Bahrain 1920-1945 : Britain, The Shaikh and the Administration

First published in 1987 Bahrain provides a modern history of Bahrain from 1920-1945. The end of the fifty years of administration of Shaikh Isabin Ali Althalifah in 1923 heralded an intensive period of modernisation of Bahrain. However, the political move which brought about these changes are complex and difficult to disentangle. It is apparent that the Foreign Office, the Government of India, and the British political authorities in the Gulf all played a part but this book is the first one to analyse the extent and effectiveness of the involvement of each of these bodies.

The central element of the modernisation process which took place under Shaikh Hamad’s administration are also discussed. These includes creation of an organised government structure, educational reforms, reforms of the pearling industry, and advent of the oil industry. At each stage, the author emphasizes how both political and economic changes were conditioned by the social context, in particular by the tension between Sunnis and Shi’ahs. This book is a must read for students and scholars of Middle East history and specially history of Bahrain.