History of the British Raj in the Arabian Gulf | Prof. James Onley

Imperialism was a masterclass in maintaining the fiction of autonomy while quietly acquiring the assets of an empire. Professor James Onley, chair of Gulf and Arab Studies at the American University of Sharjah, dissects the sophisticated loopholes used by colonial powers to exert influence without the liabilities of formal control. This conversation highlights the deep-seated socioeconomic connections between India and the Gulf, a relationship far older than the modern state system. Dr. Onley provides a nuanced look at the collaborative nature of empire on the cheap, where local elites often navigated British protection to secure their own regional interests. From the arrival of Arab nationalism to the digital preservation of over two million archival pages in the Qatar Digital Library, this dialogue reveals the shifting layers of identity and power that have shaped the Arabian Peninsula.