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Schaefer, Benjamin J.

History

2004

M.A.

This thesis first attempts to describe how 'legitimacy of rule' developed in the Persian Gulf leading up to the nineteenth century, when British and Ottoman policy and presence 'froze' its once ever-shifting political waters. It then seeks to explore how this legitimacy evolved from that point on, using the nation of Qatar as a case-study. Qatar is particularly well-suited for this purpose as its ruling family emerged only during this late period, making it the most recent addition to the current ruling families of the Gulf. The Al-Thani of Qatar were able to achieve independence by successfully playing to both British and Ottoman interests, and navigating the still treacherous waters of Gulf politics up until the time of independence in 1971. Important tribal connections, religious affiliation with the Wahhabi Sa'uds, and ruling family members who were both highly competent and long-lived were all necessary elements in the success of Qatar and the Ail-Thani. This work explores the social and cultural factors that produced and support rulers of the Gulf region. However, with that foundation in place, the focus of this project is primarily on how and when ruling tribal groups, families and individuals emerged to prominence. That is to say, this is to a large extent a political history. The question of 'legitimacy of rule' is of course a complex one that involves issues of ethnicity, religion, language and a host of other cultural considerations. However, while such foundational factors will of course be touched upon, the tenor of this study leans more toward a 'dates and times' historiographical approach rather than an anthropological cultural study. It should be noted, in addition, that academic work done on such cultural study of the Gulf region is conspicuously sparse compared with other areas of the Middle East. Such study would have immense value to our historical understanding of the Gulf, and provides a wonderful opportunity for further research.