Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
History of Qatar
Qatar is an independent and sovereign State situated in the midway of the Western coast of the Arabian Gulf having a land and maritime boundary with Saudi Arabia, and also maritime boundaries with Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Iran. The State of Qatar with its arid desert climate extends over a Peninsula of about 200 Kilometers long and 100 Kilometers wide covering a total area of 11850 square Kilometers including a number of Islands and Islets.
Historically, the Peninsula of Qatar witnessed various cultures and civilizations in various phases in the history of mankind even during the Stone Age or Neolithic period. A recent discovery on the edge of an Island in the West of Qatar indicates the human presence during this period of pre-historic period. Discovery of a 6th millennium BC site at Shagra, in the South-east of Qatar revealed the key role the sea (Gulf) played in the lives of Shagra’s inhabitants. Excavation at Al-Khore in the North-east of Qatar, Bir Zekrit and Ras Abaruk and the discovery of pottery and Flint, Flint-scraper tool, Rim of painted ceramic and vessels there indicates Qatar’s connection with the Al-Ubaid civilization which flourished in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates during the period of 5th –4th millennium BC. There had also been barter trade system between the settlements at Qatar and the Ubaid Mesopotamia and the exchange of commodities were mainly pottery and dried fish.
General view of prehistoric settlement excavation site at Khor hill, which goes back to the Stone Age as established by French archaeologists, providing clear evidence that this site was inhabited back in the second half of the 5th millennium BC.
The Peninsula of Qatar emerged as one of the richest places in the Gulf, with regard to the trade and commerce during the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. This period witnessed the spread of the Bronze Age cultures and civilizations from Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley settlements of India. Trade between Mesopotamia and Indus Valley was channeled through the Gulf and the western coast of Qatar played a vital role in the transshipment of the commercial goods as the discovery of fragments of Barbar pottery in Ras Abaruk reveals it. The Peninsula of Qatar also attracted seasonal migrants during this period of Bronze Age.
Kassite of the Zagros Mountains assumed power in Babylon in the middle of the 2nd millennium and spread their influence throughout the Gulf region including a small Island on the bay of Al-Khore in the north of Doha. Kassite origin ceramics found in Al-Khore clearly indicates the close links between Qatar and Babylon during this period.
The Greco-Roman trade between Europe and India was carried on via the Arabian Gulf during the 140 BC. Archaeological evidence found in Qatar suggests the Greek and Roman influences in the Peninsula particularly at Ras Abaruk, where some stone structures, including a dwelling, a cairn, a hearth and a low mound containing a large quantity of fish bones were located. Excavation of the dwelling revealed two chambers; linked by a cross-wall, with a third room open to the sea. No doubt Ras Abaruk was a temporary fishing station where periodic landing were made to dry fish during this period. In fact, pearls and dried fish were the major items for exportation from Qatar during the Greco-Roman period.
The whole Arabian Gulf region emerged as the most important trade centre linking between the West and the East, during the time of the Persian Sasanid Empire in the 3rd century A. D. Cargoes of copper, spices, sandalwood, teak, blac kwood, etc. arriving from the East were exchanged for shipments of purple dye, clothing, pearls, dates, gold and silver. Qatar played a pre-eminent role in that commercial activity contributing at least two of these commodities to the Sasanid trade – purple dye and precious pearls.
Islam swept the entire Arabian region in the 7th century, overturning the idol worshippers. With the spread of Islam in Qatar, Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) sent his first envoy Al Ala Al-Hadrami to Al-Mundhir Ibn Sawa Al-Tamimi, the ruler of Bahrain, which extended the coast from Kuwait to the south of Qatar including al-Hasa and Bahrain Islands, in the year 628, inviting him to accept Islam. Mundhir responding to the Prophet’s call announced his conversion to Islam and all the Arab inhabitants of Qatar including some Persians living in Qatar also became Muslim, heralding the beginning of the Islamic era in Qatar. Consequently, Al Ala Al-Hadrami was appointed by the Prophet as his representative in Bahrain to collect the Jizya (religious tax). During this early phase of Islam Qatar was famous for the robes which were woven there and exported to the various places. It is said that the Prophet to have worn a Qatari robe, as did his wife Aisha. Umr Ibn Al-Khattab had a Qatari cloak patched with feather.
A large vase recovered from the earliest known fort at Murwab going back to the early Islamic period.
