INDIAN OCEAN EMPIRE
I N T H E
AGE OF
EIRIK KVINDESLAND (University of Oxford)
Jews of the Persian Gulf: The Making of an Oceanic Network and
Its Meaning for Middle Eastern History
Little is known about the Persian Gulf’s Jewish past. Can the Gulf, which is mostly known for its oil resources and Islamic conservatism, also be home to a transnational Jewish past? In this lecture Dr. Eirik Kvindesland presents his research on the history of Gulf Jews in the 19th and 20th century. He explores the emergence of Jewish networks in the Persian Gulf, while linking them to British imperial rule and histories of the wider Indian Ocean. The result is a new history of migration and community building, one that until now has been lost and forgotten. As Kvindesland will argue, the story of Gulf Jews is not only an important chapter in the history of the Middle East, but it may even help us rethink the Gulf and Jewish history more widely.
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Dr. Eirik Kvindesland holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford. His research deals with the history of Middle Eastern Jews and their place in the Iran, the Persian Gulf and Israel/Palestine. His work has appeared in Past & Present and British Journal of Middle of Middle Eastern Studies, and he is a regular contributor to international and Norwegian media on issues of Middle Eastern history and politics. He is a Postdoctoral Associate Member of the University of Oxford and is currently writing a book titled Iran and Israel: Old Friends, New Enemies.