Seafaring in the Arabian Gulf and Oman: The People of the Dhow (Kegan Paul Arabia Library)

This book is a study of the seafaring communities of the Arabian Gulf and Oman in the past 150 years. It analyses the significance of the dhow and how coastal communities interacted throughout their long tradition of seafaring. In addition to archival material, the work is based on extensive field research in which the voices of seamen were recorded in over 200 interviews. The book provides an integrated study of dhow activity in the area concerned and examines the consciousness of belonging to the wider culture of the Indian ocean as it is expressed in boat-building traditions, navigational techniques, crew organisation and port towns. People of the Dhow brings together the different measures of time past, the sea, its people and their material culture. The Arabian Gulf and Oman have traditionally shared a common destiny within the Western Indian Ocean. The seasonal monsoonal winds were fundamental to the physical and human unities of the seafaring communities, producing a way of life in harmony with the natural world, a world which was abruptly changed with the discovery of oil. What remains is memories of a seafaring past, a history of traditions and customs recorded here in the recollections of a dying generation and in the rich artistic heritage of the region. "This is a study of the seafaring communities of the Arabian Gulf and Oman over the last hundred and fifty years. It focuses on the cultural, material and commercial significance of the dhow and its role in the life and interaction of coastal communities with a long tradition of seafaring. Drawn from archival material, extensive field research and interviews that capture the voices and memories of the seamen, the work presents and integrated and dynamic study of dhow activity in the area, bringing together history, geography and material culture. The sea, the ships and the people who sailed them are examined within the context of the wider culture of the Indian Ocean, as expressed in boat-building traditions, navigational techniques, crew organization and port towns."--BOOK JACKET Cover Seafaring in the Arabian Gulf and Oman Copyright Contents Preface Abbreviations Transliteration System Note Acknowledgements List of illustrations, Tables and Maps 1. The Present Study 2. The Dhow 3. The Northern Arabian and the People of the Sea 4. Oman and its Seafarers Gateway to the Indian Ocean 5. The Dhow Industry 6. The Routes to West India and East Africa 7. The Crew of an Ocean-going Dhow 8. The Pearldivers and Crew 9. The Principles of Navigation 10. Getting Ready: Steering and Rigging 11. Braving the Winds 12. The Sea: Portraying the Reality Glossary Bibliography General Index Index of Arabic Terms