Dubai: In the winter of 1956, David Holden, a correspondent for The Times, found himself navigating the remnants of British India in the Arabian Gulf. As he attended a garden durbar in Bahrain, a British protectorate at the time, Holden observed that the region seemed frozen in time, reminiscent of the British Raj era. This reflection on the historical ties between India and the Gulf reveals a lesser-known narrative about the Arabian Peninsula's past.
According to BBC, the early 20th century saw nearly a third of the Arabian Peninsula governed as part of the British Indian Empire. From Aden to Kuwait, these protectorates were managed from Delhi, under the purview of the Indian Political Service, and policed by Indian troops. Legally, these territories were considered part of India under the Interpretation Act of 1889. Maps of the time, kept secret to avoid political repercussions, showed the full extent of this reach.
As politics shifted in the 1920s, Indian nationalists began to reimagine India beyond its imperial confines. This shift coincided with London's strategic redrawing of borders, leading to Aden's separation from India in 1937. A telegram from King George VI marked this transition, moving Aden to the British Colonial Empire. Despite this change, the Gulf remained under India's administration for another decade.
The eventual separation of the Gulf states from India occurred on April 1, 1947. British discussions about post-independence governance did not favor Indian or Pakistani administration in the Gulf, leading to the region's exclusion from the new nations of India and Pakistan. This separation occurred quietly, with little immediate impact on public consciousness.
The continuation of British control in the Gulf until 1971, despite the withdrawal from India, underscores the complex colonial legacy. The Indian rupee remained the official currency, and the British India Line was a primary mode of transport. British residents governed the Arabian princely states, maintaining an administrative link to India.
David Holden's reflections, along with insights from Gulf scholar Paul Rich, illuminate how the Gulf states have distanced themselves from their British Indian past. The narrative of ancient sovereignty now supports the monarchies, overshadowing the historical reality. Yet, private memories endure, recalling a time when Indians held privileged positions in the Gulf.
Today, Dubai stands as a vibrant hub in the Middle East, far removed from its past as a minor outpost of the Indian Empire. For the millions of Indians and Pakistanis residing there, the notion that the Gulf might have been part of their nations remains a historical echo, a possibility severed by a quiet bureaucratic decision in the twilight of empire.