The center has issued the sixth volume of Qatar and the Arabian Gulf States in the Indian Archive Documents (Selections from the National Archives, Delhi). This volume contains translations of archival documents relating to Qatar and the Arabian Gulf States and their relations with international, regional, and local powers during the period between 1888-1893, as recorded in reports issued by the British Government and the British Indian Government.
The documents in this volume cover a period marked by rising political and military tensions in Qatar, the coast of Oman, and the Arabian Gulf, where the influence of three major powers intersected: the Ottoman authority, represented by the Wali of Basrah and the Mutassarif of Al-Hasa; the Arabic Sheikdoms in Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Quwain, and Al-Buraimi; and the British power who acted as the overseer, mediator, and guarantor of maritime security through a network of maritime peace treaties.
The documents also shed lights on the personality of Sheikh Jasim bin Muhammad bin Thani as major political actor, who deals with complex and multi-faceted reality. His correspondence with the Ottoman State reveals his repeated calls for Ottoman intervention in response to aggressions against Qatar, while also requesting permission to act independently if such support was not forthcoming. The documents further illustrate his efforts in building tribal alliances, organizing military movements, and securing supplies of arms and ammunition under strict British supervision.
