What is it about?
Most of western oriented studies and analysis on the role of South Central Asia and of their people throughout history did focus on external menaces, interests and priorities. The gradual creation of an ‘empty space power’ in this area often lead to wrong focuses on the processes of dominance; at the same time, numerous contemporary local and regional interpretations were too blinded by resentment, sorrow and injustice to offer lucid analysis. International, as well as regional policies that did ignore consistently both of these perspectives were, and probably will, destined to fail. Consequently, we believe that only an inward looking perspective to the region and to the identity of the Baloch, essentially a cultural identity regardless of political boundaries, could ease and develop new, and more empathic approaches to the study of their roles throughout the Indian Ocean region.
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Why is it important?
We wish to focus on more than one littoral and more than one region, with the object of analyzing different perspectives both chronologically and methodologically. It should be noted at the outset that ethnocentric views – especially Eurocentric ones – have informed numerous studies for a long time, and sometimes still do.
Perspectives
The power of the Al Bu Sa’id Sultans of Oman was widely known as based on delicate balance of forces, and social groups, deeply different among them. In fact, the elements that composed the nineteenth century Omani leadership were, and had always been, generally divided amongst different groups: the Baloch, the Indian merchant communities and the African regional leaders (Mwiny Mkuu). Within this framework, the role played by Europe, particularly by the Treaties signed between the Sultans of Oman and the East India Company for abolishing slavery, and by the arms trade was crucial for the development of the Gulf and the Indian Ocean international networks.
Prof. Ph.D. Beatrice Nicolini
Catholic University, Milan, Italy
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Uncovering the History of Africans in Asia, July 2008, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/ej.9789004162914.i-196.
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