Gulf’s Indian Ocean Connections and Cultural Exchanges Research Paper

Introduction

The Indian Ocean was used as a transitory pathway for merchants, mariners, and nakhudhas, who created networks and lasting cultural exchanges through slavery, trade, and pilgrimage. All these activities required social interaction between inhabitants and strangers; thus, the adaptation of cultures was inevitable for establishing the Gulf’s Indian Ocean connections. As a result, various cultural elements such as religion and language were exchanged in multiple nations, including the UAE. Hence, the current paper aims to explore the Indian Ocean-Gulf connections that gave rise to cultural influences that are deemed to have had a longstanding effect on the UAE to this very day.

Main body

The main path through which the Indian Ocean influences found their way into the Gulf was through trade facilitated by the western Indian Ocean. The UAE has always been a desert environment that has relied on maritime life for economic growth and prosperity. The Emirati people were mainly captains and sailors who were fishing and pearl diving experts. Their livelihoods advanced as the Gulf built up connections with the Indian Ocean littorals. The UAE has drawn material culture mainly from India, for the longest time, to advance and continually accrue wealth (Vora, 2013, pp. 10-15). As a legendary passageway for the wealth of India and East Africa, the Gulf was influenced by existing cultures to a larger extent compared to other cultures along the Indian Ocean littorals. It is because of the richness of the Indian Ocean that it attracted various traders representing different cultures resulting in exchange.

The persistence of Indian Ocean-Gulf trade due to demand of the goods resulted in a mixture of heritage and culture from the sailors, fishers, and traders from the western Indian Ocean system. These mariners represented various kingdoms and empires which mingled with those of locals along the coastal areas. The consumers did not become active participants of the trade, but instead, provided grounds for interaction through intermarriages. Women became the main symbols of cultural exchange because the mariners were not accompanied by their wives; hence, they ended up intermarrying with the women in the local port cities (Bullet et al., 2009. The result of such intermarriages were cosmopolitan children who were bilingual and bicultural.

Mariners established empires along the coastal cities and as seen today in these coastal stripes, the cultural disposition is usually different from inland cultures. Oman’s Ya‘arubi dynasty is one example with holdings in as Africa, as indicated by Bishara (2014). Such cultural exchanges are evident among the Emirati people where the dialects are largely influenced by Indian and Persian languages, for example, through words and pronunciation. The aforementioned influences are commemorated every year in rituals, for example, the annual pearl dive helps to re-live the maritime age and acts as a form of cultural heritage for the people (Bishara, 2014). Other cultural dispositions, however, have gradually gained entry after the oil discovery.

The unity of the Indian Ocean connections was further intensified by the spread of the dominant religion: Islam. A merging faith was deemed an essential component of social engineering to have formal and standard procedures that facilitated trade (Jones & Ridout, 2013). The intensity of this creed is evident in today’s Indian Ocean littorals and the UAE, where Islam reigns. As a result, the attitudes, laws, and daily routines of the Muslims defined the trade in this region. These religious elements, nonetheless, did not encroach the local culture but largely utilized the Arabic language, which is a common dialect marking the Indian Ocean connections. Other faiths such as Buddhism and Christianity had preceded Islam, and the movement of individuals across the different cultural zones resulted in the integration and tolerance of religion. Such is the case in the UAE, which is predominantly made up of the Sunni Muslims, while Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Christianity are also well-tolerated.

The significant influence of Indian culture compared to other Asian influences across the Indian Oceans littorals could be linked to the fall of the predominant Roman Empire and Chinese dynasties that happened in the fifth century. McPherson (1984) notes that as direction and emphasis shifted during this time, there was a decrease in trade with East Africa and China in terms of flow even though the patterns remained unaltered, while an increased flow in trading activity occurred between India and Arabs. The shift in the trading route created far-reaching cultural interchanges as Arabian merchants settled in the coastal lands of India’s subcontinent including, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Kerala. Indian merchants from Negal, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, and Sri Lanka settled in Southeast Asia and Malay World, transferring their religions and food cuisines (McPherson, 1984). The fact that Muslim nations had conquered India strengthened the social interaction between these two cultures. As a result, Muslims had a stronger influence on other beliefs while they adapted elements from other nations based on need, such as skill. Enslaved migrant workers were allowed to maintain their cultural attributes wherever possible, like in the instances of religion and language.

The Indian Ocean-Gulf trade among the Arab, African, and Asian countries was further exacerbated in the beginning of the 19^th century after involvement of the Europeans. During this time, the Portuguese conquered the Oman, who governed the Indian Ocean-Gulf trade and utilized input from Indians to reign in the Gulf. As a result, Indians merchants grew in leaps and bounds in the Gulf (Jayaram, 2003). Therefore, it is not a wonder that as the UAE’s discovery of oil was associated with an influx of Indians in various sectors of the UAE’s economy. Indians’ formidable presence, therefore, has been integral in influencing various elements of lifestyle among the Emirate, as is evident in the case of food. The UAE cuisines are either Indian or resemble Indian cookery, such as the chicken machboos, which resemble the Indian chicken biryani while the salon is originally from India. UAE food is characterized by a lot of spices, typical of Indian food (Zakaria, 2017). The evolution of the Indian Ocean-Gulf trade, therefore, greatly contributed to the current composition of expatriates in the UAE.

A large percentage of the expatriates consists of Asians who have largely contributed to a cohesive culture in the UAE. As a result, there are many Hindus as the Asian population dominates various spheres of the economy. Compared to other countries in the Gulf, the UAE has taken a more liberal approach of integration because other than incorporating other ethnic groups and races, women are part of the holistic society. They are not tied to the preservative and rigid religious and cultural doctrines. They are free to work and seek help for household chores and child care (Leonard, 2005). The advanced economy of the UAE after the discovery of oil paved way for integrated gender roles that liberated women from conservative household chores that crippled their abilities. The integration of varied cultures is due to the tolerant values of the Emirati people allowing for diverse ideas that aim at improving the standards of living and quality of life of the people.

Nonetheless, the evident ethnic diversity of the Gulf does not result from the recent oil surge that is associated with an influx of expatriate workers. Instead, it stems from the decades of migrations involving seafaring communities in Africa, India, South China, and Europe. The current inflow of expatriates is merely a continuity of the connections between the Gulf and the Indian Ocean (Alpers, 2013). Such is the case in the UAE, where the population is composed of ethnicities that were largely involved in the Indian Ocean ancient trade and associated exchanges (“UAE-Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette,” 2020). Expatriates are a major source of low-skilled labor but migrants from OECD countries are employed in the high-skilled employment sectors. Distinctions are evident between the locals and expatriates which is deemed as a way of enabling these Gulf countries to preserve their culture. The onset of cultural and demographic exchange, thereby, began with the mobility of individuals into and out of various areas resulting in the discovery of techniques, ideas, and material objects. For example, advanced building techniques, trade patterns, crafts, and food.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the true events detailing the Indian Ocean-gulf connections are not well documented, the dearth literature available is clear about the existence of associated cultural exchanges during pre-colonial times. While focusing on the UAE, population diversity, freedom of religion, and integration of other languages stem from the Indian Ocean connections that facilitated trade and migration. Nonetheless, the greatest integration was between India and the Gulf because of Muslim conquest, and this is evident in the UAE. Indians make up the largest percentage of immigrants in the UAE presently.

References

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