UAE History I: 1819-1971

• Survey of United Arab Emirates Studies, UAES 200, Week 3: The UAE History I: 1819-1971

Colonialism and Imperialism

• Imperialism comes from the Latin term "imperium," meaning to command.
• It is an ideology where a powerful nation seeks to extend its influence and control over weaker regions.
• Influence and control is exerted via diplomacy, military force, or economic domination without physical occupation.
• Colonialism is a form of imperialism that involves the direct establishment and maintenance of settlements (colonies) in a foreign land.
• Here, the colonizing nation exerts complete political and economic control over the territory and its people.
• A protectorate is a state or territory that is protected and partly controlled by a stronger state but not directly governed by it.
• The protectorate may have its own local rulers but has military protection and foreign relations managed by a stronger power

Reasons Behind Colonialism: 3G

• Economic motives are a hunger for wealth (gold, silver, and land) during the Age of Exploration in the 15th-17th centuries.
• The Industrial Revolution created a need for raw materials such as rubber, cotton, and spices to fuel production.
• There was also a need for new markets and securing trade routes.
• Political motives included national prestige and personal fame.
• The prestige of a nation was related to its imperial reach, expanding their empire brought increased glory.
• Victories abroad meant strong power at home.
• Religious motives involved spreading Christianity to non-Christian peoples.
• Missionaries accompanied explorers and colonizers to preach the gospel, set up missions, and convert local populations to Christianity.
• The justification for colonialism was “The White Man's burden,” to civilize the primitive cultures.

What Made Colonial Rule Possible?

• Advanced weaponry such as firearms, cannons, artillery, and later machine guns provided Western powers with a decisive military advantage.
• Navigation technology such as advances in shipbuilding, cartography, and navigation technology allowed Western powers to travel and explore further lands.
• Improvements in medical science with medical advancements and availability of different vaccines and especially antimalarial drugs helped Europeans survive in tropical climates.

How did the Colonial period come to an end?

• The decolonization period was from 1945-1975
• Between 1945 and 1975, three dozen new states in Asia and Africa achieved autonomy or outright independence from their European colonial rulers.
• Nationalist Movements caused local resistance/Intellectual Foundations.
• The World Wars, economic awakening, moral contradictions, and economic factors contributed.
• Unsustainability/Global Economic Shift led to international pressure and The United Nations/Global Public Opinion/Cold War

Western Colonialism in the Gulf: Prior 1819

• Portuguese colonialism in the Gulf region, from 1507-1650, aimed to control and block Muslim trading routes for Asian goods to the Eastern Mediterranean.
• The Dutch from 1622-1766 were also involved
• British involvement began with the 1798 treaty with the Sultan of Muscat.
• The treaty countered French infiltration in Muscat and in the Gulf to block the British route to India, and to secure the area from any Russian threat to extend southwards.

Western Colonialism in the Gulf: Prior 1819 part II

• The British presence in the Gulf was seen by the Qassimi tribes as as threat to their maritime activities.
• The environment of the Gulf area forced these tribes towards the sea to engage in seafaring (trading, fishing and pearl-diving).
• By 1747, the Qassimi alliance united the tribes in defense of their maritime trade.
• They had built a fleet of over 60 large vessels and a force of nearly 20,000.
• They demanded that the British pay taxes if they wanted to sail in the Gulf and use Qassimi ports.
• The British colonial forces waged four wars against the Qassimi headquarters in 1805, 1809, 1816, and 1819.
• In the last of these wars, Ras al-Khaimah was burned and almost all the Qassimi vessels were destroyed in Ras al-Khaimah, Rams, al Jazirah al-Hamra, and Sharjah.

British Protectorate Era (1820 - 1950)

• By 1819, British-Omani Coast Emirates relations had entered a new stage
• The General Peace Treaty of 1820 stated the Omani coast rulers pledged not to attack British ships in the Gulf.
• The Perpetual Maritime Truce of 1853 prohibited any emirate from conquering or threatening the other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• Trucial States had a special status under the protection of Britain.
• British involvement was limited to maritime security, as they didn't want to become involved in the emirates' internal affairs.
• In the 1890s, the major threat to the Gulf appeared to be from the Ottoman empire, which claimed control of Qatar.

British Protectorate Era (1820-1950) Continued...

• Exclusive Agreements in 1892: The agreements called a halt to all foreign contacts by the Omani Coast Emirates, except with Britain.
• Prevented the emirates from negating or signing any agreement with foreign countries without British consent.
• Emirates were to refrain from ceding, selling, or mortgaging any part of their respective territories in any manner to any foreign country without the consent of the British government.
• They were to refrain from granting concessions for the exploration of oil or other minerals to any foreign state or company without prior consultation and agreement with the British government.
• The British Government undertook to protect the sheikhdoms from any threat.
• Britain would assume responsibility for the conduct of the emirates' external affairs.

British Protectorate Era (1950 - 1968)

• Economic treaties with the Omani Coast Emirates in 1922 granted Britain the right to an oil monopoly in all the emirates.
• In the 1950s, successive British governments took measure to become more involved in the Omani Coast Emirates.
• In 1952, the Trucial States Council was formed by the British authorities.
• It was made up of the seven rulers and chaired by the political agent who was assigned an advisory role.
• The Trucial Oman Scouts, a force some 1,600 men, officered and financed by Britain, was based in Sharjah.
• In 1965, a British sponsored Development Fund (in which Bahrain, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi participated) was set up to develop education, health, and communication services in the Trucial coast region, also providing funds for economic development.

The British Decision to Withdraw

• Reasons for British withdraw: Political Reasons
• Britain's weakened status after the Second World War and the emergence of two superpowers (The US and the Soviet Union).
• The Suez Crisis in 1956.
• Britain's experience in South Yemen led to the realization that the longer the British stayed, the greater the possibility that a radical government would seize power in the future.

The British Decisions to Withdraw

• Reasons for British withdraw: Ideological Reasons
• The impact of pan-Arab political developments (Arab nationalism).
• The UN position was a forum to criticize colonial practices and to support self-determination.
• Growing public opinion against colonialism.

The British Decisions to Withdraw

• Reasons for British withdraw: Economic Reasons
• Left-wing Labor members of parliament (MPs) were critical of defense expenditure.
• There was a deteriorating economy and trade deficit.
• A loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was granted on the condition that cuts were made in public spending.
• The reduction in domestic social programs had to be balanced by cuts in defense expenditure.
• The budget package put to the Cabinet in January 1968 included withdrawal from the Gulf by 1971.

Reaction to the Withdrawal Decision

• The British decision to withdraw from the Gulf surprised the rulers of the Omani Coast Emirates.
• The US and Britain assured them that Iran and Saudi Arabia would fill the political vacuum. The US had a “Twin Pillar Policy."
• At first, the British decision was received by US officials 'with horror and consternation'.
• The US came to understand the situation and supported the British proposal for a federal state.
• There was domestic political competition between The Labor Party and the British conservative Party.
• Reasons the Conservative Party was not able to reverse the withdrawal decision:
  • Strong Iranian reaction to any idea of backpedaling
  • Loss of faith in British policy amongst emirates
  • The UN General Assembly resolution of 18 December 1968