Simon Mattacks
speaker
2,982 appearances
18 recordings
3 series
first heard Dec 2024
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Simon Mattacks’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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As well as the English East India Company, there was the Dutch East India Company, also looking to dominate trade in the Persian Gulf.
the Strait of Hormuz continued to be the site of rivalry, tension, and sometimes outright conflict between other nations.
After all, while the island of Hormuz was becoming less central in terms of economic importance, the Strait remained a major trade route.
By the 19th century, Britain was at the height of its imperial power.
It was also the dominant naval power in the Persian Gulf.
For the British, a key priority was protecting sea routes to India, which was becoming gradually colonized.
In 1820, a peace agreement was signed between Britain and several rulers in the Persian Gulf.
According to the treaty, there would be an end to what the British called plunder and piracy on the part of the Arabs.
This somewhat coercive maritime treaty gave the British greater control over the Persian Gulf.
their actions weren't exactly devoid of self-interest.
Still, it's also true that the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became more tightly policed, and in some ways, safer.
Before we continue, let's go back in time for a moment.
You might remember that at the beginning of our story, we discussed the formation of the Strait of Hormuz, the continental collision that took place millions of years ago.
There was another important consequence of this tectonic movement.
When the Arabian and Eurasian plates collided, they trapped pockets of oil and gas.
For numerous reasons, including the location of the plates and the kinds of rocks in the region, this part of the world has a particularly abundant supply of oil.
Kilometers underground, these oil reserves remained undiscovered for millions of years.
Meanwhile, above ground, nations formed.
Territorial boundaries shifted.
Empires came and went.
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