Pearling and Political Power in the Trucial States, 1850–1930: Debts, Taxes, and Politics

Abstract

The political ramifications of debt are often ignored in favor of looking at the economic problems or social ills that accompanied the accumulation of debts. This article examines how political power and debt are intertwined, pushing the discussion beyond a simple dichotomy of debt being good or bad. Subjects' accumulated debts could both harm and help a ruler cement his own power or destabilize a neighbor's. Pearling provides an excellent lens through which to understand the necessity of debt. Using the examples of tax collection and debt absconding, this article explores the ways that debts affected rulers' abilities to rule effectively and how debt became a pawn in the accumulation of authority in the Trucial States (now the United Arab Emirates) during 1850–1930.