Maritime encounters : Pirates, rivalry, and British control over trade networks in the Arabian Gulf 1797-1947

Alsaqer, Alia Hamad (2025) Maritime encounters : Pirates, rivalry, and British control over trade networks in the Arabian Gulf 1797-1947. PhD thesis, Birkbeck, University of London.

Abstract

This thesis investigates the centrality of waterways in connection to acquiring territorial control in the Gulf region. It argues that waterways were an essential and valuable colonial tool in the process of securing land-based rule during the modern period of expansion. The central claim of this thesis is that British hegemony in the Gulf region was achieved through the process of acquiring maritime authority during the nineteenth century. Britain’s pursuit for authority over trade lines and maritime networks related to the security of its empire resulted in the establishment of the Pax Britannica and more than a century and a half of indirect rule in Eastern Arabia. While studies on imperial powers have significantly contributed to the historiography of maritime expansion, they have neglected to emphasise the connection between sea and land power in relation to the formation of certain modern states. The majority of historiographical interpretation of the Gulf is land-focused as opposed to sea-focused and there is a clear division between both methodologies, as though they are not interconnected in important ways. By examining overland areas from the standpoint of surrounding waterways, we can gain a deeper understanding of a crucial period that preceded the establishment of a British administrative presence in the Arabian Peninsula. This research examines a series of important developments that transpired during the period from 1797 to 1947. The first date indicates one of the earliest recorded incidents of piracy involving a British vessel, while the second date marks the end of the Gulf Residency. The strategy of securing waterways and strategic maritime points shaped the historical outcome of the Gulf region. This thesis suggests an alternative interpretation of the formation of the Arab Gulf states through maritime control, one that contrasts the large body of literature oriented towards the desert and territorial control.

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