Ethnic, cultural and religious groups of Bahrain

Last updated
Ethnic groups in Bahrain (2010) [1]
Ethnic groups
Bahraini
46%
Asian
45.5%
other Arabs
4.7%
African
1.6%
European
1%
Other (Americans and GCC nationals
1.2%

Bahrain is a nation in the Persian Gulf, in a strategical position in relation to the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq and Oman.

Contents

Shias

Baharna

The Baharna are regarded as the indigenous original pre-Islamic inhabitants of Bahrain.

Baharna live in Manama, almost all the villages of the main island of Bahrain, several villages in the island of Muharraq in the north and in the island of Sitra to the east. They speak similar dialects, with slight variations between villages, although the villages of Sitra have dialects which differ considerably from those of the main island.

Palm tree farming and fishing were the traditional economic activities of the Baharna.

There are also Shia Arabs concentrated in several neighborhoods in Muharraq city. They originally came from Al-Hasa, they are "Hasawis". They are distinct from the Baharna from villages outside the city proper. As a result of their proximity to surrounding Sunni Arabs and Africans, they speak the Sunni dialect.

Persians

The Shia Persians of Bahrain are a significant and influential ethnic minority whose ancestors arrived in Bahrain during the old persians states/empires days and in the early 19th century as laborers, artisans and merchants. There are large communities in Muharraq and Manama. Persians maintain a distinct culture and language, but have long since assimilated into Bahraini culture; they tend to identify themselves more as Persian Bahrainis or Bahrainis than Iranians. Almost all are bilingual in Arabic and Persian, with school, work and daily affairs conducted in Arabic and Persian usually relegated to the family domain. Almost all have possessed Bahraini citizenship since birth; in most cases their parents, and in some cases their grandparents, are also holders of Bahraini citizenship.

Sunnis

Sunni population has been historically compartmentalized into the three groups listed below, with the Sunni Arabs forming the majority of the Bahraini population. Sunni Bahrainis are mostly concentrated in areas such as Busaiteen, Budaiya, Jasra, Zallaq, Askar, Jaw, al-Dur, amongst others. [2]

Arabs

Sunni Arabs in Bahrain are displaced Arabs who immigrated to Bahrain from Al-Ahsa, Najd and Qatar for pearl diving and trade, in the twelfth half during the Khalifi conquest of the country. Sunni Arabs are the most influential ethnic group in Bahrain, they hold most government positions and the Bahraini monarchy are Sunni Arabs. Sunni Arabs have traditionally lived in areas such as Zallaq, Muharraq, Riffa and Hawar islands.

Afro-Arabs

Most Arabs of African descent originate from East Africa like Egyptians and have traditionally lived in Muharraq Island and Riffa. [3]

Some Afro-Arabs are also Shia.

Huwala

The Huwala are the descendants of Sunni Iranians who migrated to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf during the 19th century. Many of them originally lived in Awadhiya (a neighborhood in Godaibiya) and Hoora, both which are now nearly exclusively only populated by foreigners of Filipino, Indian and Bengali origins, however they later resettled in Muharraq Island and Riffa. [4]

South Asians

Shrinathji Temple in Manama Manama Sri Krishna Temple Courtyard 01.jpg
Shrinathji Temple in Manama

For the vast majority of its history Bahrain has been economically and culturally dependent on two regions, Assyrian and Meluhas the latter being Indians comprising the current state of Gujarat.

There is both literary and archaeological evidence of extensive trade between Ancient Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilization. Impressions of clay seals from the Indus Valley city of Lothal and Harappa were evidently used to seal bundles of merchandise, as clay seal impressions with cord or sack marks on the reverse side testify. Numerous Indus Valley seals have turned up at Ur and other Mesopotamian sites, far outnumbering even local seals which shows their preference for the Indian economic currencies and seals.

Location of the Dilmun burial mounds in Bahrain. AncientTombsOfBahrain.svg
Location of the Dilmun burial mounds in Bahrain.