Excavated remains of an early fort at al Huwailah from the early Islamic period, situated on Qatar’s eastern coast in between Ras Qurdhas and al Jussasiyah. Al Huwailah was the principle town of Qatar prior to the rise of importance of al Zubara and Doha, according to (Gulf Guide) by Lorimer
Depiction on al Jussasiyah hill, looks like a ship near another depiction shaped in two rows of circles, remaining from a settlement nearby al Huwailah and al Jussaiyah, two of the most important excavation sites holding about 900 different depictions.
During the Umayyad and the Abbasid rules in Damascus and Baghdad respectively, there was further growth of trade and commerce in Qatar. Yaqut al-Hamawi, an Arabian historian, who died in 1229, considered Qatar as a village and famous for camel and horse breeding centre during the Umayyad period. During the ascendancy of the Abbasid in Baghdad the pearling industry in the rich waters around Qatar developed considerably and the demand for Qatari pearl increased in the East, which extended as far as China. With the expansion of the mercantile activities on the Coast of Qatar, settlements began to grow on the north of Qatar, particularly at Murwab in the Yoghbi area between Zubara and Umm el- Ma with more than 100 small stone built houses.
At the beginning of the 16th century the Peninsula of Qatar along with the rest of the Western Arabian Gulf came under the hegemony of the Portuguese. Establishing their hold over the Strait of Hormuz, the most important strategic point in the Gulf, the Portuguese conquered Qatar in 1515. While the invading Portuguese forces confined their naval activities in and around Hormuz, the Portuguese commercial empire exported gold, silver, silks, musk, cloves, pearls and seed pearls, amber, horses etc, through various ports in the Gulf including Qatar. Apparently, to preserve their commercial interest in Qatar, the Portuguese naval squadron attacked the coastal villages of Qatar in January 1625. However, the Portuguese misrule and atrocities came to an end when the Imam of Muscat drove them out of the Gulf by force in 1652.
The Bani Khalid, which established their hold over Eastern Arabia extended their power in the area from Qatar to Kuwait in the first half of the 18th century. Zubara which already emerged as one of the important sea ports in the Gulf in view of the increased exportation of pearls to the different parts of the world, became the headquarters of the Bani Khalid administration in Qatar and the principal transit port for their Eastern and the Central Arabian territories. The importations made from Surat of India to the port of Zubara were Surat blue and other piece goods, cambay, chauders, shawls, bamboo, coffee, sugar, pepper, spices, iron, tin, oil, ghee, rice, etc. Part of these importations was retained at Zubara for the consumption there and its immediate vicinities and the remainder were conveyed by means of Camels to Dariyah in Nejd and to Al-Hasa including the other districts under the jurisdiction of Bani Khalid.
Jars remains found in the sea nearby Zubara.
The british relations with the Gulf region, including Qatar inaugurated with the establishment of the East India Company’s Factory at Basra in 1635, to explore the Arabian trade. Nevertheless, with the passage of time the primary economic activities gave way to the formal political functions. Eventually, Imperial Britain establishes its hold in the Gulf including Qatar under the pretext of protection of the shipping lines in the Gulf and its overland routes to India. By the 1820s, Britain was able to sign the General Treaty of Peace with the Gulf Littoral Arab rulers. Although, Qatar never acceded to this so called Peace Treaty, Britain obliged the Peninsula to abide by its terms. However, Qatar was brought under the Maritime Truce of 1835, which outlawed all welfare during the Pearl fishing season. In 1836, the Restrictive Line was extended from Sir Bu Nair Island by way of the Qatari Island of Halul.
The Modern history of Qatar began in the early 18th century; when the present Al-Thani ruling family of Qatar, which originated from the Al-Maadhid (a branch of Bani Tamim) tribe of Ushaiqir in the province of Al-Washm of Nejd, arrived in the southern part of Qatar. In the middle of the 18th century the family moved to the northern part of Qatar that is Zubara, Ruwais and Fuwairat.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Thani (1850-1878)
Shaikh Qassim Bin Mohammad Al Thani (1878-1913)
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Qassim Al-Thani (1913-1949)
Shaikh Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani (1949-1960)
Shaikh Ahmad Bin Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani (1960-1972)
Shaikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani (1972-1995)
Historically, the Peninsula of Qatar witnessed various cultures and civilizations in various phases in the history of mankind even during the Stone Age or Neolithic period. A recent discovery on the edge of an Island in the West of Qatar indicates the human presence during this period of pre-historic period. Discovery of a 6th millennium BC site at Shagra, in the South-east of Qatar revealed the key role the sea (Gulf) played in the lives of Shagra’s inhabitants. Excavation at Al-Khore in the North-east of Qatar, Bir Zekrit and Ras Abaruk and the discovery of pottery and Flint, Flint-scraper tool, Rim of painted ceramic and vessels there indicates Qatar’s connection with the Al-Ubaid civilization which flourished in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates during the period of 5th –4th millennium BC. There had also been barter trade system between the settlements at Qatar and the Ubaid Mesopotamia and the exchange of commodities were mainly pottery and dried fish.
