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109-591: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( Arabic : زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان , romanized :  Zāyid bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān ; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati royal, politician, philanthropist and the founder of the United Arab Emirates . Zayed served as the governor of Eastern Region from 1946 until he succeeded Sheikh Shakhbut as the ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966, and then as

218-680: A Federation and attempting to invite other trucial rulers to join in order that a viable nation be formed in the wake of the British withdrawal. In 1971, after occasionally difficult negotiations with the other six rulers of the Trucial States , the United Arab Emirates was formed. Zayed was appointed to the presidency of the UAE in 1971 and was reappointed on four more occasions: 1976, 1981, 1986, and 1991. In 1974, Zayed settled

327-807: A document shows that 81 years before the arrival of the Al Khalifa, one of the sheikhs of the Al Bin Ali tribe (an offshoot of the Bani Utbah) had bought a palm garden from Mariam bint Ahmed Al Sanadi in Sitra island. The Al Bin Ali were the dominant group controlling the town of Zubarah on the Qatar peninsula, originally the centre of power of the Bani Utbah. After the Bani Utbah gained control of Bahrain,

436-576: A group of youths threw stones at female runners for running bare-legged during an international marathon. The resulting clash with police soon grew into civil unrest. A popular uprising occurred between 1994 and 2000 in which leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces. The event resulted in approximately forty deaths and ended after Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa became the Emir of Bahrain in 1999. He instituted elections for parliament, gave women

545-587: A large statue to Awal in Muharraq , although it has now been lost. For many centuries after Tylos , Bahrain was known as Awal . By the 5th century, Bahrain became a centre for Nestorian Christianity , with the village Samahij as the seat of bishops. In 410, according to the Oriental Syriac Church synodal records, a bishop named Batai was excommunicated from the church in Bahrain. As a sect,

654-587: A letter to the League of Nations , a move that prompted Belgrave to undertake harsh measures including encouraging conflicts between Shia and Sunni Muslims to bring down the uprisings and limit the Iranian influence. Belgrave even went further by suggesting to rename the Persian Gulf to the "Arabian Gulf"; however, the proposal was refused by the British government. Britain's interest in Bahrain's development

763-599: A monetary prize of $ 500,000 from the Zayed Centre, and Carter stated in his acceptance speech that the award carried extra significance to him, since it was named after his personal friend. There was similar controversy when the London School of Economics accepted a large donation by the Zayed Centre, to build a new lecture theatre in the New Academic Building in 2008. The gift was accepted with

872-574: A noble title. In Somali society, it is reserved as an honorific for senior Muslim leaders and clerics ( wadaad ), and is often abbreviated to "Sh". Famous local sheikhs include Ishaaq bin Ahmed , an early Muslim scholar and Islamic preacher, Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti , an early Muslim leader in Somaliland ; Abadir Umar Ar-Rida , the patron saint of Harar ; Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti , Sheikh of

981-592: A number of protests and general strikes. In 1965 a month-long uprising broke out after hundreds of workers at the Bahrain Petroleum Company were laid off. On 15 August 1971, though the Shah of Iran was claiming historical sovereignty over Bahrain, he accepted a referendum held by the United Nations and eventually Bahrain declared independence and signed a new treaty of friendship with

1090-797: A small Saudi Arabian force led by Turki bin Abdullah Al-Otaishan occupied the village of Hamasa in the Buraimi Oasis (the ' Buraimi Dispute '). Zayed was prominent in his opposition to Saudi territorial claims and reportedly rejected a bribe of about £30 million to allow Aramco to explore for oil in the disputed territory. As part of this dispute, Zayed and his brother Hazza attended the Buraimi arbitration tribunal in Geneva in September 1955 and gave evidence to tribunal members. When

1199-591: A three-month period in order to ease the financial pain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic . Bahrain assailed the movement as an Iranian plot, and banned opposition parties, put civilians in front of military courts and jailed dozens of peaceful political opponents, eliciting harsh international criticism. "Ten years after Bahrain's popular uprising, systemic injustice has intensified and political repression targeting dissidents, human rights defenders, clerics and independent civil society have effectively shut any space for

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1308-617: A three-month state of emergency. The government then launched a crackdown on the opposition that included conducting thousands of arrests and systematic torture . Almost daily clashes between protesters and security forces led to dozens of deaths . Protests, sometimes staged by opposition parties, were ongoing. More than 80 civilians and 13 policemen have been killed as of March 2014 . According to Physicians for Human Rights , 34 of these deaths were related to government usage of tear gas originally manufactured by U.S.-based Federal Laboratories . The lack of coverage by Arab media in

1417-544: Is based upon our religion and that is what our people want. Should they seek alternatives, we are ready to listen to them. We have always said that our people should voice their demands openly. We are all in the same boat, and they are both the captain and the crew. Our doors are open for any opinion to be expressed, and this well known by all our citizens. It is our deep conviction that Allah has created people free, and has prescribed that each individual must enjoy freedom of choice . No one should act as if they own others. Those in

1526-745: Is commonly used for women of ruling families in the Arab states of the Arabian Peninsula. Bahrain Bahrain , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is an island country in West Asia . It is situated on the Persian Gulf , and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands , centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of

