The History
 At the height of Bahrain's Dilmun era which which lasted from around 2250 to 1800 BC, the major city of Qal'at al Bahrain had at least 7000 people in residence. A total of 150,000 burial mounds were built on the island over a 500 year period and Dilmun's strong links with Qatif and Dharhan in present day Saudi Arabia, Failaka in present day Kuwait, and Umm an Nar in present day UAE, are clearly evidenced by archaeological finds of stone seals, pottery and other artefacts. The Sumerians referred to the island of Bahrain as Dilmun and a text dated 2300 BC ("...made the Meluhha ships, the Makkan ships, the Dilmun ships tie up alongside the quayside of Agade") reminds us of the trading links that were already established by this time within the Gulf region. Later the Greeks referred to this land as "Tylos" and one of Alexander the Great's fleet of vessels visited Bahrain in 324 BC. Pliny, writing in approximately 100 AD, refers to Tylos (Bahrain) in connection with its fine pearls and the map of Ptolemy, made around 200 AD shows Tylos in the location of Bahrain.
The first Arab settlements on Bahrain seem to have occurred around the period 300 BC and from that time on their presence consolidated and grew. Bahrain eventually became known to them as "Oraal", a name apparently derived from a popular idol worshipped during this period by the Rabyah tribe who controlled the island. Islam was officially embraced by the islanders in 630 AD and they maintained their loyalty during the successive Islamic caliphates. A period of unrest around the beginning of the second millennium led, in 1058 AD, to Abu-l-Bahul's declaration as local prince and a subsequent period of upheaval.
Bahrain's strategic location encouraged the Portuguese to establish a presence on the islands in 1521 and to reinforce their hegemony until 1602 when they were evicted by a combined force of Bahraini people supported by Persian forces under Shah Abbas the Great. This led to a period of Persian influence which continued in an irregular manner until 1718 when Omani forces caused a Persian retreat from Bahrain and a temporary annexation of it under Oman. A year later the Persians returned and negotiated a re-establishment of their control, but this time under the authority of a local inhabitant rather than an imposed foreigner. In 1783, Zubara, which was then occupied by the Al Khalifa tribe, led by Ahmed Al Khalifa, was invaded by the Persians. Assisted by Ahmed cousins, the Al Saba from Kuwait, the Al Khalifa defeated the Persians at Zubara and then attacked the occupying forces on the main island of Bahrain where they were equally successful, restoring national sovereignty. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa subsequently became known as Ahmed Al Fatih (Ahmed the Conqueror) and his rule over Bahrain is considered as the dawn of a new era characterised by stability and prosperity.
The Al Khalifa dynasty's rule over Bahrain, which thus began in 1783 has continued unbroken to the present period. Following the death of Ahmed Al Fatih in 1796, he was succeeded by Sulman bin Ahmed Al Khalifa who for a time moved back to Zubara. Returning to Bahrain in 1820 he signed, together with his brother Abdullah, the General Treaty with the East India Company on behalf of Bahrain. Sheikh Sulman died in 1825 and was succeeded by his son Sheikh Khalifa were Muhammed bin Khalifa bin Sulman; his brother Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Sulman; his cousin Sheikh Muhammed bin Abdullah, and then Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa who ruled Bahrain for more than 60 years.
During Sheikh Isa's reign Bahrain witnessed the establishment of municipalities, law enforcement authorities, customs, education, a judiciary and other aspects of social order. In 1932 he was succeeded by his son Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa who ruled until 1942. This period witnessed the discovery of oil in Bahrain, the first place in Arabia where it was discovered, and eventual exploitation of this resource helped Bahrain to enter a new era of development with introduction of health, electricity, water, and education in addition to a construction industry which, included, among its various achievements, completion of Sheikh Hamad's causeway connecting Al Muharraq with Manama city.
Following Sheikh Hamad's death in 1942, Sheikh Sulman bin Hamad Al Khalifa became ruler and continued the process of development until his death in 1961 when he was succeeded, on December 16, 1961, by his son HH Sheikh Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa, the present Amir of Bahrain. Sheikh Isa's leadership has seen Bahrain's modern development truly take hold. There have been dramatic improvements in all fields of socio-economic development as described elsewhere in this chapter.
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