General view of prehistoric settlement excavation site at Khor hill, which goes back to the Stone Age as established by French archaeologists, providing clear evidence that this site was inhabited back in the second half of the 5th millennium BC.
The Peninsula of Qatar emerged as one of the richest places in the Gulf, with regard to the trade and commerce during the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. This period witnessed the spread of the Bronze Age cultures and civilizations from Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley settlements of India. Trade between Mesopotamia and Indus Valley was channeled through the Gulf and the western coast of Qatar played a vital role in the transshipment of the commercial goods as the discovery of fragments of Barbar pottery in Ras Abaruk reveals it. The Peninsula of Qatar also attracted seasonal migrants during this period of Bronze Age.
Kassite of the Zagros Mountains assumed power in Babylon in the middle of the 2nd millennium and spread their influence throughout the Gulf region including a small Island on the bay of Al-Khore in the north of Doha. Kassite origin ceramics found in Al-Khore clearly indicates the close links between Qatar and Babylon during this period.
The Greco-Roman trade between Europe and India was carried on via the Arabian Gulf during the 140 BC. Archaeological evidence found in Qatar suggests the Greek and Roman influences in the Peninsula particularly at Ras Abaruk, where some stone structures, including a dwelling, a cairn, a hearth and a low mound containing a large quantity of fish bones were located. Excavation of the dwelling revealed two chambers; linked by a cross-wall, with a third room open to the sea. No doubt Ras Abaruk was a temporary fishing station where periodic landing were made to dry fish during this period. In fact, pearls and dried fish were the major items for exportation from Qatar during the Greco-Roman period.
The whole Arabian Gulf region emerged as the most important trade centre linking between the West and the East, during the time of the Persian Sasanid Empire in the 3rd century A. D. Cargoes of copper, spices, sandalwood, teak, blac kwood, etc. arriving from the East were exchanged for shipments of purple dye, clothing, pearls, dates, gold and silver. Qatar played a pre-eminent role in that commercial activity contributing at least two of these commodities to the Sasanid trade – purple dye and precious pearls.
Islam swept the entire Arabian region in the 7th century, overturning the idol worshippers. With the spread of Islam in Qatar, Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) sent his first envoy Al Ala Al-Hadrami to Al-Mundhir Ibn Sawa Al-Tamimi, the ruler of Bahrain, which extended the coast from Kuwait to the south of Qatar including al-Hasa and Bahrain Islands, in the year 628, inviting him to accept Islam. Mundhir responding to the Prophet’s call announced his conversion to Islam and all the Arab inhabitants of Qatar including some Persians living in Qatar also became Muslim, heralding the beginning of the Islamic era in Qatar. Consequently, Al Ala Al-Hadrami was appointed by the Prophet as his representative in Bahrain to collect the Jizya (religious tax). During this early phase of Islam Qatar was famous for the robes which were woven there and exported to the various places. It is said that the Prophet to have worn a Qatari robe, as did his wife Aisha. Umr Ibn Al-Khattab had a Qatari cloak patched with feather.
A large vase recovered from the earliest known fort at Murwab going back to the early Islamic period.
Excavated remains of an early fort at al Huwailah from the early Islamic period, situated on Qatar’s eastern coast in between Ras Qurdhas and al Jussasiyah. Al Huwailah was the principle town of Qatar prior to the rise of importance of al Zubara and Doha, according to (Gulf Guide) by Lorimer
Depiction on al Jussasiyah hill, looks like a ship near another depiction shaped in two rows of circles, remaining from a settlement nearby al Huwailah and al Jussaiyah, two of the most important excavation sites holding about 900 different depictions.
