Category Civics

As their flag shows, Bhutan is known as the Land of Thunder Dragon. Squeezed between India and China, Bhutan is a tiny country in Asia which gives more importance to Gross National Happiness rather than Gross Domestic Product. It is also the first country to ban the production and sale of tobacco.

Bhutan was ruled by the Tibetans in the 1500s. It is one of the last surviving Himalayan kingdoms. The country was protected by the British from the 1800s. Though it gained independence in 1949, Bhutan maintains strong diplomatic ties with India. India manages its foreign affairs and helped develop infrastructure. Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy in 2008 and its king is known as the Dragon King.

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          Mustafa Kemal, a military leader turned president is fondly known as Ataturk or the Father of Turks. Like our Gandhiji, his face is printed on the Turkish currency notes.

          Turkey gained independence and became a republic in 1923. Mustafa Kemal who became the president abolished the existing legal system and made the country secular. Women were granted voting rights. His efforts to raise the country to the status of a modern nation gave him the title ‘Ataturk’.

          Turkey was ruled by several empires including the Greeks, Persians, Romans and Seljuks. Turkey was at the height of its glory during the reign of the Ottoman Empire.

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          The name Persia is familiar to us from the tales of the Arabian Nights. Persian carpet is still a favourite household accessory and Persian architecture and crafts are still very famous. But where actually is Persia? Modern day Iran was called Persia.

          Iran was invaded by Genghis Khan in the 1200s and Mongol rule was later replaced by the Safavid dynasty. Russia and Britain then competed to take control over Persia during the 1800s.

          The country was a monarchy and flourished under the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in the 1900s. The developing oil industry paved way to economic improvements; but not everyone welcomed this development. Under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, the Shah was overthrown. This movement is known as the Iranian Revolution. The revolution was a period of chaos, limited freedom and strict religious laws. Life in Iran during the revolution was portrayed in Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis.

          The 1980s saw a war between Iran and Iraq over oil. After the war, a new government came to power in the 1990s.

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          Saddam Hussein’s rule of Iraq was marked by wars. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait led to the Gulf War which it lost. Oil was a huge element in these invasions and Iraq had caused considerable damage to Kuwait by the end of the war. The UN imposed a ban on oil from Iraq. This was to make sure that Iraq pays reparation to Kuwait. The ban was largely in effect till 2003.

          Iraq is an Arab state which was first ruled by Sumerians. They were followed by the Persians, Greeks, Arabs and Turks who conquered the land and established empires. Britain took some control over Iraq after them. The country got independence in 1932. Oil was discovered after 1950 which brought prosperity to the land.

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          The Arabs of Anaza built a port in Kuwait Bay in the 1700s which is now known as Kuwait city. Until then, this land was uninhabited. The Turks tried to invade the port and the local people sought protection from the British. Britain took the responsibility of Kuwait’s defence up until the 1960s. The country became independent then.

          Oil has brought riches to the country since 1946. It also provided jobs to a lot of migrants, especially from India. The people of Kuwait led a peaceful life till the 90s when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Kuwait was accused of taking away Iraq’s petroleum; this accusation was followed by invasion. The troops from the US and UK drove out the Iraqis. Iraq responded with bombings and many oil wells were set on fire.

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          Some countries in the Middle East suddenly bagged attention as they had rich deposits of oil. Till then, they were largely seen as sandy stretches of barren land, inhabited by tribesmen. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iran enjoyed the oil boom.

          Oil generated huge amounts of money which was used for developing infrastructure, roads, education and health care. Other industries were also important in some of these countries like construction in Yemen and fertilizer manufacture in Qatar.

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