The "Persian Gulf" types of circular, stamped (rather than rolled) seals known from Dilmun, that appear at Lothal in Gujarat, India, and Failaka, as well as in Mesopotamia, are convincing corroboration of the long-distance sea trade. What the commerce consisted of is less known: timber and precious woods, ivory, lapis lazuli, gold, and luxury goods such as carnelian and glazed stone beads, pearls from the Persian Gulf, shell and bone inlays, were among the goods sent to Mesopotamia in exchange for silver, tin, woolen textiles, olive oil and grains. Copper ingots from Oman and bitumen which occurred naturally in Mesopotamia may have been exchanged for cotton textiles and domestic fowl, major products of the Indus region that are not native to Mesopotamia. Instances of all of these trade goods have been found. The importance of this trade is shown by the fact that the weights and measures used at Dilmun were in fact identical to those used by the Indus, and were not those used in Southern Mesopotamia.

"the ships of Dilmun, from the foreign land, brought him wood as a tribute". [5]

Mesopotamian trade documents, lists of goods, and official inscriptions mentioning Meluhha supplement Harappan seals and archaeological finds. Literary references to Meluhhan trade date from the Akkadian, the Third Dynasty of Ur, and Isin-Larsa Periods (c. 2350–1800 BC), but the trade probably started in the Early Dynastic Period (c. 2600 BC). Some Meluhhan vessels may have sailed directly to Mesopotamian ports, but by the Isin-Larsa Period, Dilmun monopolized the trade. The Bahrain National Museum assesses that its "Golden Age" lasted ca. 2200-1600 BC. Discoveries of ruins under the Persian Gulf maybe of Dilmun. [6]

Correspondence between Ili-ippasra, the governor of Dilmun, and Enlil-kidinni, the governor of Nippur, ca. 1350 BC. BE XVII 88.jpg
Correspondence between Ilī-ippašra, the governor of Dilmun, and Enlil-kidinni, the governor of Nippur, ca. 1350 BC.

In the Mesopotamian epic poem Epic of Gilgamesh , Gilgamesh had to pass through Mount Mashu to reach Dilmun, Mount Mashu is usually identified with the whole of the parallel Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges, with the narrow gap between these mountains constituting the tunnel. [7]

Dilmun, sometimes described as "the place where the sun rises" and "the Land of the Living", is the scene of some versions of the Eridu Genesis, and the place where the deified Sumerian hero of the flood, Utnapishtim (Ziusudra), was taken by the gods to live forever. Thorkild Jacobsen's translation of the Eridu Genesis calls it "Mount Dilmun" which he locates as a "faraway, half-mythical place". [8]

Dilmun is also described in the epic story of Enki and Ninhursag as the site at which the Creation occurred. The promise of Enki to Ninhursag, the Earth Mother:

For Dilmun, the land of my lady's heart, I will create long waterways, rivers and canals,
whereby water will flow to quench the thirst of all beings and bring abundance to all that lives.

Ninlil, the Sumerian goddess of air and south wind had her home in Dilmun. It is also featured in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

However, in the early epic "Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta", the main events, which center on Enmerkar's construction of the ziggurats in Uruk and Eridu, are described as taking place in a world "before Dilmun had yet been settled".

The immigration of South Asians to Bahrain started in the late quarter of the 19th century and today Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Indians combined form the largest expatriate groups in Bahrain.

Indians

There were 197,273 Indian workers and 56,666 dependents as of 2014 and the majority of the public sector. There are multiple schools that were established in the country in the 20th century that offer the CBSE curriculum, the oldest of which is The Indian School which was first established in 1950. [9]

Pakistanis

In 2014 there were 39,765 Pakistani workers in Bahrain and 8,647 dependents, a further 30,000 have been given citizenship. A 2011 estimate states that 10,000 of them serve in security forces. [10] The vast majority of Pakistanis in Bahrain are Muslim.

Bangladeshis

Bangladesh recognized and established diplomatic ties with Bahrain in 1974, [11] although Bangladeshi expatriates started arriving decades before that. In 2014 there were 92,193 working in Bahrain and 3,116 dependents. [9]

Others

Filipinos

In 2014 there were 25,568 Filipino workers in Bahrain and a further 3,189 dependents living there.

Egyptians

In 2014 there were 8,083 workers and 10,176 dependents living in Bahrain [9]

Sri Lankans

In 2014 there were 5,790 Sri Lankan workers in Bahrain and a further 1,632 dependents living there.