During the Umayyad and the Abbasid rules in Damascus and Baghdad respectively, there was further growth of trade and commerce in Qatar. Yaqut al-Hamawi, an Arabian historian, who died in 1229, considered Qatar as a village and famous for camel and horse breeding centre during the Umayyad period. During the ascendancy of the Abbasid in Baghdad the pearling industry in the rich waters around Qatar developed considerably and the demand for Qatari pearl increased in the East, which extended as far as China. With the expansion of the mercantile activities on the Coast of Qatar, settlements began to grow on the north of Qatar, particularly at Murwab in the Yoghbi area between Zubara and Umm el- Ma with more than 100 small stone built houses.
At the beginning of the 16th century the Peninsula of Qatar along with the rest of the Western Arabian Gulf came under the hegemony of the Portuguese. Establishing their hold over the Strait of Hormuz, the most important strategic point in the Gulf, the Portuguese conquered Qatar in 1515. While the invading Portuguese forces confined their naval activities in and around Hormuz, the Portuguese commercial empire exported gold, silver, silks, musk, cloves, pearls and seed pearls, amber, horses etc, through various ports in the Gulf including Qatar. Apparently, to preserve their commercial interest in Qatar, the Portuguese naval squadron attacked the coastal villages of Qatar in January 1625. However, the Portuguese misrule and atrocities came to an end when the Imam of Muscat drove them out of the Gulf by force in 1652.
The Bani Khalid, which established their hold over Eastern Arabia extended their power in the area from Qatar to Kuwait in the first half of the 18th century. Zubara which already emerged as one of the important sea ports in the Gulf in view of the increased exportation of pearls to the different parts of the world, became the headquarters of the Bani Khalid administration in Qatar and the principal transit port for their Eastern and the Central Arabian territories. The importations made from Surat of India to the port of Zubara were Surat blue and other piece goods, cambay, chauders, shawls, bamboo, coffee, sugar, pepper, spices, iron, tin, oil, ghee, rice, etc. Part of these importations was retained at Zubara for the consumption there and its immediate vicinities and the remainder were conveyed by means of Camels to Dariyah in Nejd and to Al-Hasa including the other districts under the jurisdiction of Bani Khalid.
Jars remains found in the sea nearby Zubara.
The british relations with the Gulf region, including Qatar inaugurated with the establishment of the East India Company’s Factory at Basra in 1635, to explore the Arabian trade. Nevertheless, with the passage of time the primary economic activities gave way to the formal political functions. Eventually, Imperial Britain establishes its hold in the Gulf including Qatar under the pretext of protection of the shipping lines in the Gulf and its overland routes to India. By the 1820s, Britain was able to sign the General Treaty of Peace with the Gulf Littoral Arab rulers. Although, Qatar never acceded to this so called Peace Treaty, Britain obliged the Peninsula to abide by its terms. However, Qatar was brought under the Maritime Truce of 1835, which outlawed all welfare during the Pearl fishing season. In 1836, the Restrictive Line was extended from Sir Bu Nair Island by way of the Qatari Island of Halul.
The Modern history of Qatar began in the early 18th century; when the present Al-Thani ruling family of Qatar, which originated from the Al-Maadhid (a branch of Bani Tamim) tribe of Ushaiqir in the province of Al-Washm of Nejd, arrived in the southern part of Qatar. In the middle of the 18th century the family moved to the northern part of Qatar that is Zubara, Ruwais and Fuwairat.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Thani (1850-1878)
Shaikh Qassim Bin Mohammad Al Thani (1878-1913)
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Qassim Al-Thani (1913-1949)
Shaikh Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani (1949-1960)
Shaikh Ahmad Bin Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani (1960-1972)
Shaikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani (1972-1995)
History of Qatar
Qatar is an independent and sovereign State situated in the midway of the Western coast of the Arabian Gulf having a land and maritime boundary with Saudi Arabia, and also maritime boundaries with Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Iran. The State of Qatar with its arid desert climate extends over a Peninsula of about 200 Kilometers long and 100 Kilometers wide covering a total area of 11850 square Kilometers including a number of Islands and Islets.
Historically, the Peninsula of Qatar witnessed various cultures and civilizations in various phases in the history of mankind even during the Stone Age or Neolithic period. A recent discovery on the edge of an Island in the West of Qatar indicates the human presence during this period of pre-historic period. Discovery of a 6th millennium BC site at Shagra, in the South-east of Qatar revealed the key role the sea (Gulf) played in the lives of Shagra’s inhabitants. Excavation at Al-Khore in the North-east of Qatar, Bir Zekrit and Ras Abaruk and the discovery of pottery and Flint, Flint-scraper tool, Rim of painted ceramic and vessels there indicates Qatar’s connection with the Al-Ubaid civilization which flourished in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates during the period of 5th –4th millennium BC. There had also been barter trade system between the settlements at Qatar and the Ubaid Mesopotamia and the exchange of commodities were mainly pottery and dried fish.
