emirate · Arabia and the Gulf
Sheikhdom of Qatar
Origins
Qatar's coast had been dominated by Bahrain's Al Khalifa. After a destructive war between them, the British envoy Lewis Pelly signed an agreement with Muhammad bin Thani of Doha in 1868, recognising him as the peninsula's leader. Ottoman troops arrived in Doha in 1871.
Rule and society
Jassim bin Muhammad Al Thani, ruler from 1878 to 1913, is regarded as founder of the state; he defeated an Ottoman force at al-Wajbah in 1893. Qatar lived from pearling and fishing and was poor and sparsely populated. The Ottomans withdrew during the First World War, and the Anglo-Qatari Treaty of 1916 made Qatar a British protected state. The collapse of the pearl trade in the 1930s caused hardship.
Decline and legacy
Oil was found at Dukhan in 1939 and exported from 1949, funding development. When Britain withdrew from the Gulf, Qatar declined to join the United Arab Emirates and became the independent State of Qatar on 3 September 1971.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Sheikhdom of Qatar was a vassal of Ottoman Empire1871 CE – 1913 CE
- Sheikhdom of Qatar was a protectorate of British Empire1916 CE – 1971 CE
More states of Arabia and the Gulf →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sheikhdom of Qatar. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-qatar
- MLA
- “Sheikhdom of Qatar.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-qatar. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Sheikhdom of Qatar.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-qatar.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sheikhdom of Qatar’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-qatar (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