure had to pass around the region by either going through Syria towards the Euphrates and then down to the Gulf, or across the Red Sea through Egypt. Even though Vasco da Gama had discovered the Cape route in the 15th century, the all-sea route was still preferred by many who sought to go around Africa. In the beginning of Britain’s interests in the Middle East, the main objective was commercially motivated. It was in the 17th century that the British government started to show interest in the Arabic Peninsula. During this time, the East India Company opened new offices in locations around the region such as the Red Sea, Basra and the Persian Gulf coast. The company main objective was to seek for new markets in the Middle East region. Although the intention of the British was purely economic at first, it started to take a political perspective towards the end of the 18th century (BALFOUR-PAUL, 1994). During this time, the British had already consolidated the Indian empire and, therefore, cared less about the local trade ventures. Consequently, they turned their interests to the strategic location of the Gulf because it was a major route into India. Because of this, the British administration turned all the offices in the region outside India from trade centers into political and diplomatic hubs. These centers were now used for purposes preservation and protection of the British’s interests in the region. The British notably coined some clever treaties that enabled them to preserve and protect their presence in the region. In these treaties, the British offered to protect the local Arabian rulers from their rivals in return of the Britons dominance in the region. The British, therefore, achieved the command of the Indian Ocean gateways. In this way, they were able to deny any other international powers the ports of the sea. When the British learnt of a Napoleonic entry into Egypt, they sought an agreement with the Sultan of Muscat so that they can prevent the French from expanding their territories towards the Arabic Gulf region. In other measures to protect their interests in the Arabic Peninsula region, the British signed numerous treaties with the surrounding kingdoms. These treaties were aimed at reducing piracy in the Gulf region and to safeguard trade. British have been consistent in fighting off other colonies that posed a threat to the Britons’ supremacy in the Gulf region. Among these are the Egyptians, French and Russians who have posed threat to the Ottoman Empire. The British are much concerned with the interference of the Russians, who have showed increased interest in the region over time. When the French constructed the Suez Canal in 1869, the British got worry of the venture because this canal offered a safer route to the east through the sea. This would mean that there would probably be higher completion in the Red Sea area. The British, therefore, had to occupy Egypt in order for them to protect their territory. The Suez Canal brought along with it a lot of concerns that had security and economic aspects with them. The British trade in the region increased significantly because the canal offered a shorter route for trade activities. The aims of the British to the Arabic peninsula had, therefore, many surrounding aspects. The British sought, among other things, to capture and protect naval supremacy, to protect its trade interests in the area and to avoid interference with Islamic customs of the indigenous populations in the area. About the peninsula, the British administration was not solely interested in its preservation or exploitation. This is because the peninsula was unprofitable and inhospitable for them (ME?NORET, 2005). The British were also concerned with the security of sea operations in the Indian Ocean. The town that are today known as the United Arab Emirates were then operating as centers for sea pirates that gave the British a run fir their money. However, between the 19th and 20th centuries, the Germans sought to have their railroads in Baghdad extend to the Persian sea. This was a great threat to the British Empire. At that same time, Russia was also seeking to construct a naval base at the Gulf in addition to seeking railroad rights. This forced the British to quickly conclude a treaty with the ruler of Kuwait protecting both their territories from foreign developments. This was in addition to other treaties that Britain had signed with Trucial and Bahrain states. By this treaty, the Sheikh, or ruler, of Kuwait agreed not to welcome any foreign power representation. He would also neither sell nor lease land in Kuwait and would also not conduct any foreign policies or engagements without prior agreement with the British administration. The British Empire in the Arabic peninsula was, therefore, purely a means to a certain end. The peninsula was of peripheral interest to the imperial British government and it was never a principal objective. The British, however, ensured that they their control over the area is always steadily tightened because in this way, they were able to secure the ways into India (LEVEY & PODEH, 2008). The discovery and exploitation of oil in the Gulf area, however, almost changed everything. It catapulted the region into a global perspective and attention. During this time, the British were keen to have the air power and communication well secured as well as the peninsula itself. This explains