British

In 2014 there were 2,367 British workers in Bahrain and 1,710 dependents [9] However, the Gulf News states there were 9,000 permanent British residents in 2013 and that 240 were given citizenship [12]

Jews

Bahraini Jews constitute one of the world's smallest Jewish communities. Today the community has a synagogue and small Jewish cemetery and numbers thirty-seven persons.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manama</span> Capital and largest city of Bahrain

Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population. After periods of Portuguese and Persian control and a short invasion from the ruling dynasty of Saudi Arabia, followed by a longer invasion by Oman, Bahrain established itself as an independent nation in 1971 following a period of British hegemony.

Bahrain was a central location of the ancient Dilmun civilization. Bahrain's strategic location in the Persian Gulf has brought rule and influence from mostly the Persians, Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Portuguese, the Arabs, and the British.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dilmun</span> Ancient Arabic civilization

Dilmun, or Telmun, was an ancient East Semitic-speaking civilization in Eastern Arabia mentioned from the 3rd millennium BC onwards. Based on contextual evidence, it was located in the Persian Gulf, on a trade route between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilisation, close to the sea and to artesian springs. Dilmun encompassed Bahrain, Kuwait, and eastern Saudi Arabia. This area is certainly what is meant by references to "Dilmun" among the lands conquered by King Sargon II and his descendants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia</span> Administrative region of Saudi Arabia

The Eastern Province, also known as the Eastern Region, is the easternmost of the 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia. It is the nation's largest province by area and the third most populous after the Riyadh and Mecca provinces. In 2017, the population was 4,900,325. Of these, 3,140,362 were Saudi citizens and 1,759,963 were foreign nationals The province accounts for 15.05% of the entire population of Saudi Arabia and is named for its geographical location relative to the rest of the kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meluhha</span> Prominent trading partner of Sumer during the Middle Bronze Age

Meluḫḫa or Melukhkha is the Sumerian name of a prominent trading partner of Sumer during the Middle Bronze Age. Its identification remains an open question, but most scholars associate it with the Indus Valley civilisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muharraq</span> Place in Al Muharraq Governorate, Bahrain

Muharraq is Bahrain's third-largest city and served as its capital until 1932 when it was replaced by Manama. The population of Muharraq in 2020 was 263,373.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain National Museum</span>

The Bahrain National Museum is the largest and oldest public museum in Bahrain. It is situated in Manama, adjacent to the National Theatre of Bahrain. Opened on 15 December 1988 by the Emir of Bahrain Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the $30 million museum complex covers 27,800 sq meters and is the country's most popular tourist attraction. It is believed to be the region's first modern museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uqair</span> Ancient fort in Saudi Arabia

Uqair, alternatively spelled as al-'Uqair, Uqayr, and Ogair, is an ancient seaport city in the Al-Ahsa Governorate of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It is the first seaport in the Persian Gulf and has been linked by some to the ancient city of Gerrha mentioned in Greek and Roman sources. The site was also the location of the conference at which the Uqair Protocol of 1922 was issued, which helped to establish the borders of modern Saudi Arabia.

The Bahārna are an ethnoreligious group of Shia Muslim Arabs indigenous to the historical region of Bahrain. They are generally regarded to be the original inhabitants of Eastern Arabia. They inhabited the area even before the arrival of the Banu Utbah in the 18th century which the Bahraini royal family descends from. Most Bahraini citizens are Baharna. Regions with most of the population are in Eastern Arabia, with significant populations in Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, and Hormozgan province of Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrani Arabic</span> Variety of Arabic of Eastern Arabia and Oman

Bahrani Arabic is a variety of Arabic spoken by the Baharna in Eastern Arabia and Oman. In Bahrain, the dialect is primarily spoken in Shia villages and some parts of Manama. In Saudi Arabia, the dialect is spoken in the governorate of Qatif. In Oman, it is spoken in the governorates of Al Dhahirah and Al Batinah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A'ali</span> Town in Northern Governorate, Bahrain

A'ali is a major town in northern Bahrain. It is a part of the Northern Governorate, although from 2001 to 2014 it lay within the Central Governorate. A'ali is famous for its ancient burial mounds, especially several very large burial mounds in the city centre. A'ali is also famous for its traditional handcrafted pottery, which can be seen and bought from different potters and boutiques in the whole town.