1635-447: Is given as a surname to those of great knowledge in religious affairs, by a prestigious religious leader from a chain of Sufi scholars. The word is mentioned in the Qur'an in three places: verse 72 of Hud , 78 of Yusuf , and 23 of al-Qasas . A royal family member of the United Arab Emirates and some other Arab countries, also has this title, since the ruler of each emirate is also

1744-491: Is not confined to India, but extends to Arabia." The Greek historian Theophrastus states that much of Bahrain was covered by these cotton trees and that Bahrain was famous for exporting walking canes engraved with emblems that were customarily carried in Babylon. Alexander had planned to settle Greek colonists in Bahrain, and although it is not clear that this happened on the scale he envisaged, Bahrain became very much part of

1853-579: Is used instead. The title is also used to refer to religious leaders for both Sunni and Shia Muslims. For example, the Saudi Arabian family Al ash-Sheikh (literally House of the Sheikh ) is named after the religious leader and eponymous founder of Wahhabism , Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab . In Mount Lebanon, the title had the same princely and royal connotation as in the Arabian peninsula until

1962-609: The Baharna may be the Arabised "descendants of converts from the original population of Christians (Aramaeans), Jews and Persians inhabiting the island and cultivated coastal provinces of Eastern Arabia at the time of the Muslim conquest ". The sedentary people of pre-Islamic Bahrain were Aramaic speakers and to some degree Persian speakers, while Syriac functioned as a liturgical language . Muhammad 's first interaction with

2071-527: The Bani Yas tribe, and by Kuwait 's Al Sabah dynasty and Bahrain 's Al Khalifa dynasty of the Bani Utbah tribal confederation. The term is used by almost every male and female (Sheikha) member of the royal houses of the UAE , Bahrain , Qatar , and Kuwait . The title is not used by members of Al Saud of Saudi Arabia , where the title "Prince" ( Arabic : أمير , romanized :  ʾAmīr )

2180-594: The GCC nations. Zayed was one of the founders of the Dar Al Maal Al Islami Trust which was initiated by Saudi royal Mohammed bin Faisal Al Saud , King Faisal 's son, in 1981. After floods ravaged Yemen 's Ma'rib Governorate in 1982, Zayed financed the construction of the current dam of Ma'rib in 1984. This was to replace the historical one that was damaged in antiquity, and support

2289-729: The House of Khalifa , Al-Ma'awdah, Al-Buainain, Al-Fadhil, Al-Kuwari, Al-Mannai, Al-Noaimi, Al-Rumaihi, Al-Sulaiti, Al-Sadah, Al-Thawadi and other families and tribes. The House of Khalifa moved from Qatar to Bahrain in 1799. Originally, their ancestors were expelled from Umm Qasr in central Arabia by the Ottomans due to their predatory habits of preying on caravans in Basra and trading ships in Shatt al-Arab waterway until Turks expelled them to Kuwait in 1716, where they remained until 1766. Around

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2398-628: The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca who influenced many of the prominent Islamic scholars of today. In the cosmopolitan hub of the South Asian sub-continent, it is not just an ethnic title but also often an occupational title attributed to Muslim trading families. After the advent of Islam in South Asia , many Hindu-Buddhists clans from different castes converted to Islam and adopted the title. In

2507-826: The Ottoman invasion in 1516, since it represented an indigenous autonomous " sui iuris " ruler or tribal chief. Examples of some ancient families that hold the title of "sui iuris" sheikh is the Al-Chemor family, ruling since 1211 CE in Koura and Zgharta until 1747 CE and the Boudib family (descendants of the Hashemite family) who were Ehdenian rulers of Jebbeh since 1471 CE until 1759 CE. The descendants of this sovereign family now live in Miziara , Mexico and Nigeria. Even

2616-475: The Persian Gulf . He also showed interest in falconry . Zayed was born at Qasr al-Hosn , Abu Dhabi , in 1918 and moved from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain in 1926, after the death of his father. As Zayed was growing up in Al-Ain, there were no modern schools anywhere along the coast. He only received a basic instruction in the principles of Islam, and lived in the desert with Bedouin tribesmen, familiarising himself with

2725-625: The Portuguese Empire allied with Hormuz and seized Bahrain from the Jabrid ruler Muqrin ibn Zamil , who was killed during the takeover. Portuguese rule lasted for around 80 years, during which time they depended mainly on Sunni Persian governors. The Portuguese were expelled from the islands in 1602 by Abbas I of the Safavid Iran , which gave impetus to Shia Islam . For the next two centuries, Persian rulers retained control of

2834-637: The Punjab region , Ismaili Pirs gave some converts, as well as Muslims who emigrated from Central Asia , especially after the barbaric Mongol conquests , the hereditary title of Ismaili Shaikhs . In Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia , sheikhs are respected by local Muslims. In Indonesia , the term is usually spelled "syech", and this is usually attributed to elderly ulama . Higher knowledgeable people of Islamic studies in Indonesia are usually referred to as " ustad " or " kyai ". From