why the British were so keen to keep off interest by other power states such as Russia, France and Italy who sought to establish rail roads through the Gulf region. The British proceeded by establishing air routes around the peninsula to link the various parts of their empire. During the early years of the 20th century, the ruler of Kuwait made a promise to the British government that he would not enter into oil agreements with any other state except the British themselves. Consequently, Kuwait became a protectorate of the British in the First World War. The two states made an exclusive oil agreement in addition to the earlier determination to repel any foreign interest in the Gulf region. The British, therefore, had more reasons to protect its dominance in the Arabic Peninsula yet again. These events would later take a dramatic perspective when American oil companies started to show interest in this region. This is because these companies brought along with them a huge political influence which would, no doubt, the traditional policy of Indian dominance in the region. In the period just before the First World War, diplomatic activities in the region reached fever pitch. Britain had, by this time, successfully eliminated the threat that France and Russia posed by striking an agreement with them in the early 1990’s. Turkey was the only remaining serious threat. The Turks sought to establish themselves in Kuwait and, therefore, posed a threat to the British Empire. These two states then engaged in a series of deliberations seeking to resolve the tension between them once and for all. Among other deliberations in their agreement, the British had to delineate their influence and that of the Ottoman sphere in Arabia (LONELY PLANET & WALKER, 2010). The political environment back in Europe forced the British to go for that settlement because they needed the support of the Turks in the European politics. The British government, however, took the advantage of the post war results that the Turks suffered when they went to war with the British in 1914. The Turks could no longer have the protective powers of the routes to India and Britain, therefore, moved in swiftly to reclaim that control. They knew pretty well what controlling the Gulf meant to their economic and political ventures in the area (TUSON, 2003). Literature Review: British interests in the Arabic peninsula dates back many centuries ago. The peninsula, however, has been known to be fairly inaccessible. The climate at the place is also extreme, and there are largely inhabited deserts in the area. Because of the geographical and climatic nature of the area, resources became scarce with time. This caused a lot of competition for these resources. The inhabitants of the peninsula region used slow and distorted means of communication. Although the British had initially come into the area for economic trade purposes, they ended up making the Gulf one of their political strongholds in the Middle East region (Leatherdale, 1983). In his book, leatherdale gives a deep analysis of the interests of the British in the Arabic Gulf in addition to explaining the ways used by the Britons in ensuring that they safeguard the region from other powerful colonies such as Russia and France. The long presence of the British in the area is explained by the dominance of the British over the few Portuguese that were hitherto, inhabiting the area. The Britons took advantage of the inhabitant communities in the area by offering them protection from rivals in exchange of Britons continued dominance of the Gulf region. Because India was highly dependent on trade as its main economic activity, it was prone to rivalry from other foreign states. The British ousted this opportunity to seize and dominate over almost every port in the Indian ocean in exchange of protection to the Indians against trade predators. The treaties that British was signing with these communities were of political nature, rather than economic. However, due to technological advancements, traffic through the Arabian Gulf increased significantly in the nineteenth century. British made sure to acquire steamships during this period. These were used for quick transport in the Gulf because they were fast and less prone to climatic factors and piracy (Leatherdale 1983). According to Nash (2005), the involvement of the British in the peninsula region is important in understanding the perspective of the British on the Gulf region. The Britons made sure to preserve their position in the Arabic region till the First World War. To achieve this, they did this by signing sea treaties with the Arab communities in the region. Some of the states which signed such treaties with the British include Muscat and Bahrain. The author of the book suggests that British were never interested with inland Arab regions because these regions were economically barren (NASH, 2005). The only concern for them was that the Gulf waters be safe guarded for their activities and other interests. The British were also keen to achieve maritime supremacy in the region. To achieve this, they set up a network of agencies and other political residences and hubs around the Gulf. Some of these include the Persian coast where they appointed a Resident, and Busher. The work of these Residents was to protect and safeguard the interests of the British administration. They were also required to conduct