The culture of Bahrain is part of the historical region of Eastern Arabia. Thus, Bahrain's culture is similar to that of its Arab neighbours in the Arabian Gulf region. Bahrain is known for its cosmopolitanism, Bahraini citizens are very ethnically diverse. Though the state religion is Islam, the country is tolerant towards other religions: Catholic and Orthodox churches, Hindu temples as well as a (now-defunct) Jewish synagogue are present on the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Arabia</span> Eastern Arabian Peninsula historical region

Eastern Arabia (Bahrain), is a region stretched from Basra to Khasab along the Persian Gulf coast and included parts of modern-day Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Eastern Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman. The entire coastal strip of Eastern Arabia was known as "Bahrain" for a millennium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Bahrain</span> Country in West Asia

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Bahrain:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain</span> Country in West Asia

Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 per cent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The population of Bahrain is 1,501,635 as of May 14, 2023, based on elaborations of the United Nations data, of whom 712,362 are Bahraini nationals. Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi), and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qal'at al-Bahrain</span> Archaeological site in Bahrain

The Qal'at al-Bahrain, also known as the Bahrain Fort or Portuguese Fort, is an archaeological site located in Bahrain. Archaeological excavations carried out since 1954 have unearthed antiquities from an artificial mound of 12 m (39 ft) height containing seven stratified layers, created by various occupants from 2300 BC up to the 18th century, including Kassites, Greeks, Portuguese and Persians. It was once the capital of the Dilmun civilization and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

The modern Bahraini art movement emerged in the 1950s, with the establishment of an Arts and Literature club in 1952. The club served as an umbrella group for professional and amateur artists, musicians, and actors in Bahrain. In 1956, the first art exhibition was held in the Bahraini capital, Manama. Expressionism and surrealism, as well as calligraphic art are the popular forms of art in the country. Abstract expressionism has gained popularity in recent decades.

Janabiyah (Arabic:الجنبية) is a village situated in the north-west of Bahrain, close to the Gulf of Bahrain. It is located south of Bani Jamra and to the west of the village of Saar. It is under the Northern Governorate administrative region of the country. The village is mainly popular for its camel farms that host around 100 camels.

Bahraini Gulf Arabic is a Gulf Arabic dialect spoken in Bahrain. It is spoken by Bahraini Sunni Arabs and is a dialect which is most similar to the urban dialect spoken in Qatar, the dialect spoken in Kuwait and Iraq.

Rashid Al Oraifi was a Bahraini plastic artist.

References

  1. "MIDDLE EAST::BAHRAIN". CIA The World Factbook. 23 April 2022.
  2. حركة التشيُّع في الخليج العربي ( دراسة تحليليّة نقديّة ) (in Arabic) By Abdulaziz al-Badah, p.253.
  3. "Bahrain's Rainbow Nation in Manama - HotelTravel.com". Archived from the original on 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  4. الهولة في البحرين ج ٧
  5. Larsen, Curtis E. (1983). Life and Land Use on the Bahrain Islands: The Geoarchaeology of an Ancient Society. University of Chicago Press. p. 33. ISBN   978-0-226-46906-5.
  6. The UK Register, Science, Lost ancient civilisation's ruins lie beneath Gulf, By Lewis Page Science, December 9, 2010
  7. P. T. H. Unwin; Tim Unwin (18 June 1996). Wine and the Vine: An Historical Geography of Viticulture and the Wine Trade. Psychology Press. pp. 80–. ISBN   978-0-415-14416-2 . Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  8. Thorkild Jacobsen (23 September 1997). The Harps that once--: Sumerian poetry in translation, p. 150. Yale University Press. ISBN   978-0-300-07278-5 . Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2016-10-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Bahrain agrees to augment defence ties with Pakistan, By Baqir Sajjad Syed, 30 Mar 2011, Dawn
  11. "Bangladesh - Bahrain Relation". Archived from the original on 2014-09-04. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  12. "Bahrain grants citizenship to 240 UK citizens | GulfNews.com". gulfnews.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-15.