Page 181 - DILMUN NO 20

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Historical Links between lndia and the Gulf

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With both regions, lndia and the Gulf, politically and administratively linked
under the British, lndo-Gulf relations entered a new era. Until ١nd‫ﺕ‬a's
independence, all decisions regarding the fate of the Gulf region and its
political and economic affairs have been taken in lndia and implemented by
its British Authorities. The Gulfs dependency on india became, therefore,
strong in almost every field as its chiefs and people were not allowed to
venture further than lndia.

Rosemarie lahlan, talking about the Gulf's indian connection in the British
era, wrote; "The lndian rupee was the currency in circulation ... lndian stamps
were overmarked 'Kuwait' and 'Bahrain'. The Arabic dialect of the coastal
areas contained many Urdu words, and the political officers stationed there..
were members of the British government of lndia who had been trained for
sev‫ا‬ce in lndia. They applied British lndian regulations throughout the Guif
states." 51

The above lines, however, show only some features of the connection but not
all. The lndo-Gluf contact during the first half of the 20th centuyr was so
varied and influential that further elaboration is needed.

lndia and the GuIf Pearling lndustry

ln the pre-oil days, one of the principal sources of livehood in the Gulf was
pearl fishing and trade. A large segment of the population in Kuwait, Oatar,
Bahrain, the Trucial Sheikhdoms, and the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia was
involved in this activity, However, with the trauma of the Great Depression on
the one hand and the introduction by the Japanese of cultured pearls on hte
other hand, the Gulf pearling industry began to suffer. Eventually hte
discovery of oil in the Gulf region in 1930s and 1940s, and the decline in hte
demand for pearls on the part of lndian Maharajas in the wake of lndia's
independence led to the collapse of the industry.

In those days, lndian merchants, known in the Gulf by the name 'Banyan' 52,
came to the region to conduct deals with their local counterparts. Some of
these lndians were stationed permanently in the Gu‫ﺇ‬f for this purpose. T‫ا‬e
Gulf pearl merchants also travelled regularly to Bombay to market their
pearls as well as to seek loans for the expansion of their pearl-diving