diplomatic activities with the regional colonies and states around the region (Tuson, 2003). Up to and until the nineteenth century, the British had a lasting presence in the Arabic peninsula region. Fisher (1999), observes that the British desired to have undisturbed presence in that region even after the World War I. during this time, there was constant show of interest by the French and the Italians who believed that the British coined their way into protective treaties which recognized them as the only dominant powers in the peninsula. By the beginning of the 20th century, most of the world power states were frustrated with the conduct of the British activities in the Gulf region. This pressure ensued for a long time with the British protectorate in the Arabic peninsula almost coming under siege (Fisher, 1999). According to Bolton (1959), the involvement of the British in the Arabic peninsula shifted swiftly from maritime to political with the discovery and development of water and air routes in the peninsula. The author notes that the British government was very harsh on protecting its territory and dominance in the region after the discovery of oil in the Gulf region. Due to this, the British government proceeded to form the Committee of Imperial Defense (CID) that would look after the interests of the British and protects the states supremacy in the Gulf region (BOLTON, 1959). In his book, Maugeri (2006) observes that the modern day Saudi Arabia was able to escape the widespread diplomatic quarrels that surrounded many oil producing companies over the ownership of oil rights. The author accredits this achievement to the long time dominance of the British government in the region. The British had laid out oil management policies that were used to govern the production and commercial use of oil wells in the Arabic Gulf region. The British were able to achieve this sanity in the somewhat radical oil exploration field because the Arabic locals were noted as very civilized and respectful to the European foreigners during that time (MAUGERI, 2006). The involvement of the British was also neither colonial nor exploitative because some of the treaties that they signed with the local communities and rulers of states were mutually beneficial. The British signed exclusive agreements with rulers of the regions enabling the British to keep the French and Russians who posed regional threat to the British protectorate at bay. In this way, the British were also able to safeguard their trade and political interests in the region by managing the trading routes to India. The British, on the other hand, helped these rulers by protecting their sovereignty. The British helped keep away other political powers that showed interest in the emirates such as turkey. This book explains how the sultan of Ottomans sided with the Germans in the First World War, threatening the interest of the British government in the Arabic region. The sultan declared jihad on the British administration in the area and called on all Muslims to fight off the British power, in addition to the French and Russian. The British government, till the present day, has a lot of interest in the Arabic Gulf region. Improvements and advancements in technology and communication have had consequences in international relations all over the world. Those centers of power that were hitherto remote do not enjoy this autonomy anymore. The development of the East India Company took a lot of time because means of communication at that time were so poor. It would probably take many days to confer with London authorities on any issues of concern (MAUGERI, 2006). The officials that were assigned distant offices were given too much powers and responsibilities for purposes of decision making and development. Ibn Saud, for example, who would later form the Saudi Arabia state, would take days to receive or send messages to the British government during the First World War. The developments in technology and communication have, therefore, played a key role in the advancement of Britain’s interests in the Arabic region, especially the Arabic peninsula, where they keep on interfering. According to Levey & Podeh (2008) in the book Britain And the Middle East: From Imperial to Junior Partner, Britain was actively involved in the determination of most of the borders in the Arabic states surrounding the peninsula. The British government was, therefore, clearly concerned with the political stability of the states and kingdoms that surrounded that area. This is because any instability in the politics may have led to war, something that the British would not wish to happen. A war outbreak in the region may lead to interference of other external power states such as Russia, France, and Italy, turkey or the United States of America (LEVEY & PODEH, 2008). In order to avoid this, the British administration signed a series of treaties with the surrounding rulers ensuring that the British would provide protection from foreign influence. To have control over the Arabic peninsula was so important to the British government although at first they had ventured the area for commercial purposes only. This area was the only route into the India, and controlling it meant that the British had control over the trade activities and port activities in the Indian Ocean. In fact, the British made sure that they have secured all the ports in the