2943-660: The Qadiriyya order, and Sheikh Ahmad al-Tijani , who initiated the Tijaniyyah Sufi order. In the Arabian Peninsula , the title is used for chiefs of tribes . This also includes royalty in most of Eastern Arabia , where the royal families were traditionally considered tribal chiefs. For example, it is used by the UAE Al-Nahyan dynasty and Al Maktoum dynasty , who are considered the chiefs of

3052-451: The Quran . What need have we of what others have conjured up? Its teachings are eternal and complete, while the systems conjured up by man are transitory and incomplete. Land was also often distributed gratis (free). However, while this policy benefited many landless families, enormously wealthy clans and individuals were given free land grants in proportion to their status and influence with

3161-714: The Second World War on the Allied side, joining on 10 September 1939. On 19 October 1940, four Italian SM.82s bombers bombed Bahrain alongside Dhahran oilfields in Saudi Arabia, targeting Allied-operated oil refineries. Although minimal damage was caused in both locations, the attack forced the Allies to upgrade Bahrain's defences, an action which further stretched Allied military resources. After World War II, increasing anti-British sentiment spread throughout

3270-695: The September 11 attacks , the country participated in military action against the Taliban in October 2001 by deploying a frigate in the Arabian Sea for rescue and humanitarian operations. As a result, in November of that year, US president George W. Bush 's administration designated Bahrain as a " major non-NATO ally ". Bahrain opposed the invasion of Iraq and had offered Saddam Hussein asylum in

3379-542: The United Arab Emirates issued directives that declared 2018 to be the Year of Zayed in honor of his father, Sheikh Zayed. The declaration came during Zayed's 51st anniversary of assuming the leadership of Abu Dhabi in 1966, who became the ruler by replacing Sheikh Shakbut and was aimed to commemorate centenary birth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed. In 2018, a year dedicated in the UAE to the celebration of Zayed's life and legacy,

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3488-528: The demonym Bahraynī . The medieval grammarian al-Jawahari commented on this, saying that the more formally correct term Bahrī (lit. "belonging to the sea") would have been misunderstood and so was unused. It remains disputed which "two seas" the name Bahrayn originally refers to. The term appears five times in the Quran , but does not refer to the modern island—originally known to the Arabs as Awal . Today, Bahrain's "two seas" are generally taken to be

3597-450: The dual form of Arabic word Bahr (meaning literally " sea "), so al-Bahrayn originally means literally "the two seas ". However, the name has been lexicalised as a feminine proper noun and does not follow the grammatical rules for duals; thus its form is always Bahrayn and never Bahrān , the expected nominative form. Endings are added to the word with no changes, as in the name of the national anthem Bahraynunā ("our Bahrain") or

3706-668: The empire . Some very influential Maronite families, who had the title bestowed upon them, are (in chronological order): the El Hachem of Akoura (descendants of the Hashemite family, since 1523), the El-Khazen (since 1545), the Hubaysh of Kisrawan and the Douaihy of Zgharta . Other families who are nowadays addressed or known as "sheikhs" were not traditionally rulers of provinces, but instead they were high-ranking officials at

3815-738: The riwaq in Cairo who recorded the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt ; Abd Al-Rahman bin Ahmad al-Zayla'i , scholar who played a crucial role in the spread of the Qadiriyyah movement in Somalia and East Africa; Sheikh Sufi , 19th century scholar, poet, reformist and astrologist; Abdallah al-Qutbi , polemicist, theologian and philosopher best known for his five-part Al-Majmu'at al-mubaraka ("The Blessed Collection"); and Muhammad Al-Sumaalee, teacher in

3924-422: The third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore . The capital and largest city is Manama . According to archeologist Geoffrey Bibby, Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization . It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries , which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam , during

4033-413: The "Umm al Zamul" dispute (1964), when he expressed a genuine wish that his brother Sheikh Shakhbut would accept "the Sultan's proposal for a neutral zone". He said in that regard: "... it was ridiculous to squabble over a [water] well so bitter that few bedouin could stomach its waters, or to split hairs over a tiny area of barren, almost totally unfrequented desert. And even if there happened to be oil in

4142-413: The 10th-century Shaykhah Fakhr-un-Nisa Shuhdah and 18th-century scholar Al-Shaykha Fatima al-Fudayliyya . In 1957, Indonesian education activist Rahmah el Yunusiyah was awarded the title of syeikah by the faculty of Al-Azhar University , the first time the university had granted the title to a woman. A daughter, wife or mother of a sheikh is also called a shaykhah . Currently, the term shaykhah

4251-425: The 1760s, the Al Jalahma and House of Khalifa, both belonging to the Utub Federation, migrated to Zubarah in modern-day Qatar , leaving Al Sabah as the sole proprietors of Kuwait. In the early 19th century, Bahrain was invaded by both the Omanis and the Al Sauds . In 1802 it was governed by a 12-year-old child, when the Omani ruler Sayyid Sultan installed his son, Salim, as governor in the Arad Fort . In 1816,

4360-404: The Abu Harmoush family heads, which ruled the Chouf region until the Battle of Ain Dara in 1711 CE, were "sui iuris" sheikhs. After the Ottoman rule and the implementation of the Iltizam system, the title gained a noble instead of royal connotation, since it was bestowed by a higher authority; in this case the Ottoman appointed Emir , who was nothing more than a mültezim or tax collector for

