Bahrain
![Persian Empire in the Sassanid era](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Persia_600ad.jpg)
According to archeologist Geoffrey Bibby, Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization. It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam, during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628 AD. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid Iran. In 1783, the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first ''hakim''.
In the late 1800s, following successive treaties with the British, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, it declared independence. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a semi-constitutional monarchy in 2002, and Article 2 of the newly adopted constitution made Sharia a principal source for legislation.
Bahrain developed the first post-oil economy in the Persian Gulf, the result of decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors; many of the world's largest financial institutions have a presence in the country's capital. It is recognized by the World Bank as a high-income economy. Bahrain is a member of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Bahrain is a Dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Provided by Wikipedia
1
Published: [1983]
Superior document: Bahrain through the ages 1
2
3
Published: 1986
Superior document: Bahrain through the ages
4
Other Authors:
“...ʿAbdāllah <Bahrain, Scheich>...”
5
“...Bahrain...”
6
Published: 2000
7
Published: 1886.
Superior document: Middle East and Islamic Studies - Book Archive pre-2000
8
Published: 2017
Superior document: Jutland Archaeological Society publications vol. 100
9
Published: 1995.
Superior document: Middle East and Islamic Studies - Book Archive pre-2000