General view of prehistoric settlement excavation site at Khor hill, which goes back to the Stone Age as established by French archaeologists, providing clear evidence that this site was inhabited back in the second half of the 5th millennium BC.
The Peninsula of Qatar emerged as one of the richest places in the Gulf, with regard to the trade and commerce during the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. This period witnessed the spread of the Bronze Age cultures and civilizations from Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley settlements of India. Trade between Mesopotamia and Indus Valley was channeled through the Gulf and the western coast of Qatar played a vital role in the transshipment of the commercial goods as the discovery of fragments of Barbar pottery in Ras Abaruk reveals it. The Peninsula of Qatar also attracted seasonal migrants during this period of Bronze Age.
Kassite of the Zagros Mountains assumed power in Babylon in the middle of the 2nd millennium and spread their influence throughout the Gulf region including a small Island on the bay of Al-Khore in the north of Doha. Kassite origin ceramics found in Al-Khore clearly indicates the close links between Qatar and Babylon during this period.
The Greco-Roman trade between Europe and India was carried on via the Arabian Gulf during the 140 BC. Archaeological evidence found in Qatar suggests the Greek and Roman influences in the Peninsula particularly at Ras Abaruk, where some stone structures, including a dwelling, a cairn, a hearth and a low mound containing a large quantity of fish bones were located. Excavation of the dwelling revealed two chambers; linked by a cross-wall, with a third room open to the sea. No doubt Ras Abaruk was a temporary fishing station where periodic landing were made to dry fish during this period. In fact, pearls and dried fish were the major items for exportation from Qatar during the Greco-Roman period.
The whole Arabian Gulf region emerged as the most important trade centre linking between the West and the East, during the time of the Persian Sasanid Empire in the 3rd century A. D. Cargoes of copper, spices, sandalwood, teak, blac kwood, etc. arriving from the East were exchanged for shipments of purple dye, clothing, pearls, dates, gold and silver. Qatar played a pre-eminent role in that commercial activity contributing at least two of these commodities to the Sasanid trade – purple dye and precious pearls.
Islam swept the entire Arabian region in the 7th century, overturning the idol worshippers. With the spread of Islam in Qatar, Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) sent his first envoy Al Ala Al-Hadrami to Al-Mundhir Ibn Sawa Al-Tamimi, the ruler of Bahrain, which extended the coast from Kuwait to the south of Qatar including al-Hasa and Bahrain Islands, in the year 628, inviting him to accept Islam. Mundhir responding to the Prophet’s call announced his conversion to Islam and all the Arab inhabitants of Qatar including some Persians living in Qatar also became Muslim, heralding the beginning of the Islamic era in Qatar. Consequently, Al Ala Al-Hadrami was appointed by the Prophet as his representative in Bahrain to collect the Jizya (religious tax). During this early phase of Islam Qatar was famous for the robes which were woven there and exported to the various places. It is said that the Prophet to have worn a Qatari robe, as did his wife Aisha. Umr Ibn Al-Khattab had a Qatari cloak patched with feather.
A large vase recovered from the earliest known fort at Murwab going back to the early Islamic period.
Excavated remains of an early fort at al Huwailah from the early Islamic period, situated on Qatar’s eastern coast in between Ras Qurdhas and al Jussasiyah. Al Huwailah was the principle town of Qatar prior to the rise of importance of al Zubara and Doha, according to (Gulf Guide) by Lorimer
Depiction on al Jussasiyah hill, looks like a ship near another depiction shaped in two rows of circles, remaining from a settlement nearby al Huwailah and al Jussaiyah, two of the most important excavation sites holding about 900 different depictions.
During the Umayyad and the Abbasid rules in Damascus and Baghdad respectively, there was further growth of trade and commerce in Qatar. Yaqut al-Hamawi, an Arabian historian, who died in 1229, considered Qatar as a village and famous for camel and horse breeding centre during the Umayyad period. During the ascendancy of the Abbasid in Baghdad the pearling industry in the rich waters around Qatar developed considerably and the demand for Qatari pearl increased in the East, which extended as far as China. With the expansion of the mercantile activities on the Coast of Qatar, settlements began to grow on the north of Qatar, particularly at Murwab in the Yoghbi area between Zubara and Umm el- Ma with more than 100 small stone built houses.