4469-411: The Al Bin Ali had a practically independent status there as a self-governing tribe. They used a flag with four red and three white stripes, called the Al-Sulami flag in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait , and the Eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Later, different Arab family clans and tribes from Qatar moved to Bahrain to settle after the fall of Nasr Al-Madhkur of Bushehr . These families included

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4578-438: The Arab Spring , ended in a bloody crackdown against the mainly Shiite demonstrators who had demanded an elected government, threatening the Sunni monarchy's grip on power. In 2012, the Bahrain Pearling Trail , consisting of three oyster beds, was designated as a World Heritage Site , inscribing it as "Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy". On 9 April 2020, Bahrain launched a committee to paying private-sector employees for

4687-528: The Arab World and led to riots in Bahrain. The riots focused on the Jewish community. In 1948, following rising hostilities and looting , most members of Bahrain's Jewish community abandoned their properties and evacuated to Bombay , later settling in Israel ( Pardes Hanna-Karkur ) and the United Kingdom. As of 2008 , 37 Jews remained in the country. In the 1950s, the National Union Committee , formed by reformists following sectarian clashes, demanded an elected popular assembly, removal of Belgrave and carried out

4796-405: The Black Stone caused it to break into seven pieces. Following their defeat in the year 976 by the Abbasids , the Qarmatians were overthrown by the Arab Uyunid dynasty of al-Hasa , who took over the entire Bahrain region in 1076. The Uyunids controlled Bahrain until 1235, when the archipelago was briefly occupied by the Persian ruler of Fars . In 1253, the Bedouin Usfurids brought down

4905-430: The British placed the country under the de facto rule of Charles Belgrave who operated as an adviser to the ruler until 1957. Belgrave brought a number of reforms such as establishment of the country's first modern school in 1919 and the abolition of slavery in 1937. At the same time, the pearl diving industry developed at a rapid pace. In 1927, Rezā Shāh , then Shah of Iran , demanded sovereignty over Bahrain in

5014-438: The British political resident in the Persian Gulf, William Bruce, received a letter from the Sheikh of Bahrain who was concerned about a rumour that Britain would support an attack on the island by the Imam of Muscat. He sailed to Bahrain to reassure the Sheikh that this was not the case and drew up an informal agreement assuring the Sheikh that Britain would remain a neutral party. In 1820, the Al Khalifa tribe were recognised by

5123-444: The Emirates, which sit on a pool of a tenth of the world's proven oil reserves. In 1988, he purchased, for £5m, Tittenhurst Park at Sunninghill, Berkshire as his English home. At the time the British withdrew from the Persian Gulf in 1971, Zayed oversaw the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab Economic Development; some of its oil riches were channeled to some forty less fortunate Islamic nations in Asia and Africa during

5232-562: The Founder's Memorial was opened in Abu Dhabi. The memorial consists of an open Heritage Garden and Sanctuary Garden at the centre of which is a cubic pavilion housing The Constellation, an artwork dedicated to Zayed's memory. Zayed bin Sultan married seven times and has 19 sons. His children are as follows: Spouse: Spouse: Spouses: Latifa bint Jamhour Al Qubaisi Spouses: Spouse: Spouse: Spouse: Spouse: Spouse: Spouse: Maitha bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan Sheikh In some countries, it

5341-510: The Greek admiral Nearchus serving under Alexander the Great landed on Bahrain. Nearchus is believed to have been the first of Alexander's commanders to visit the island, and he found a verdant land that was part of a wide trading network; he recorded: "That on the island of Tylos, situated in the Persian Gulf, are large plantations of cotton trees, from which are manufactured clothes called sindones , of strongly differing degrees of value, some being costly, others less expensive. The use of these

5450-401: The Hellenised world: the language of the upper classes was Greek (although Aramaic was in everyday use). Local coinage shows a seated Zeus, who may have been worshipped there as a syncretised form of the Arabian sun-god Shams . Tylos was also the site of Greek athletic contests. The Greek historian Strabo believed the Phoenicians originated from Bahrain. Herodotus also believed that

5559-402: The Iranian Zand leader Karim Khan Zand and restored direct Iranian rule. In 1783, Al-Madhkur lost the islands of Bahrain following his defeat by the Bani Utbah clan and allied tribes at the 1782 Battle of Zubarah . Bahrain was not new territory to the Bani Utbah; they had been a presence there since the 17th century. During that time, they started purchasing date palm gardens in Bahrain;

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5668-476: The Nestorians were often persecuted as heretics by the Byzantine Empire , but Bahrain was outside the Empire's control, offering some safety. The names of several Muharraq villages today reflect Bahrain's Christian legacy, with Al Dair meaning "the monastery". Bahrain's pre-Islamic population consisted of Christian Arabs (mostly Abd al-Qays ), Persians ( Zoroastrians ), Jews , and Aramaic -speaking agriculturalists. According to Robert Bertram Serjeant ,

5777-478: The Persian Gulf and author of The Persian Gulf , arrived in Bahrain from Muscat at this time. The uprising developed further with some protesters killed by British forces. Before the development of the petroleum industry, the island was largely devoted to pearl fisheries and, as late as the 19th century, was considered to be the finest in the world. In 1903, German explorer Hermann Burchardt visited Bahrain and took many photographs of historical sites, including

