الغزو الهولندي للخليج العربي

Abstract

Received: 2026 / 05 / 18
Revision: 2026 / 06 / 05
Accepted: 2026 / 06 / 22
Published: 2026 / 09 / 30

This research examines the phase of Dutch infiltration and influence in the Arabian Gulf region, which effectively began at the turn of the seventeenth century following the establishment of the Dutch East India Company in 1602. Seeking to control maritime trade routes, spices, and silk, Holland pushed eastward after its separation from the Spanish crown and the closure of Portuguese markets. The study highlights how this commercial activity rapidly transformed into an economic and military invasion imposed by Dutch naval power. Initially, the Dutch cooperated with the English and the Persians to displace the Portuguese presence, but they soon monopolized naval and commercial dominance in the Gulf, seizing extensive privileges in vital ports such as Bandar Abbas, Basra, and Qeshm Island by leveraging their naval superiority and lowering commodity prices to undercut British competition. Furthermore, the research focuses heavily on the fierce Arab resistance that this invasion faced from local powers in the Gulf, especially after the Dutch aligned with Persian ambitions in the region. The study concludes by tracing the decline and collapse of Dutch influence due to European wars on one hand, and escalating Arab resistance on the other, until the decisive end of this presence was achieved in 1766 when Arab forces, led by Amir Muhanna bin Nasir Al-Zaabi, successfully expelled the Dutch and destroyed their last fortified stronghold on Kharg Island, completely ending the Dutch era in the region.