At the beginning of the 16th century the Peninsula of Qatar along with the rest of the Western Arabian Gulf came under the hegemony of the Portuguese. Establishing their hold over the Strait of Hormuz, the most important strategic point in the Gulf, the Portuguese conquered Qatar in 1515. While the invading Portuguese forces confined their naval activities in and around Hormuz, the Portuguese commercial empire exported gold, silver, silks, musk, cloves, pearls and seed pearls, amber, horses etc, through various ports in the Gulf including Qatar. Apparently, to preserve their commercial interest in Qatar, the Portuguese naval squadron attacked the coastal villages of Qatar in January 1625. However, the Portuguese misrule and atrocities came to an end when the Imam of Muscat drove them out of the Gulf by force in 1652.
The Bani Khalid, which established their hold over Eastern Arabia extended their power in the area from Qatar to Kuwait in the first half of the 18th century. Zubara which already emerged as one of the important sea ports in the Gulf in view of the increased exportation of pearls to the different parts of the world, became the headquarters of the Bani Khalid administration in Qatar and the principal transit port for their Eastern and the Central Arabian territories. The importations made from Surat of India to the port of Zubara were Surat blue and other piece goods, cambay, chauders, shawls, bamboo, coffee, sugar, pepper, spices, iron, tin, oil, ghee, rice, etc. Part of these importations was retained at Zubara for the consumption there and its immediate vicinities and the remainder were conveyed by means of Camels to Dariyah in Nejd and to Al-Hasa including the other districts under the jurisdiction of Bani Khalid.
Jars remains found in the sea nearby Zubara.
The british relations with the Gulf region, including Qatar inaugurated with the establishment of the East India Company’s Factory at Basra in 1635, to explore the Arabian trade. Nevertheless, with the passage of time the primary economic activities gave way to the formal political functions. Eventually, Imperial Britain establishes its hold in the Gulf including Qatar under the pretext of protection of the shipping lines in the Gulf and its overland routes to India. By the 1820s, Britain was able to sign the General Treaty of Peace with the Gulf Littoral Arab rulers. Although, Qatar never acceded to this so called Peace Treaty, Britain obliged the Peninsula to abide by its terms. However, Qatar was brought under the Maritime Truce of 1835, which outlawed all welfare during the Pearl fishing season. In 1836, the Restrictive Line was extended from Sir Bu Nair Island by way of the Qatari Island of Halul.
The Modern history of Qatar began in the early 18th century; when the present Al-Thani ruling family of Qatar, which originated from the Al-Maadhid (a branch of Bani Tamim) tribe of Ushaiqir in the province of Al-Washm of Nejd, arrived in the southern part of Qatar. In the middle of the 18th century the family moved to the northern part of Qatar that is Zubara, Ruwais and Fuwairat.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Thani (1850-1878)
Shaikh Qassim Bin Mohammad Al Thani (1878-1913)
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Qassim Al-Thani (1913-1949)
Shaikh Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani (1949-1960)
Shaikh Ahmad Bin Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani (1960-1972)
Shaikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani (1972-1995)
Historically, the Peninsula of Qatar witnessed various cultures and civilizations in various phases in the history of mankind even during the Stone Age or Neolithic period. A recent discovery on the edge of an Island in the West of Qatar indicates the human presence during this period of pre-historic period. Discovery of a 6th millennium BC site at Shagra, in the South-east of Qatar revealed the key role the sea (Gulf) played in the lives of Shagra’s inhabitants. Excavation at Al-Khore in the North-east of Qatar, Bir Zekrit and Ras Abaruk and the discovery of pottery and Flint, Flint-scraper tool, Rim of painted ceramic and vessels there indicates Qatar’s connection with the Al-Ubaid civilization which flourished in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates during the period of 5th –4th millennium BC. There had also been barter trade system between the settlements at Qatar and the Ubaid Mesopotamia and the exchange of commodities were mainly pottery and dried fish.
General view of prehistoric settlement excavation site at Khor hill, which goes back to the Stone Age as established by French archaeologists, providing clear evidence that this site was inhabited back in the second half of the 5th millennium BC.
