The tiny country of Kuwait grabbed the world's attention during the Gulf War, during which its natural petroleum resource became the envy of its neighboring country of Iraq. But Kuwait's history goes back long before any oil was discovered, back to Mesopotamian settlements as early as 3000 BCE. Ideal for high school students as well as general readers, History of Kuwait offers a comprehensive look at how such a small country could, essentially, rule the world with just one natural resource. From sheikhdom to British protectorate to independence to invasion, Kuwait's history is long and rich with culture. Michael S. Casey demonstrates how this Middle Eastern gem has grown throughout the centuries.

Since the discovery of the worlds third largest oil reserves within its borders, Kuwait has achieved international political prominence far exceeding its physical size. The country had already played a role in history before, however. Local sources take that history back to the beginning of the nineteenth century. The present book takes the history of Kuwait still further back using European sources. It includes analyses and comparisons of indications on maps from the sixteenth century onwards and of references to the Kuwait area in documents produced by officials of the Dutch East India Company-the principal Western political and economic power in the Gulf during most of early modern times-, in British documents and in early travel accounts. The book is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the political position of Kuwait in history vis-à-vis its neighbours, especially the Ottoman authorities in Basra.

Presents a comprehensive history of the nation of Kuwait from the first Mesopotamian settlements as early as 3000 BCE, its independence from British control, occupation by Iraq in 1990, and liberation and reconstruction.

Kuwait, unlike most of its neighbours, has a well-established national identity and a long history as a nation, dating back to the eighteenth century. In this book, first published in 1992, Dr. Jill Crystal focuses on two recurring themes in Kuwaiti history: one, the preservation of a sense of community in the face of radical economic, social and political transformations; the second, internal rivalry over the conventions governing relations among members of the community. Crystal skilfully weaves these themes into a broad profile of Kuwait, analysing the nation’s transformation from a pre-oil to an oil economy; its social structure and composition, including the country’s tribal roots and key divisions involving class, gender and immigrant labour; political tensions resulting from the nation’s sudden wealth and the accompanying changes in social structure; and its relations with other countries in the Gulf and the Middle East.

Kuwait has been inhabited for millennia, but began to emerge as an Arab shaikhdom relatively late, after the arrival of the `Utub clans of central Arabia during the first decades of the 18th century. Entering the historical record first as a junction of caravan and sea routes, it quickly grew to be a commercial rival to Basra at the head of the Gulf. --

Since the discovery of the worlds third largest oil reserves within its borders, Kuwait has achieved international political prominence far exceeding its physical size. The country had already played a role in history before, however. Local sources take that history back to the beginning of the nineteenth century. The present book takes the history of Kuwait still further back using European sources. It includes analyses and comparisons of indications on maps from the sixteenth century onwards and of references to the Kuwait area in documents produced by officials of the Dutch East India Company-the principal Western political and economic power in the Gulf during most of early modern times-, in British documents and in early travel accounts. The book is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the political position of Kuwait in history vis-a-vis its neighbours, especially the Ottoman authorities in Basra.