1783 Al Khalifa invasion of Bahrain
| Bani Utub invasion of Bahrain | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Zand dynasty (nominally, only al-Madhkur's realm which included Bushehr and Bahrain was actually involved in the conflict) |
Sheikhdom of Zubarah
Supported by: |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Nasr Al-Madhkur |
Abdullah II Al-Sabah | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Heavy | Unknown | ||||||
Decisive Utub victory
Sheikhdom of Zubarah
Supported by:
Nasr Al-Madhkur
Madan Al-Jidhafsi †
Bani Utub invasion of Bahrain led to the end of Persian rule in Bahrain; and the annexation of Bahrain by the Arabs.
After the fall of the Safavid dynasty, Bahrain went through a period of anarchy, dismay, and self-rule in villages which made the country vulnerable to foreign invasions. Utub forces often attacked the island during this phase which made the spiritual leader of Bahrain, Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abdullah Al Majed, use the Huwala to combat the Utubs' attacks. These attacks continued throughout the early 18th century until the Utubs launched a full-scale invasion of the island and established a government loyal to the Sultan of Muscat. The Utubs were defeated and expelled by the Huwala forces loyal to Bahrain's spiritual leader who established a government headed by Sheikh Jabara Al-Holi (also known as Jubayr al-Holi). The Persian Afsharids led by former Safavid general Nader Shah invaded the island in 1737 and deposed Sheikh Jabara. Persian rule continued for 46 more years, with brief interruptions, until the Utubs finally took over the island in 1783.
Sayid Majed ibn Sayid Ahmad Al-Jidhafsi was Bahrain's vice governor and the headman of Jidhafs who often clashed with his political nemesis, Ahmad ibn Muhammad Al-Biladi, the headman of the semi-autonomous village of Bilad Al-Qadeem. This rivalry reached its climax when an argument between the Al Khalifas who came to the island of Sitra to buy some supplies and a merchant escalated into a shoot out which resulted in the deaths of numerous Al Khalifas. Those who remained went back to Zubarah and informed their clan about the incident which caused outrage between the Utubs, causing them to send a naval fleet to Sitra with the intention of avenging their kins' deaths. After a disproportionate number of Sitra inhabitants were killed as a result of the rampage, the Utubs returned to Zubarah.
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Wikipedia