The Peninsula of Qatar emerged as one of the richest places in the Gulf, with regard to the trade and commerce during the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. This period witnessed the spread of the Bronze Age cultures and civilizations from Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley settlements of India. Trade between Mesopotamia and Indus Valley was channeled through the Gulf and the western coast of Qatar played a vital role in the transshipment of the commercial goods as the discovery of fragments of Barbar pottery in Ras Abaruk reveals it. The Peninsula of Qatar also attracted seasonal migrants during this period of Bronze Age.
Kassite of the Zagros Mountains assumed power in Babylon in the middle of the 2nd millennium and spread their influence throughout the Gulf region including a small Island on the bay of Al-Khore in the north of Doha. Kassite origin ceramics found in Al-Khore clearly indicates the close links between Qatar and Babylon during this period.
The Greco-Roman trade between Europe and India was carried on via the Arabian Gulf during the 140 BC. Archaeological evidence found in Qatar suggests the Greek and Roman influences in the Peninsula particularly at Ras Abaruk, where some stone structures, including a dwelling, a cairn, a hearth and a low mound containing a large quantity of fish bones were located. Excavation of the dwelling revealed two chambers; linked by a cross-wall, with a third room open to the sea. No doubt Ras Abaruk was a temporary fishing station where periodic landing were made to dry fish during this period. In fact, pearls and dried fish were the major items for exportation from Qatar during the Greco-Roman period.
The whole Arabian Gulf region emerged as the most important trade centre linking between the West and the East, during the time of the Persian Sasanid Empire in the 3rd century A. D. Cargoes of copper, spices, sandalwood, teak, blac kwood, etc. arriving from the East were exchanged for shipments of purple dye, clothing, pearls, dates, gold and silver. Qatar played a pre-eminent role in that commercial activity contributing at least two of these commodities to the Sasanid trade – purple dye and precious pearls.
Islam swept the entire Arabian region in the 7th century, overturning the idol worshippers. With the spread of Islam in Qatar, Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) sent his first envoy Al Ala Al-Hadrami to Al-Mundhir Ibn Sawa Al-Tamimi, the ruler of Bahrain, which extended the coast from Kuwait to the south of Qatar including al-Hasa and Bahrain Islands, in the year 628, inviting him to accept Islam. Mundhir responding to the Prophet’s call announced his conversion to Islam and all the Arab inhabitants of Qatar including some Persians living in Qatar also became Muslim, heralding the beginning of the Islamic era in Qatar. Consequently, Al Ala Al-Hadrami was appointed by the Prophet as his representative in Bahrain to collect the Jizya (religious tax). During this early phase of Islam Qatar was famous for the robes which were woven there and exported to the various places. It is said that the Prophet to have worn a Qatari robe, as did his wife Aisha. Umr Ibn Al-Khattab had a Qatari cloak patched with feather.
A large vase recovered from the earliest known fort at Murwab going back to the early Islamic period.
Excavated remains of an early fort at al Huwailah from the early Islamic period, situated on Qatar’s eastern coast in between Ras Qurdhas and al Jussasiyah. Al Huwailah was the principle town of Qatar prior to the rise of importance of al Zubara and Doha, according to (Gulf Guide) by Lorimer
Depiction on al Jussasiyah hill, looks like a ship near another depiction shaped in two rows of circles, remaining from a settlement nearby al Huwailah and al Jussaiyah, two of the most important excavation sites holding about 900 different depictions.
During the Umayyad and the Abbasid rules in Damascus and Baghdad respectively, there was further growth of trade and commerce in Qatar. Yaqut al-Hamawi, an Arabian historian, who died in 1229, considered Qatar as a village and famous for camel and horse breeding centre during the Umayyad period. During the ascendancy of the Abbasid in Baghdad the pearling industry in the rich waters around Qatar developed considerably and the demand for Qatari pearl increased in the East, which extended as far as China. With the expansion of the mercantile activities on the Coast of Qatar, settlements began to grow on the north of Qatar, particularly at Murwab in the Yoghbi area between Zubara and Umm el- Ma with more than 100 small stone built houses.
