>...The only reason the
British were in the Persian Gulf (which, from the
>19th century
descriptions was one of the most poverty-stricken
>backwaters on earth) was to protect the left flank of the
British trade
>routes to India
via the Suez Canal from
the Persian
Gulf
>pirates...
I should amend that. The
British in were in the Persian Gulf
at least as much to forestall
domination of the area by
the French and German (where they
could harass the left
flank of the British trade routes)
as they were to protect
themselves against native Arab
piracy.
Nor were the Trucial States pure
bullied victims here. The
Ottoman empire was in resurgence
in the late 19th century.
The sheikhs of the Persian
Gulf city states (not to mention ibn
Saud) were using the British to
prevent the Ottoman Turks
from asserting control over their
domains. What better way
to stymie the Ottoman governor of
Basra from asserting
Turkish control over your city
than a British gun boat sitting
in your harbor?
Oh well, call it an atypical day
on Ridecamp...
Linda B. Merims
Massachusetts, USA