Category Story of Nations

          The name Persia is familiar to us from the tales of the Arabian Nights. Persian carpet is still a favourite household accessory and Persian architecture and crafts are still very famous. But where actually is Persia? Modern day Iran was called Persia.

          Iran was invaded by Genghis Khan in the 1200s and Mongol rule was later replaced by the Safavid dynasty. Russia and Britain then competed to take control over Persia during the 1800s.

          The country was a monarchy and flourished under the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in the 1900s. The developing oil industry paved way to economic improvements; but not everyone welcomed this development. Under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, the Shah was overthrown. This movement is known as the Iranian Revolution. The revolution was a period of chaos, limited freedom and strict religious laws. Life in Iran during the revolution was portrayed in Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis.

          The 1980s saw a war between Iran and Iraq over oil. After the war, a new government came to power in the 1990s.

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          Saddam Hussein’s rule of Iraq was marked by wars. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait led to the Gulf War which it lost. Oil was a huge element in these invasions and Iraq had caused considerable damage to Kuwait by the end of the war. The UN imposed a ban on oil from Iraq. This was to make sure that Iraq pays reparation to Kuwait. The ban was largely in effect till 2003.

          Iraq is an Arab state which was first ruled by Sumerians. They were followed by the Persians, Greeks, Arabs and Turks who conquered the land and established empires. Britain took some control over Iraq after them. The country got independence in 1932. Oil was discovered after 1950 which brought prosperity to the land.

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          The Arabs of Anaza built a port in Kuwait Bay in the 1700s which is now known as Kuwait city. Until then, this land was uninhabited. The Turks tried to invade the port and the local people sought protection from the British. Britain took the responsibility of Kuwait’s defence up until the 1960s. The country became independent then.

          Oil has brought riches to the country since 1946. It also provided jobs to a lot of migrants, especially from India. The people of Kuwait led a peaceful life till the 90s when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Kuwait was accused of taking away Iraq’s petroleum; this accusation was followed by invasion. The troops from the US and UK drove out the Iraqis. Iraq responded with bombings and many oil wells were set on fire.

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          Some countries in the Middle East suddenly bagged attention as they had rich deposits of oil. Till then, they were largely seen as sandy stretches of barren land, inhabited by tribesmen. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iran enjoyed the oil boom.

          Oil generated huge amounts of money which was used for developing infrastructure, roads, education and health care. Other industries were also important in some of these countries like construction in Yemen and fertilizer manufacture in Qatar.

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          Before the 1970s, the seven emirates under the UAE were separate states in the Persian Gulf, who fought against each other. Some traded spices, pearls and perfumes while the others smuggled them.

          By the 1820s, the British became a major trading power in this region. To avoid competition, they made the emirs sign a truce. They stopped warfare among themselves in return for the protection offered by the British.

          In 1971 the emirs of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain joined under the banner of the United Arab Emirates and gained independence. Ras Al Khaimah later joined the emirates in 1972.

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          Have you ever heard your grandparents talking about Ceylon? Ceylon is the old name of Sri Lanka: the name was given by the British when they colonized it. Lanka is known to all of us from the story of Ramayana.

          The Sinhalese from India conquered the island and named it Sinhala. Later, Tamils also from India invaded Sinhala pushing the Sinhalese southwards. This has been a source of conflict since then. The country was later invaded by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. After World War II, the island gained independence from the British. This happened in 1948 and after two decades, the country adopted its new name – Sri Lanka.

          The old tensions between the Tamils and Sinhalese erupted again in the 1980s leading to a bitter civil war. The war killed thousands and many fled from their motherland.

          The conflict ended in 2009 with the victory over Tamil Tigers.

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