At the beginning of the 16th century the Peninsula of Qatar along with the rest of the Western Arabian Gulf came under the hegemony of the Portuguese. Establishing their hold over the Strait of Hormuz, the most important strategic point in the Gulf, the Portuguese conquered Qatar in 1515. While the invading Portuguese forces confined their naval activities in and around Hormuz, the Portuguese commercial empire exported gold, silver, silks, musk, cloves, pearls and seed pearls, amber, horses etc, through various ports in the Gulf including Qatar. Apparently, to preserve their commercial interest in Qatar, the Portuguese naval squadron attacked the coastal villages of Qatar in January 1625. However, the Portuguese misrule and atrocities came to an end when the Imam of Muscat drove them out of the Gulf by force in 1652.
The Bani Khalid, which established their hold over Eastern Arabia extended their power in the area from Qatar to Kuwait in the first half of the 18th century. Zubara which already emerged as one of the important sea ports in the Gulf in view of the increased exportation of pearls to the different parts of the world, became the headquarters of the Bani Khalid administration in Qatar and the principal transit port for their Eastern and the Central Arabian territories. The importations made from Surat of India to the port of Zubara were Surat blue and other piece goods, cambay, chauders, shawls, bamboo, coffee, sugar, pepper, spices, iron, tin, oil, ghee, rice, etc. Part of these importations was retained at Zubara for the consumption there and its immediate vicinities and the remainder were conveyed by means of Camels to Dariyah in Nejd and to Al-Hasa including the other districts under the jurisdiction of Bani Khalid.
Jars remains found in the sea nearby Zubara.
The british relations with the Gulf region, including Qatar inaugurated with the establishment of the East India Company’s Factory at Basra in 1635, to explore the Arabian trade. Nevertheless, with the passage of time the primary economic activities gave way to the formal political functions. Eventually, Imperial Britain establishes its hold in the Gulf including Qatar under the pretext of protection of the shipping lines in the Gulf and its overland routes to India. By the 1820s, Britain was able to sign the General Treaty of Peace with the Gulf Littoral Arab rulers. Although, Qatar never acceded to this so called Peace Treaty, Britain obliged the Peninsula to abide by its terms. However, Qatar was brought under the Maritime Truce of 1835, which outlawed all welfare during the Pearl fishing season. In 1836, the Restrictive Line was extended from Sir Bu Nair Island by way of the Qatari Island of Halul.
The Modern history of Qatar began in the early 18th century; when the present Al-Thani ruling family of Qatar, which originated from the Al-Maadhid (a branch of Bani Tamim) tribe of Ushaiqir in the province of Al-Washm of Nejd, arrived in the southern part of Qatar. In the middle of the 18th century the family moved to the northern part of Qatar that is Zubara, Ruwais and Fuwairat.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Thani (1850-1878)
Shaikh Qassim Bin Mohammad Al Thani (1878-1913)
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Qassim Al-Thani (1913-1949)
Shaikh Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani (1949-1960)
Shaikh Ahmad Bin Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani (1960-1972)
Shaikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani (1972-1995)
Monday, March 3, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
I have / I don't have
I have / I don’t have
I have two cars.
I don’t have a camel.
I have children.
I don’t have a villa.
I have a computer.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
A / AN
A / AN
I am a student.
I am an engineer.
He’s a teacher.
My son is a doctor.
He has a chicken pox.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
1) How old are you?
2)I am 41.
3)Where are you from?
4)I am from Qatar.
5)What is your name?
6)My name is Ahmed.
7)Where are you job?
8)I am a security guard.
9)Are you teacher?
10) No: I am not.
11) What is color your car?
12) My car is red.
13) Are you steady?
14) Yes I am.
15) How are you parents?
16) No: I am not.
17) Are you married?
18) Yes I am.
19) What color are your new shoes?
20) Black.
2)I am 41.
3)Where are you from?
4)I am from Qatar.
5)What is your name?
6)My name is Ahmed.
7)Where are you job?
8)I am a security guard.
9)Are you teacher?
10) No: I am not.
11) What is color your car?
12) My car is red.
13) Are you steady?
14) Yes I am.
15) How are you parents?
16) No: I am not.
17) Are you married?
18) Yes I am.
19) What color are your new shoes?
20) Black.
am / is / are questions
1) How old are you
2)Where are you from
3)What is your name
4)Where are you job
5)Are you teacher
6)What is cooler your car
7)Are you steady
8)How are you parents
9)Are you married
10) What color are your new shoes
11)
2)Where are you from
3)What is your name
4)Where are you job
5)Are you teacher
6)What is cooler your car
7)Are you steady
8)How are you parents
9)Are you married
10) What color are your new shoes
11)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
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