The Role of Pearl Industry in the Beach Dwellers’ Convergence around Persian Gulf in the Qajar Era

Assessment of the role of pearls in recognizing some historical and traditional concepts governing the social and economic relations of inhabitants around the Persian Gulf, especially its central and southern coasts, is of great significance due to their special position for explaining the historical events and contexts of the Persian Gulf Region Administration. Pearl has been defined as an important commodity in the region's traditional economy, prompting researchers to explore its various social, economic, and political dimensions. Among the important historical backgrounds, recognizing and redefining how to manage this vast trade in local and regional dimensions and continuing to find traces of Iranian bureaucracy were the focus of this particular case study. With its analytical approach and based on some historical evidence, this article sought to answer the fundamental question of what the trace of Iranian bureaucracy in this process was given the mechanism of pearl fishing and trading. The prevailing premise was that bureaucracy had indirectly contributed to fishing management and regulation of pearl-fishing grounds.

Traditionally and historically, the southern coastline of the Persian Gulf, along with the southern coast of Iran, was based on geographical proximity, common religion and economic interests, and political and social ties. In the meantime, trade interactions, especially participation in trading for goods and fisheries, were more important. In the context of interactions for gaining economic benefits from the sea, pearl fishing and trading were of particular significance due to the role of different strata in gaining broad financial benefits. This could be the basis for doing a historical analysis on the role of pearl fishing and trading in creating a kind of collective participation and historical interaction between coastal residents on both sides of the Persian Gulf. Interactions that had existed since ancient times and throughout the history of the Islamic era were reinforced by the strengthening of religious ties between Iranians and Arabs and continued until the Qajar period. Since pearl fishing was the most important platform for economic activities of the coastal residents, who were scattered along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf and had no other livelihoods, pearl fishing and trading were the major and central platform for their roles in the local Persian Gulf economy. This presence was more prominent in the major pearl sites in the region, namely around Bahrain, east and west of Qatar Peninsula, and around the islands of Abu Dhabi. Understanding the nature of this interaction, the important role of Iranian captains and merchants in this business, and the need for convergence and coordination among coastal residents revealed the role of their common interests in creating this ancient traditional system and a better communication for strengthening those interests. Although the evolution of the international system and development of the trade and security systems by securing British Naval Power and preserving the Indian Empire changed the long-standing relations and local traditions in the Persian Gulf, pearl fishing and trading so well dominated over the region due to its complexity and special characteristics. It was less affected by the conditions of the new era and was able to maintain its existence until the 1930s. Go on with your life. Nevertheless, the first half of the 19th century …AD/13 AH. The pattern of beach-dwelling relations with the presence of pearl fisheries on the southeast coast was the same as the traditional patterns. Meanwhile, the southeastern shores of the Persian Gulf were the most important pearl-fishing grounds in the entire Indian Ocean basin and an important center of mass gathering and collective participation of coastal residents throughout the ports and islands of the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, despite the historical importance of the principles of interaction and participation in the coastal residents’ social lives, the major issue for Iranian and Arab scholars in the present era was to address the qualities and scopes of Iranian and Arab governments’ influences and powers in Persian Gulf ports and islands. Hence, less attention was paid to the issue of interaction and participation of both groups in the social and economic contexts. Although a brief look at the historical and human geography and climate on the shores of the Persian Gulf revealed the concentration of human settlements on the northern shores (present-day coasts of Iran) and the dominance of Iranian elements on the sea. The social and economic lives on the ports and islands were neglected. Participation continued from the distant past to the domination of modern security systems in the 14th century AH/20 AD. Therefore, the developments that occurred during the last two centuries necessitated recognition of some historical foundations of connections between the coastal and maritime areas on both sides of the Persian Gulf. Due to the economic and communication significance of this commercial region, pearls were of historical importance among the commercial goods in the Persian Gulf as they had a special role in the coastal residents’ livelihood and local economy. Pearl was known as a locally produced commodity and unlike other important transit commodities, such as spices, horses, textiles, nuts, etc., it was not merely a transit commodity, while it belonged to the coastal areas and the coastal people permanently participated in catching and processing it. The difference between pearl and other important local commodities like salt was in its reliance on fishing techniques and complexity and trading process, as well as its necessities. Knowledge and experience, along with the financial resources derived from the pearl trade, provided a balance for coastal residents against foreign interference. Moreover, the deep connection of pearls with all aspects of local people’s social lives and the scope of activities related to it were in such a way that even oil, despite its economic importance beyond pearls, was not as a cultural activity linked to the sea people’s lives as pearls, which created closeness. However, the most important issue in this regard was the complexity of how Iranians were related to pearl fishing and trading in the Persian Gulf. Scattered historical references to pearl fishing and trading were the basis for understanding some important aspects of the interactions between the two shores. In addition to the book "Al-Magha's Al-Laali and Minar Al-Laali" (Sadid al-Saltanah Kababi (1371), which was published under the Persian name of "Northern Lands ..." and whose main title and contents had brief references to fishing and trading in the Persian Gulf region, a short book on the subject of pearls entitled "Al-Manas fi Ahwal al-Ghousva al-Al-Wass" by Sadid al-Saltanah Kababi (1308) was available. Also, there was a collection of documents related to pearl fishing in the Persian Gulf. This four-volume collection of documents from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century contained statistics and reports that showed the role of pearls in coastal people’s livelihoods. Among the official documents and reports of the British agency in the Persian Gulf, which were in the form of several independent collections, the detailed collection of Saldanha and Lorimer was included as well.

