The first few things that come to mind when one thinks of Kuwait—or, for that matter, of any country located in the Middle East—are petroleum, deserts and war. This tiny state in the Persian Gulf has a history, however, that moves far beyond these clichéd associations; few know that civilizations existed here before the time of Christ, and flourished as centers of trade right up until the 20th century.
Archaeological remnants found in Kuwait have been traced back to the Stone Age. The earliest evidence of settlements found here date back to 4500 BC, and historians hold that trade was carried out between the settlers here and the inhabitants of Mesopotamian cities. Two thousand years later, it was the Dilmun Empire that controlled the Gulf; this was a time when merchants sailed the seas, and trade continued to prosper. Evidence of a settlement on the Island of Failaka including homes, granaries, and a temple, all are rooted in this period in history. Life thus continued in much the same vein in Kuwait for centuries, right up until the 3rd century BC—this was when the Greeks invaded Failaka Island, just off the coast of Kuwait City, renaming it ‘Ikaros'. Ancient Greek temples, pavements, coins and such have been unearthed here; Kuwait was used by the Greeks to conduct trade with India and the Mesopotamian cities. In the meantime, the Arabs who occupied the Arabian Peninsula also gravitated towards the city of Kuwait, using its natural harbor to continue trading with far off lands such as China and India. Thus Kuwait became a commercial hub, where pearls, precious stones, spices and the like were bartered.
The following centuries saw many struggles for power over this tiny state; the Amir of Hormuz, the Umayyads, and various Arabian tribes occupied different parts of the Gulf at different times, and the 1400s saw the arrival of the Portuguese; they transformed Kuwait into a global center for trade, and on their heels came the British and the Dutch. The capital city of Kuwait is believed to have been founded by clans of the ‘Anizah' tribe of Central Arabia, who migrated to Kuwait around 1756. The clans collectively came to be known as Bani Utub after their migration, and their settlement came to be known as Bani Khalid. The pearling industry and trade flourished in the city in their time; the Al-Sabah merchant family formed the upper strata of Bani Utub society, and an individual Sabah ruled as leader (the Al Sabahs continue to rule Kuwait today). To secure their position against the Ottomans, neighboring sheikhdoms and other external threats, Kuwait formed an alliance with the British, who had a vested interest in the flourishing state, in the 1700s, and remained a British protectorate for the next two centuries. The 1930s saw the discovery of oil in this Gulf country, boosting its economy. Kuwait no longer required British aid, and in June 1961 established itself as an independent sheikhdom. A month later, however, Iraq claimed sovereignty over the country, and British forces had to be called in against the Iraqi invaders, relenting only after the intervention of the Arab League. Kuwait went on to become a founding member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in 1961 and also provided financial aid to its neighboring nations. By the late 1960s and 1970s oil brought in over 90 per cent of the country's income, and Kuwait was seen as a country with a steady economy.
The 1980s saw the Iranian Revolution, and Kuwait allied itself with Iraq against Iran. In August of 1990, however, Iraq itself invaded Kuwait under Saddam Hussein, the dictator claiming the tiny state to be an Iraqi province, and accusing it of pilfering oil from Iraq's reserves. The United States of America came to the rescue of Kuwait, driving out the Iraqis, but not before the ravages of war had devastated the country. Almost all of the infrastructure of the capital, including basic foundations like roads and bridges were destroyed by explosives. The city was stripped bare of its landmarks, and historic monuments like the Kuwaiti Towers and the National Museum were also targeted. Kuwait was liberated in 1991, but the Iraqi army left only after setting fire to 80 per cent of its oil wells.
Post-war efforts by the government and the Arab and Western forces helped Kuwait City get back on its feet, mainly through its oil exports. The country has spent more than five billion dollars to repair oil infrastructure damaged during the Gulf War. Today, a host of international names in the hotel industry such as the Four Seasons, the Intercontinental, the Radisson SAS, and Sheraton are helping tourism flourish. Other projects like the annual Hala Shopping Festival and the malls, restaurants and different entertainment venues are efforts by the state to modernize the city.
Although people primarily visit Kuwait City for business reasons, the scene is slowly but steadily changing. With modern ideas making a foray into politics, economics and society, the metamorphosis has begun—for the first time in centuries, the tiny sheikhdom can look forward to an independent, prosperous future.
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