5886-420: The Persian Gulf, as compared to other Arab Spring uprisings, has sparked several controversies. Iran is alleged by United States and others to have a hand in the arming of Bahraini militants. The Saudi-led Intervention of Bahrain led to swift suppression of widespread anti-government protests through military assistance from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The 2011 Bahraini uprising , inspired by

5995-497: The Qarmatians demanded tribute from the caliph in Baghdad , and in 930 sacked Mecca , bringing the sacred Black Stone back to their base in Ahsa , in medieval Bahrain, for ransom. According to historian Al-Juwayni , the stone was returned 22 years later in 951 under mysterious circumstances. Wrapped in a sack, it was thrown into the Great Mosque of Kufa in Iraq, accompanied by a note saying "By command we took it, and by command, we have brought it back." The theft and removal of

6104-467: The Sheikh Zayed Theatre being the second largest lecture hall on the campus. Harvard's equivocation, the Carter controversy, and the engendering negative publicity, prompted Sheikh Zayed to shut down the centre in August 2003, stating that the Zayed Centre "had engaged in a discourse that starkly contradicted the principles of interfaith tolerance." On 2 November 2004, Zayed died at the age of 86. He had been suffering from diabetes and kidney problems. He

6213-419: The Tylos era; for instance the name of Arad, a residential suburb of Muharraq , is believed to originate from "Arados", the ancient Greek name for Muharraq. In the 3rd century, Ardashir I , the first ruler of the Sassanid dynasty , marched on Oman and Bahrain, where he defeated Sanatruq the ruler of Bahrain. Bahrain was also the site of worship of an ox deity called Awal (Arabic: اوال ) Worshipers built

6322-422: The UK's Foreign Office Minister Goronwy Roberts visited the Trucial States and announced to its shocked rulers that the United Kingdom would abrogate its treaties with them and intended to withdraw from the area. In a seminal meeting on 18 February 1968 at a desert highland on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum of Dubai shook hands on the principle of founding

6431-412: The United Kingdom as the rulers ("Al-Hakim" in Arabic) of Bahrain after signing a treaty relationship . However, ten years later they were forced to pay yearly tributes to Egypt despite seeking Persian and British protection. In 1860, the Al Khalifas used the same tactic when the British tried to overpower Bahrain. Writing letters to the Persians and Ottomans , Al Khalifas agreed to place Bahrain under

6540-439: The United Kingdom. Bahrain joined the United Nations and the Arab League later in the year. The oil boom of the 1970s benefited Bahrain greatly, although the subsequent downturn hurt the economy. The country had already begun diversification of its economy and benefited further from the Lebanese Civil War in the 1970s and 1980s, when Bahrain replaced Beirut as the Middle East's financial hub after Lebanon's large banking sector

6649-436: The Uyunid dynasty, thereby gaining control over eastern Arabia , including the islands of Bahrain. In 1330, the archipelago became a tributary state of the rulers of Hormuz , though locally the islands were controlled by the Shi'ite Jarwanid dynasty of Qatif . In the mid-15th century, the archipelago came under the rule of the Jabrids , a Bedouin dynasty also based in Al-Ahsa that ruled most of eastern Arabia. In 1521,

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6758-457: The archipelago, interrupted by the 1717 and 1738 invasions of the Ibadis of Oman. During most of this period, they resorted to governing Bahrain indirectly, either through the city of Bushehr or through immigrant Sunni Arab clans. The latter were tribes returning to the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf from Persian territories in the north who were known as Huwala . In 1753, the Huwala clan of Nasr Al-Madhkur invaded Bahrain on behalf of

6867-403: The area, Abu Dhabi had so much already that she could well afford to spare some for her less fortunate neighbours". Furthermore, during the negotiations between Abu Dhabi and Dubai that resulted in forming the Abu Dhabi — Dubai Union (which preceded the formation of the United Arab Emirates), Sheikh Zayed was extremely generous with the Sheikh Rashid of Dubai. Kemal Hamza, Sheikh Rashid's envoy to

6976-413: The bay east and west of the island, the seas north and south of the island, or the salt and fresh water present above and below the ground. In addition to wells, there are areas of the sea north of Bahrain where fresh water bubbles up in the middle of the saltwater as noted by visitors since antiquity. An alternative theory concerning Bahrain's toponymy is offered by the al-Ahsa region, which suggests that

7085-441: The country's agriculture and economy. The area of Ma'rib is reportedly from where his ancestors migrated to what is now the UAE. Controversy over the opinions of the Zayed Centre caused the Harvard Divinity School to return Sheikh Zayed's $ 2.5 million gift to the institution in 2000 as "tainted money." Former United States president Jimmy Carter accepted the Zayed International Prize for the Environment in 2001. The award included

7194-401: The country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia , to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway . The population of Bahrain is 1,501,635 as of May 14, 2023, based on elaborations of the United Nations data, of whom 712,362 are Bahraini nationals. Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi), and is