Through historical and analytical methods and based on library studies, this article tried to answer the basic question of what role this commodity played in creating interaction and convergence among the coastal residents of the Persian Gulf according to the mechanism of pearl fishing and trading. The prevailing assumption was that the process of attending fishing grounds and the rules and regulations governing fishing culture played an important role in creating convergence and interaction among coastal residents with regard to the importance of pearl fishing and trading, as well as researchers' emphasis on the existence of rules and traditional customs.

Obtaining financial benefits for political centers on the northern shores of the Persian Gulf provided an explanation to the importance of this industry and trade. A closer look at the events revealed that the central role of pearl industry in the inhabitants’ lives and livelihoods on the southern coasts had not been studied by researchers despite the existence of some references in the sources, which could sufficiently encourage them to perform explanatory research in these areas. The historical nature of coastal dwellers’ connection and interactions based on the culture and economy of pearls should be carefully studied as one of the most original and fundamental foundations of the history of the Persian Gulf region. Pearls had a special place in the local economy of the southern coasts of the Persian Gulf due to their historical importance, so much so that in official reports, they were mentioned as the strength of the scattered settlements on the southern coasts. In the first Qajar era, the basis of interactions between both sides of the Persian Gulf was a continuation of the historical trading traditions in the form of the presence of fishing fleets and residents in pearl fisheries in Iranian ports. In the field of pearl trading, which was considered to be the most important livelihood activity of dwellers on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf, an unwritten and, of course, precise mechanism, which Lorimer considered a Sassanid tradition, made the basis for creating order between thousands of boats and ships. These traditions were seen in the spatial and temporal divisions of fishermen's groups and timing of the presence of large and small ships, merchants, etc., expressing common interests and the necessity of establishing a system of customs on both sides of the northern and southern coasts. This did the right thing even without a direct supervision in the Qajar period, which was the result of the emergence of new European mechanisms that remained strong until the middle of the 14th century AH/20 AD. Despite the weakness and decline of the Qajar ruling system, this continuous presence showed that local traditions were a key factor in preserving the region's historical identity by strengthening the interaction between coastal residents even in the absence of direct supervision of the central government. These traditions reflected an important part of the coastal inhabitants’ economic and social lives.