Examining the internal strives and synergies of the Gulf ruling houses has always been taboo and likely punishable. The royal history in the region abounds with atrocities and controversies, most of which are considered inhuman in the modern day. Delving into the history of a region with an intense attachment to its past is challenging, especially when sensitive and unspoken events are scrutinised.

Tribal monarchical rule is a key feature of the region. Understanding the past of the ruling tribes and shaykhs will provide a clear insight into their present and, in a way, predict their future. One of the foremost characteristics of the ruling tribes in the Gulf – now known as royal families – is a strict commitment to norms and conventions, which necessitates holding on to the past and preserving traditions, regardless of how obsolete or backward they may seem. Despite their liberal appearance and the steps they have taken to modernise, these tribes/families remain politically conservative.

have taken to modernise, these tribes/families remain politically conservative. This work has constituted almost a decade of research; however, its focal questions had been brewing for much longer. The initial aim was to answer several self-posed questions which had aroused my interest since the uprising in the 1990s, regarding when and why the indigenous Shi‘i inhabitants of Bahrain (the Baharna) antagonised their rulers (the Al Khalifa), and when and why the Al Khalifa marginalised them. I was still too young then to understand the profound and prolonged sociopolitical conflict, which had a visible impact on almost every person in the country. A new dimension of questions was unveiled in the aftermath of the National Action Charter (2001), when freedom of expression was at its peak. This climate encouraged everyone to engage in discussion. Many of the supressed voices had a great opportunity to express their opinions, regardless of how bold or extreme they were. The country transformed into an arena for open debate on every aspect of national politics. Unfortunately, after the uprising in 2011, the country became tense, and freedom of expression was drastically limited. Bahrain was – and remains – embroiled in a conflict between the ruling class and insubordinate citizens, which has repeated itself almost every decade since the 1920s