Page 172 - DILMUN NO 20
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Historical Links between india and the Gulf ﻱﺍ٤ ﺍﻱﻡ
Long and continuous intermixture led also to frequent mentioning of india and
lndians in the Gulf traditional poetry, proverbs, sailors' songs, children's
games, anthems, and tales.
lndia's Military and Policing Role in the Gulf
lndia' s military and policing role in the Gulf before and after 1820 was
connected to Britain's effort to obtain hte position of dominance in the region.
ln other words, the indians did not undertake such a role voluntarily. It was
imposed on them by their colonial masters. Nothing supports this better than
a resolution moved by Nehru in the 1920s in which he opposed Britain's use
of lndian troops in occupying lraa, and asserted his countryقsright to demand
the recall of these troops. 83
ln all their military expeditions to dominate the region, coerce its chiefs, end
its internal wars, or fight the maritime piracy and slaves trading, the Britis0
largely depended on forces drawn from lndia's army and navy.
The British also depended on indian soldiers in the formation of security
forces and guards through which they reinforced their position in the Gulf,
particularly in Oman and Bahrain where their interests seemed to be the
greatest.
For example, lndian soldiers participated in the successive expeditions
against the Qawasim between 1809 and 1820, and in fighting against Banu
Ali of south-east Oman in 1820. 84 They formed the main body of a naval
base built by the British in Oeshm lsland between 1822-1823 to police the
maritime activity in the Guﺇf 85 They were deployed in Muscat in 1918 to
assist the Sultan of Oman against his lmamist rivals. 86 When the British
decided in 1918 to reorganize the Sultan's guard in order to make it the
nucleus of what would be known as Lev اCorps, the mission was assigned
to a British officer assisted by many indians. 87 And when the first Omani
infantry unit was formed in 1921, the bulk of the soldiers came from lndia.
Additionally, Muscat's forces were trained and commanded in the 1940s by
lndian officers drawn from the lndian army.
