Qatar National Library’s Lecture Explores History of Indian Communities in the Gulf

A fascinating insight into the little-known history of Indian communities in the Gulf was provided in a lecture at Qatar National Library on 15 January, as part of the Qatar India 2019 Year of Culture.

Delivered by the Library’s Director of Historical Research and Partnerships, Dr. James Onley, the lecture highlighted the earliest evidence of their presence in the region approximately 4,600 years ago and explored their continuous existence in the region.  

After the talk, participants enjoyed a guided tour of the “Qatar, India & the Gulf” exhibition at the Library, which opened last October and will run until the end of February.

Attendee Gerd Nonneman, Professor of International Relations and Gulf Studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar, said: “I have always been interested in the connectedness of the Gulf with the wider world around it, particularly with the Indian Ocean space. The lecture was very informative and supported by thorough research, which showed how strong the connection between the present-day Gulf region and India was during the pre-oil period.”