7303-480: The country. Other agreements in 1880 and 1892 sealed the protectorate status of Bahrain to the British. Unrest amongst the people of Bahrain began when Britain officially established complete dominance over the territory in 1892. The first revolt and widespread uprising took place in March 1895 against Sheikh Issa bin Ali, then ruler of Bahrain. Sheikh Issa was the first of the Al Khalifa to rule without Persian relations. Sir Arnold Wilson , Britain's representative in

7412-401: The days before the invasion. Relations improved with neighbouring Qatar after the border dispute over the Hawar Islands was resolved by the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 2001. Following the political liberalisation of the country, Bahrain negotiated a free trade agreement with the United States in 2004. In 2005, Qal'at al-Bahrain , a fort and archaeological complex

7521-512: The decades that followed. In 1970 Zayed donated £50,000 to British politician Christopher Mayhew to establish an Arab Frienship Foundation. He also donated £40,000 to Margaret McKay , then president of the Anglo-Jordanian Alilance, to purchase a house to be used as a cultural and recreational centre for Arab students. Using the country's enormous oil revenues, Zayed built institutions such as hospitals, schools and universities and made it possible for UAE citizens to enjoy free access to them. He

7630-435: The first president of the United Arab Emirates while he retained his position as Abu Dhabi's ruler from 1971 until his death in 2004. He is revered in the United Arab Emirates as the Waalid al-Ummah (" Father of the Nation "), credited for being the principal driving force behind uniting the seven Trucial States to found the Union of the United Arab Emirates. Zayed replaced his older brother Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan as

7739-504: The future course of events proved, none of these arguments stood the test of judgment in light of the much higher goal that Sheikh Zayed had in mind, and which in the ultimate analysis amply justified the sacrifices incurred by him. Such concessions are rare in the records of history and news of this generosity travelled far and wide. He was considered a relatively liberal ruler , and permitted private media. However, they were expected to practice self-censorship and avoid criticism of Zayed or

7848-555: The homeland of the Phoenicians was Bahrain. This theory was accepted by the 19th-century German classicist Arnold Heeren who said that: "In the Greek geographers, for instance, we read of two islands, named Tyrus or Tylos , and Aradus , which boasted that they were the mother country of the Phoenicians, and exhibited relics of Phoenician temples." The people of Tyre , in particular, have long maintained Persian Gulf origins, and

7957-518: The late 1800s, following successive treaties with the British , Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, it declared independence . Formerly an emirate , Bahrain was declared a semi-constitutional monarchy in 2002, and Article 2 of the newly adopted constitution made Sharia a principal source for legislation. In 2011, the country experienced protests inspired by

8066-546: The late 1960s, Zayed hired Katsuhiko Takahashi, a Japanese architect, to design and plan the city of Abu Dhabi. Takahashi, working to instructions from Zayed, often marked out in sand with a camel stick, was responsible for a number of key buildings, while also introducing wide roads, the construction of corniches and also greening the city. Another architect, Egyptian Abdulrahman Makhlouf, also worked to render Zayed's instructions into city plans and infrastructural projects following Takahashi's departure. Between 8–11 January 1968,

8175-702: The latter's protection in March due to offering better conditions. Eventually, the Government of British India overpowered Bahrain when the Persians refused to protect it. Colonel Pelly signed a new treaty with Al Khalifas placing Bahrain under British rule and protection. Following the Qatari–Bahraini War in 1868, British representatives signed another agreement with the Al Khalifas. It specified that

8284-474: The lead in calling for the lifting of economic sanctions on Iraq imposed by the United Nations in the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, despite Kuwaiti displeasure and opposition. Zayed was one of the wealthiest men in the world. A Forbes estimate put his fortune at around US$ 20 billion in 2004. The source of this wealth was almost exclusively due to the immense oil wealth of Abu Dhabi and

8393-607: The life of the people , their traditional skills and their ability to survive under the harsh climatic conditions. Zayed was appointed the governor of the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi in 1946, and was based in the Muwaiji fort in Al Ain. At this time, the area was poor and prone to outbreaks of disease. When parties from Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) began exploring for oil in the area, Zayed assisted them. In 1952,

8502-523: The lifetime of Muhammad in 628 AD. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid Iran . In 1783, the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family , with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim . In

8611-524: The meeting between Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid in Sumeih remarked that "Zayed was extremely 'karim' (generous) throughout the negotiations and seemed prepared to give Rashid whatever he wanted". This amounted to Zayed giving Rashid "oil rights in the sea-bed that might be worth milions a year" even at the risk of criticism "at home for giving so much..." It also gave rise to comments that such concessions constituted "an alienation of territory by Abu Dhabi". But

8720-727: The old Qaṣr es-Sheikh , photos now stored at the Ethnological Museum of Berlin . Before the First World War , there were about 400 vessels hunting pearls and an annual export of more than £30,000. In 1911, a group of Bahraini merchants demanded restrictions on the British influence in the country. The group's leaders were subsequently arrested and exiled to India. In 1923, the British introduced administrative reforms and replaced Sheikh Issa bin Ali with his son. Some clerical opponents and families, such as Al Dosari , left or were exiled to Saudi Arabia. Three years later

8829-632: The outstanding border dispute with Saudi Arabia by the Treaty of Jeddah by which Saudi Arabia received the output of the Shaybah oilfield and access to the lower Persian Gulf in return for recognising the UAE. In 1976 he founded the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority , which grew to be the world's third-largest sovereign investment fund by 2020, with nearly a trillion US dollars ' worth of assets under management. Sheikh Zayed

