Page 90 - Life & Land Use on the Bahrain Islands (Curtis E Larsen)

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By A.D. 1037 a Seljuk Dynasty had been established in Iraq that ruled the gulf
region until A.D. 1194 (Lane-Poole 1893). Their invasion brought about little
dislocation. In fact, as al-Rawandi wrote, "the Saljuk kingdom was rendered stable
by the efficacy of their writ, their piety, and their care for their subjects in
accordance with Shari'a" (Lambton 1973:115).

TTiese traits must have acted as a powerful incentive to the Uyunids of al-
Hasa. Tlie support of Seljuk troops provided both physical and emotional support
for the overthrow of the Carmathian State and provided a ground for a relatively
stable future for eastern Arabia and Bahrain (Khulusi 1976, Madelung 1978).
Struggles for the control of Bahrain continued. Where Abd al-Buhlul was able to
gain independence for Bahrain in A.D. 1058, he was not strong enough to defend the
island against the new ruler of Qatif, Yahya bin Abbas. Bahrain soon came under
the control of bin Abbas and his son, where it remained until the fall of the
Car mathians. Abdullah al-Uyuni consolidated his power at this time by defeating
Zakariyya bin Abbas in battle and, as a result, gained control of both Qatif and
Bahrain. Upon his death, rule of the three areas, Hofuf, Qatif, and Bahrain passed
to his three sons. TTie three areas formed an independent east Arabian state ruled
by the Uyunid Dynasty until about A.D. 1154. At this time, Idrisi described Bahrain
as having "utopian rule," but as a tributary to the island of Qais and Seljuk
Baghdad. Bahrain was later separated from the other Uyunid holdings by local
disputes and was eventually occupied by the Salgharid Atabeg of Fars in A.D. 1235.
Independence was regained in A.D. 1253 by the Usfurids, who went on to gain
control of Hofuf from the Uyunids in A.D. 1339.
From Idrisi’s time until the end of the thirteenth century, Bahrain went
through a changing political orientation. Starting in the early twelfth century,
Bahrain became linked to the Persian coast. Tribute was demanded alternately by
the islands of Qais, Qishm, and the kingdom of Hormuz, In each case, these
geographically Persian, but culturally Arab centers were under the overall
jurisdiction of Fars. TTiis change in orientation was to a gulf maritime exchange
network. While Bahrain served as a port of entry to eastern Arabia for both the
Carmathians and Uyunids, it was later included among other offshore trading