History of Bahrain

Dilmun, 3000–500 BCE Draft, not yet reviewed

Dilmun, or Telmun, was an ancient civilization in Eastern Arabia mentioned from the 3rd millennium BC onwards. Dilmun encompassed Bahrain, Kuwait, and eastern Saudi Arabia. Dilmun was an important trading center from the late fourth millennium BC to 800 BC. In the 8th and 7th centuries BC the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–605 BC) conquered Dilmun, and in the 6th century BC the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and later the Achaemenid Empire, ruled.

Seat of power: Qal’at al Bahrain

Kingdom of Bahrain, 1783 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

In 1783, the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur. Bahrain has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as its first hakim. In the late 19th century, following successive treaties with the British, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. Bahrain declared independence in 1971 and was declared a semi-constitutional monarchy in 2002.

Seat of power: Manama

Rulers

• Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Khalifa, monarch of Bahrain, 1783–1796
• Muhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, monarch of Bahrain, 1843–1868
• Isa I of Bahrain, monarch of Bahrain, 1869–1923
• Hamad I of Bahrain, monarch of Bahrain, 1932–1942
• Salman II of Bahrain, monarch of Bahrain, 1942–1961
• Isa II of Bahrain, monarch of Bahrain, 1961–1999
• Hamad II of Bahrain, monarch of Bahrain, 1999 to today