Articles From Our Experts

“Piracy” in the India Office Records: some historical context

Britain’s historical presence in the Gulf was based on a claim to be fighting “piracy”. But what did British officials mean by this, and how was it interpreted by the region’s residents?

“Piracy” in the India Office Records: some historical context

The Manuscript Journals of John Bax

The remarkable travel journals of an Indian civil servant, who was an eyewitness to the military action at Ra’s al-Khaymah in 1819.

The Manuscript Journals of John Bax

Francis Loch and the British quest to eradicate “piracy” in the Gulf

When Captain Francis Erskine Loch arrived in the Gulf, he very quickly made an impact that would continue to have implications for British attitudes to the Gulf for over 200 years.

Francis Loch and the British quest to eradicate “piracy” in the Gulf