ABOUT QATAR
History of Qatar
Qatar, a state on the Arab Peninsula's southern coast, is a recent innovation in many ways. On the other side, there have been signs of centuries-old informal settlements on the earth.
1700
1776
All tribes gather under the rule of the Al Thani family. This paves the way for stability, independence from neighbouring countries, and the forging of balanced relations with various entities in the region.
1800
1868
Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani signs an agreement with the British authorities in the Arabian Gulf, recognising Qatar as an independent political entity.
1875~1914
By the last quarter of the 19th century, Qatar is once again under Ottoman control. However, the country’s rulers maintain considerable independence along with an alliance with Britain. Under the rule of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Qatar upholds its links with the Ottomans (despite differences in opinion over some issues) until Jassim's demise on 17th July, 1913 and the outbreak of World War I the following year.
1900
1916Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani signs the 11-article Anglo-Qatari Treaty while registering his reservations about three articles that he felt encroached on national sovereignty. These were:
Article 7, allows British nationals to compete with local inhabitants in the pearl trade.Article 8, mandating the appointment of a British political resident in Qatar.Article 9, allowed Britain to establish a post and telegraph office in the country.
1935Sheikh Abdullah renews the Anglo-Qatari Treaty and signs the first oil-prospecting agreement with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. He also agrees to the appointment of a British Political Resident in Qatar (although this doesn’t actually take place until 1949, making Qatar the last Gulf country to agree to this measure).
1939Oil is first struck at the end of 1939, but exploration activities come to a halt during World War II. This coincides with a decline in the pearl-diving industry and a recession in the natural pearl market, adversely affecting Qatar's economy. The situation starts to improve by the early 1950s when the positive impact of oil exports is felt.
1960sBy acceding to the membership requirements of UN organisations such as UNESCO and the World Health Organisation (WHO), Qatar starts participating in international events. The country also takes part in the conferences of oil-producing countries.
January 1968The British government withdraws its troops from the East of Suez, ending the Arabian Gulf State protectorate era.
April 1970The first Qatari Constitution is ratified through an Interim Basic Statute that stipulates the formation of the first Council of Ministers.
29th May 1970Decree No. 35 is issued to enable the formation of a Cabinet, set the competencies of its ministers and determine the functions of other government agencies.
3rd June 1970The Cabinet, comprising 10 ministerial portfolios, convenes for the first time.
3rd September 1971H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, the Heir Apparent and Prime Minister, terminates the 1916 Treaty, heralding a new phase in the country's history with the government taking over the reins of power, and declaring Qatar an independent state.
Early history
The first signs of sustained human habitation in Qatar can be found in the form of small, isolated farmsteads, stone tools, and painted pottery dating back to the 6th millennium BCE. These settlements belong to the 'Ubaid period,' which is named after the place in southern Mesopotamia where this form of painted pottery was originally discovered. This suggests that the early immigrants had relations to what is now modern-day Iraq. The climate in eastern Arabia during this time period is thought to have been much wetter than it is now, as evidenced by inland wells and the growth of wild grain crops.
The most notable Bronze Age sites are situated in the Al Khor Region on Qatar's western coast, as well as the Ras Brouq peninsula to the west.
The remnants near Al Khor were concentrated near the coast on the island of Jazirat bin Ghanem (commonly known as Purple Island), and included enormous amounts of methanolic extract (a small aquatic shell) shells used to produce purple dye. A Bronze Age encampment was discovered near Ras Brouq, along with a few fragments of Barbar Pottery ceramics (named after a Bahraini location) from the late third millennium BCE. The sites also contain around 5,000 stone grave mounds dating to 300 BCE to 300 CE. The corresponding time of Iron Age sites may be found on Qatar's west coast, near the abandoned police station of Umm al-Ma'a.
A substantial section of a Nestorian cross was uncovered during a rescue excavation in central Qatar, and the relics of a gigantic building built on bedrock at Al Wakrah were tentatively recognised as a Nestorian church. Even though there is historical evidence of Religion in pre-Islamic Qatar (a bishop of Katara exists), pre-Islamic Qatari towns have minimal archaeological evidence.
The Abbasids (8th to 13th centuries CE) saw the pearl industry flourish along Qatar's rich pearl banks, and extraction still is from the late Islamic period were discovered at Yoghbi in northwestern Qatar, while early excavation remains from of the 9th and 10th centuries CE were found at nearby Murwab, including 250 houses, two mosques, and a fortified mansion. In addition to Murwab, numerous more inland Abbasid-period sites have been discovered in northern Qatar.
The disappearance of the Portuguese population, as well as the arrival of entrepreneurs from the Netherlands, French, and Britain, were two key changes in the 18th century. While these nations were present in the Gulf during the 17th century, increased the competition during the 1700s, resulting in a virtual British monopoly by the start of the 19th century. There are a few 17th-century sites that are known to have been occupied, despite the lack of archaeological and historical evidence for their existence. By the end of the eighteenth century, there was also a vast network of towns, particularly along the Qatar peninsula's northern coast. This paved the way for Qatar's future.
How Qatar Has Transformed Over 40 Years
The Doha Skyline in 1977 and today
Doha's commercial centre in 1968 and today
Souq Waqif in 1970s and today
Msheireb Downtown Doha in the mid-20th century and today
West Bay Skyline in the late 1970s andNational Museum of Qatar
Aspire Zone then and Today