8938-539: The people of Bahrain was the Al Kudr Invasion . Muhammad ordered a surprise attack on the Banu Salim tribe for plotting to attack Medina. He had received news that some tribes were assembling an army in Bahrain and preparing to attack the mainland, but the tribesmen retreated when they learned Muhammad was leading an army to do battle with them. Traditional Islamic accounts state that Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami

9047-638: The perspective of Iran, the word or title of sheikh possesses diverse meanings, among individuals who are aged and wise, it has been an honorific title used for elders and learned scholars, such as: Sheikh al-Rayees Abu Ali Sina , Sheikh Mufid , Sheikh Morteza Ansari . In the past, Islamic scholars who were the Muhammad's descendants, were called Sayyid / Seyyed instead of sheikh. Historically, female scholars in Islam were referred to as shaykhah (Arabic: شيخة ) (alt. shaykhat ). Notable shaykha include

9156-423: The position of leadership should deal with their subjects with compassion and understanding, because this is the duty enjoined upon them by Allah, who enjoins upon us to treat all living creatures with dignity. How can there be anything less for mankind, created as Allah's successors on earth? Our system of government does not derive its authority from man, but is enshrined in our religion and is based on Allah's Book,

9265-409: The regional Arab Spring . Bahrain's ruling Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa royal family has been criticised for violating the human rights of groups including dissidents, political opposition figures, and its majority Shia Muslim population . Bahrain developed one of the first post-oil economies in the Persian Gulf , the result of decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors; many of

9374-791: The right to vote, and released all political prisoners. A referendum on 14–15 February 2001 massively supported the National Action Charter . As part of the adoption of the National Action Charter on 14 February 2002, Bahrain changed its formal name from the State ( dawla ) of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Bahrain. At the same time, the title of the Head of State, Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, was changed from Emir to King. After

9483-418: The royal family. His majlis (a traditional Arab consultation council) was open to the public. He allowed non-Muslim religious buildings, such as churches and a temple, to be built. Zayed was also in favour of certain rights for women, such as access to education and women's labour rights, within traditional parameters. His views regarding women's rights were considerably more liberal than his counterparts in

9592-430: The ruler could not dispose of any of his territories except to the United Kingdom and could not enter into relationships with any foreign government without British consent. In return the British promised to protect Bahrain from all aggression by sea and to lend support in case of land attack. More importantly the British promised to support the rule of the Al Khalifa in Bahrain, securing its unstable position as rulers of

9701-620: The ruler of Abu Dhabi on 6 August 1966 after Shakhbut was deposed through a bloodless coup by members of the ruling family with British support. Zayed was the youngest of four sons of Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. His father was the ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1922 until his death in 1926. Zayed was the youngest of his four brothers. His eldest brother, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan , became ruler of Abu Dhabi after their uncle, Saqr bin Zayed Al Nahyan . His mother

9810-418: The ruling families. Freedom of worship was permitted, and to a certain extent allowances were made for expatriate cultures, but this did not always sit comfortably in the eyes of the wider Arab world with Zayed's role as a Muslim head of state. Zayed did not shy away from controversy when it came to expressing his opinions on current events in the Arab world. Troubled by the suffering of Iraqi civilians, he took

9919-622: The service of the Emir at that time. In the Maghreb , during the Almohad dynasty, the caliph was also counseled by a body of sheikhs. They represented all the different tribes under their rules, including Arabs , ( Bedouins ), Andalusians and Berbers and were also responsible for mobilizing their kinsmen in the event of war. In the Muslim parts of the Horn of Africa , "shaikh" is often used as

10028-527: The sheikh of their tribe. The word in Arabic stems from a triliteral root connected with aging: ش-ي-خ , shīn-yā'-khā' . The title carries the meaning leader, elder , or noble , especially in the Arabian Peninsula within the Tribes of Arabia , where Shaikh became a traditional title of a Bedouin tribal leader in recent centuries. Due to the cultural impact of Arab civilization, and especially through

10137-542: The similarity in the words "Tylos" and "Tyre" has been commented upon. However, there is little evidence of any human settlement at all on Bahrain during the time when such migration had supposedly taken place. The name Tylos is thought to be a Hellenisation of the Semitic Tilmun (from Dilmun ). The term Tylos was commonly used for the islands until Ptolemy 's Geographia when the inhabitants are referred to as Thilouanoi. Some place names in Bahrain go back to

10246-549: The sixth to third century BC, Bahrain was part of the Achaemenid Empire . By about 250 BC, Parthia brought the Persian Gulf under its control and extended its influence as far as Oman. The Parthians established garrisons along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf to control trade routes. During the classical era , Bahrain was referred to by the ancient Greeks as Tylos , the centre of pearl trading, when

10355-577: The spread of Islam, the word has gained currency as a religious term or general honorific in many other parts of the world as well, notably in Muslim cultures in Africa and Asia . In Sufism ( tasawwuf ), the word shaikh is used to represent a spiritual guide who initiates a particular order ( tariqa ) which leads to Muhammad , although many saints have this title added before their names out of respect from their followers. A couple of prominent examples are Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani , who initiated

