Sheikh Khazal’s Role in the Disintegration of the Ottoman Empire’s Power in the Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf has always been a focus of attention for Europeans and their neighboring countries. Given the Ottoman government’s policies, this region became increasingly important in the beginning of the 19th century. This was because, at this time, some powerful European countries began to support the Sheikhs of the Persian Gulf in their conflicts with other regional powers such as the Ottoman and Iranian governments in order to expand their political relationships and protect their benefits there. Among the Sheikh’s of the Persian Gulf who played a significant role in the failure of Ottomans’ policies in the region at the outset of World War I, reference can be made to Sheikh Khazal, the ruler of Khorramshahr ( Mohammereh). Following a descriptive-analytic method and relying on library resources and documents, this study aims to investigate Sheikh Khazal’s role in the disintegration of Ottomans’ power in the Persian Gulf during the first quarter of the 20th century.