Indian Ocean that were available in the Gulf (LEVEY & PODEH, 2008). In his book, Ayoob (1986) reflects on how the Saudi family fought against the British authority to gain supremacy in the region. Most of these Arabic rebels were interested in the control of the Arabic peninsula that the British has secured for a long time. Some of them formed alliances to consolidate their efforts to fight the British power. They, however, faced resistance, not only from the British authorities, but also the Egyptians leaders who has similar interests. The British, however, did not give in to such pressure although the Arabs managed so seize control of some of the towns after many years (AYOOB, 1986). The author explains how the Egyptians were able to fight off much of the Arab resistance, to the delight of the British, of course. Interestingly, the British had to strike a deal with Abdel Aziz Al Saud, the man who later found the Saudi state. In their agreement, the British recognized his state during the World War I in exchange of the ruler not interfering with the eastern parts of the Arabic peninsula. The British used the strategy in the other regions surrounding the peninsula in order to protect it from these states that had now become powerful (AYOOB, 1986). Methodology The methodology used in this research will involve both primary and secondary data. In order to collect primary data, it will be important to visit the peninsula region for more accurate data and information. Secondary data may, however, be obtained from literature that discuss the subject matter. Some of these literatures have been reviewed above, but more may be necessary. These are discussed in this segment of the paper. To start with, it is important to analyze the possible ways of acquiring accurate primary data about the historiography of the British involvement in the Arabic peninsula. Access into the peninsula region is, therefore, necessary. To access the countries of the peninsula has been a big problem for many years. People who have sought access to the region, either for scholarly or fieldwork purposes have cited accessibility to the area as a major hindrance. To set foot in Saudi Arabia, for example, is difficult for any non-natives of the country. Those whop get easy access are those who either work there or have an official invitation by someone already in the country. This has, however, eased in the recent years. The numbers of young scholars who have been given access into the country in the recent past decades have notably increased. Some of these have successfully proceeded to write and publish histories of the region and other topics concerned. These publications can be successfully used as sources of secondary data. Before the 1990’s, anyone who sought to study the Arabic peninsula largely relied on available archives found in places like London. Archives that are found in the peninsula are either closed or do not exist at all. There are, however, a lot of data provided by some government departments on the Internet. Newspapers and magazines, which are freely accessible, can also be used to collect secondary data on the subject. Some commercial firms have also allowed researchers to use their archives. There are also some oral collections of the peninsula history available. These may include the people who have worked in the region during the period when the British were involved in economic and political activities in the region. Some authoritative historians who specialize in this subject will also useful in providing information and data for this research. Some recent publications of works that had been done a long time ago may also be used. Discussions from regional conferences that talk about the British involvement in the Arabic peninsula can also be used to collect information n this subject. Bibliography AYOOB, M. (1986). Reginonal security in the Third World: case studies from Southeast Asia and the Middle East. London [u.a.], Croom Helm. BALFOUR-PAUL, G. (1994). The end of empire in the Middle East: Britain's relinquishment of power in her last three Arab dependencies. Cambridge [England], Cambridge University Press. BOLTON, A. R. C. (1959). Soviet Middle East studies; an analysis and bibliography. [Oxford], Distributed for the Royal Institute of International Affairs by the Oxford University Press. LEVEY, Z., & PODEH, E. (2008). Britain and the Middle East: from imperial power to junior partner. Brighton [England], Sussex Academic Press. LONELY PLANET STAFF, & WALKER, J. (2010). Oman, UAE and the Arabian Peninsula. Lonely Planet Publications. MAUGERI, L. (2006). The age of oil: the mythology, history, and future of the world's most controversial resource. Westport, Conn. [u.a.], Praeger. ME?NORET, P. (2005). The Saudi enigma: a history. London, Zed Books. NASH, G. (2005). From empire to orient: travellers to the Middle East 1830 - 1926. London [u.a.], Tauris. NETTON, I. R. (1986). Arabia and the Gulf: from traditional society to modern states : essays in honour of M.A.Shaban's 60th birthday (16th November 1986). London, Croom Helm. OWTRAM, F. (2004). A modern history of Oman: formation of the state since 1920. London [u.a.], Tauris. ROGERS, H. E. (2006). The history of democracy: from the Middle East to Western civilizations. Bloomington, IN, AuthorHouse. TUSON, P. (2003). Playing the game: the story of Western women in Arabia. London [u.a.], Tauris. Read More