It is important to first know that before the first World War the country of Qatar was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. As the war continued eventually the Ottoman Empire had fallen, therefore leaving Qatar to be some what free, right? Wrong, because Qatar had the "Al-Thanis" as their rulers, the people of Qatar were still not exactly free. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire Qatar became control of the British. What is important to realize is that the British "recognized the Al-Thanis as rulers." By doing this they were given military protection and safety, with this the British asked in return "Control of Qatar's external affairs." These came from trades and different items that made Qatar successful (one being petroleum). This "trade-off" in a sense was developed through treaties in the years 1916 and 1934, this allowed the British what they want, as well as sent British troops into Qatar for protection. Overall, World War I did not have a huge affect on Qatar. Provided troops from the British were great help to keeping their safety. Also, because the British made sure to have the "Al-Thanis" rule the country, not much had altered than what originally had been going on. The fall of the Ottoman Empire however had affect for a while, not providing safety but as stated earlier was picked right back up by the British.
This is a piece of "calligraphy" found in the famous new Islamic Art Museum in Qatar. Many exhibits like the one shown, are of famous documents that have been brought about throughout the tremendous history of the Middle East. Much calligraphy in the Middle East is due to the development of paper, and the style of writing is so precise and very difficult to exemplify. The writing shown is only a portion of what is in the Islamic Art Museum, as well as many other important artifacts of Middle Eastern history.