10464-435: The start of oil exports in 1962, led to frustration among members of the ruling family about the lack of progress under Sheikh Shakhbut's rule. Shakhbut was seen as averse to spending revenue from oil money to develop the emirate by other members of Al Nahyan and hence they requested British help to install Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as the ruler of Abu Dhabi in his stead through a bloodless coup. On 6 August 1966, Shakhbut

10573-595: The term "Bahrain" began to refer solely to the Awal archipelago is unknown. The entire coastal strip of Eastern Arabia was known as "Bahrain" for a millennium. The island and kingdom were also commonly spelled Bahrein into the 1950s. Bahrain was home to Dilmun , an important Bronze Age trade centre linking Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley . Bahrain was later ruled by the Assyrians and Babylonians . From

10682-600: The tribunal was abandoned amid allegations of Saudi bribery, the British initiated the reoccupation of the Buraimi Oasis through a local military force, the Trucial Oman Levies . A period of stability followed during which Zayed helped to develop the region and took a particular interest in the restoration of the falaj system, a network of water channels which kept the plantations of the Buraimi Oasis irrigated and fertile. The discovery of oil in 1958, and

10791-754: The two seas were the Great Green Ocean (the Persian Gulf) and a peaceful lake on the Arabian mainland . Until the late Middle Ages , "Bahrain" referred to the region of Eastern Arabia that included Southern Iraq , Kuwait , Al-Hasa , Qatif , and Bahrain. The region stretched from Basra in Iraq to the Strait of Hormuz in Oman . This was Iqlīm al-Bahrayn's "Bahrayn Province". The exact date at which

10900-684: The world's largest financial institutions have a presence in the country's capital. It is recognized by the World Bank as a high-income economy . Bahrain is a member of the United Nations , Non-Aligned Movement , Arab League , Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council . Bahrain is a Dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization . Bahrain is

11009-403: Was Sheikha Salama bint Butti. She extracted a promise from her sons not to use violence against each other, a promise which they kept. Sheikh Zayed was named after his grandfather, Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan ("Zayed the Great"), who ruled the emirate from 1855 to 1909. At the time of Sheikh Zayed's birth, the sheikhdom of Abu Dhabi was one of seven Trucial States along the lower coast of

11118-571: Was also known for making donations to the tune of millions [pounds sterling] for worthy causes around the Arab World as well as in the neighbouring countries and in the world at large. When asked by The New York Times in April 1997 why there is no elected legislature , Zayed replied, Why should we abandon a system that satisfies our people in order to introduce a system that seems to engender dissent and confrontation? Our system of government

11227-771: Was buried in the courtyard of the new Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. His eldest son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan , took an increasing role in government beginning in the 1980s. Directly after his father's death, he became the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and was ratified as the president of the United Arab Emirates by his fellow rulers in the Supreme Council. On 6 August 2017, the Emirates News Agency reported that Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan , President of

11336-729: Was deposed in a bloodless palace coup. The move to replace Shakhbut with Zayed had the unanimous backing of the Al Nahyan family. The news was conveyed to Shakhbut by British Acting Resident Glen Balfour-Paul who added the support of the British to the consensus of the family. Shakhbut finally accepted the decision and, with the Trucial Oman Scouts providing safe transport, left for Bahrain . He subsequently lived in Khorramshahr , Iran before returning to live in Buraimi . In

11445-544: Was determined to unite the Emirates into federation . His calls for cooperation extended across the Persian Gulf to Iran . He advocated dialogue as the means to settle the row with Tehran over three strategic Persian Gulf islands which Iran seized from the (future) UAE Emirate of Sharjah in 1971. The islands remain in Iranian hands, despite over three decades of UAE diplomatic initiatives. The attitude of Zayed towards his neighbors can best be seen in his position regarding

11554-671: Was driven out of the country by the war. In 1981, following the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, the Bahraini Shia population orchestrated a failed coup attempt under the auspices of a front organisation, the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain . The coup would have installed a Shia cleric exiled in Iran, Hujjatu l-Islām Hādī al-Mudarrisī , as supreme leader heading a theocratic government . In December 1994,

11663-491: Was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Inspired by the regional Arab Spring , Bahrain's Shia majority started large protests against its Sunni rulers in early 2011. The government initially allowed protests following a pre-dawn raid on protesters camped in Pearl Roundabout . A month later it requested security assistance from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries and declared

11772-807: Was motivated by concerns over Saudi and Iranian ambitions in the region. The Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company of California (Socal), discovered oil in 1932. In the early 1930s, Bahrain Airport was developed. Imperial Airways flew there, including the Handley Page HP42 aircraft. Later in the same decade, the Bahrain Maritime Airport was established, for flying boats and seaplanes. Bahrain participated in

11881-672: Was sent as an envoy during the Expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah (Hisma) to the Bahrain region by Muhammad in AD ;628 and that Munzir ibn Sawa Al Tamimi , the local ruler, responded to his mission and converted the entire area. In the year 899, the Qarmatians , a millenarian Ismaili Muslim sect, seized Bahrain, seeking to create a utopian society based on reason and redistribution of property among initiates. Thereafter,

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