The Study On Nation-state Building Of Bahrain

Nation-state Building is the primary indispensible political task for the moderncountries which have gained independence, whether they are single-ethnic nations ormulti-ethnic countries. Since the rise of the national liberation movement in the20thcentury, the Arab countries in the Middle East generally have experienced the processof Nation-state Building, which includes many different approaches to build theirown countries. However, Being a multi-ethnic nation, Bahrain has taken the means ofthe combination of authoritarianism and family monarchy to build its nation.After seized Bahrain island in1783, the Al Khalifah set up hereditary tribalismgradually and became the actual ruler after Bahrain’s independence. Through theshaping of modern form of national consciousness, which includes the national flag,national anthem and national holiday, as well as the modern state political system,democratic reform, Islam and so on, the Al Khalifah began to enhance publicrecognition of the State of Bahrain to maintain the domestic stability and order.During the process of its Nation-state building, there were conflicts between growingpolitical demands of the public together with the Al Khalifah’s struggle to maintainthe status quo, as well as the sectarian conflict between Sunnis and Shiites. Influencedby the Middle East Upheaval, the state of Bahrain fell into the unrest and was facedwith many problems such as the legitimacy and stability of the family, politicaldemocratization and so on. What’s more, as a multi-ethnic country, there are a largenumber of Indian workers in Bahrain, which proposes higher demand to the AlKhalifah. As the performance of Bahrain democratization, the establishment of theIndian clubs and community organizations is also the important measures tostrengthen national recognition. Generally speaking, the Nation-State Building ofBahrain is a long and arduous task.On the basis of the foreign literature, the thesis studies the historical trajectory ofthe Al Khalifah, sectarian dispute in Bahrain, identity recognition of Indian workersand other problems. Finally, it summarizes the several major factors which affect Nation-state Building of Bahrain.