Princes' Conflict

In the mid-18th century, Najd shook off the stagnation that had gripped it since the dawn of Islam. Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, who emerged there, preached a new ideology and gained followers who rallied under the banner of the Al Saud, the rulers of Diriyah. Thus arose the Saudi state, which soon assumed both regional and global roles, and Najd began to acquire unprecedented importance. The period covered by this study was characterized by conflict among local powers in the Gulf, as well as by the region's exposure to the struggle between France, Britain, and other less significant international powers. In such an era, conflicting interests and divergent goals intensified, further solidifying British control as the dominant power. Among its other aims, this book seeks to demonstrate that the region's conflicts were, first and foremost, a product of the region itself. Colonialism, however, worked to develop and exploit these existing conflicts.