The Invasions of the Gulf

The Arbian Gulf is one of the most politically important regions of the world, but few people appreciate that for a long time it was a part of the British Indian empire. the author, who spent more than ten years as a government adviser in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, draws on previously close archives to document the actual cultural heritage of the area, which is far more British and Indian than the current Arab rulers would perhaps want to admit. The rulers are actually, he shows, the creation of the British Raj and owe their thrones to a small group of British political agents who created the shaikhdoms and proceeded to rule them from behind the scenes by a skillful use of stagecraft and ritual.