This paper will examine the film Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahr (Diving: Men and Sea) and engage with the question of if “dhow culture” exists. Firstly, this paper will touch on the terms “dhow” and “culture,” addressing if they are appropriate to use within the context of this paper. After these discussions, this paper will move onward to discuss the maritime practices visible throughout this film, their relation to broader topics within the Indian Ocean world, and finally an examination of the production of the video and the narratives that it silences. This paper will posit that while the notion of a “dhow culture” is thoroughly problematic, the film Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahr does not demonstrate the existence of a “dhow culture” or shared maritime practices of the Indian Ocean maritime world due to its role in Emirati state building.
A photo from the Sur Dhow Yard
The limitations of both the term “dhow” and the term culture must be recognized before attempting to answer the question of their existence. The existence of “dhow culture” is predicated on two highly contested principles. Firstly, what is a dhow, and is this an appropriate term to encapsulate the Indian Ocean maritime world? The origin of the term dhow is rife with imperial influence, with it being used by British imperial officers to describe a vast array of boats that were grouped due to their perceived “nativeness.”[1] The term dhow came to encapsulate boats from all around the Indian Ocean, from East Africa, Iran, the Gulf, Oman, and India, all came together under one term.[2] The diversity of ships and vessels within the Indian Ocean world were silenced and labeled dhow, stripping the agency of those involved in the design and creation of these vessels. The issue of culture is a more nuanced one that is not unique to the question at hand. Here it seems prudent to turn to Lila Abu-Lughod and her piece “Writing Against Culture.” Abu-Lughod notes that the idea of culture connotes an idea of timelessness and forced connections between disparate events and objects.[3] While her contribution’s merits have been contested, its relevance here cannot be. As the concept of the dhow already has forced a variety of vessels with unique histories under one label, the further addition of “culture” seemingly freezes these issues in place. Here, the idea of “dhow culture” seems to be stuck within an ahistorical time frame, as the question posed asks if it still exists. While “dhows” are still in use to this day, this narrative ignores the shifting tides of history, with colonialism, the advent of oil, and steady advance of technology all falling to the wayside. As such, the idea of “dhow culture” is a combination of two problematic terms, creating a generalized narrative that must be written against. In light of this, this paper will adopt the notion of shared maritime practices of the Indian Ocean maritime world as a replacement of “dhow culture.” There are undeniable ties across the maritime practices of the Indian Ocean world and the actors within it, and these ties and actors will be the subject of this paper. In Abu-Lughod’s critique she argues for the “ethnography of the particular,” in which a scholar examines the particular to see the ties that bind it to the broader context and its relation to it.[4] This is the framework I will adopt for the remainder of this paper, focusing on how Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahur demonstrates broader trends throughout the Indian Ocean maritime world.
Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahr portrays an Emirati pearling boat during its seasonal journey to the pearl beds. The film is directed by Mohamed al-Khaladi and was produced by the now defunct Ministry of Media and Culture. It was created under the auspices of Abdullah al-Nowis, one of Sheikh Zayed’s key personnel in establishing national media.[5] While it is not dated, it refers to the United Arab Emirates, pointing to a post-1971 release. Additionally, due to the decline in the pearling industry because of the Japanese invention of the cultured pearl, the increasing economic salience of oil in the region, and the relatively underdeveloped village in the beginning shots, it is likely that this was set prior to the 1960s.[6] Finally, the boat flew the flag of Abu Dhabi, a red flag with a white square in the upper left corner, further implying that this was probably set before the establishment of the UAE in 1971.
A pearl diver
Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahr showed many of the practices that took place on the pearling dhow. Besides the actual practice of pearling, one of the most prominent practices in the video was that of the singing. When departing the village, the sailors sang songs of their sorrow,[7] they sang when going from pearl bed to pearl bed,[8] and even had musicians on board.[9] While song could be a link to the broader maritime world of the Indian Ocean, here it appeared to be more regionally specific, as the songs are song in Arabic, not Swahili, Gujarati, or Urdu. As such, this particular practice appears to be specific to the coast that they sailed off of. What was more widespread throughout the Indian Ocean was Islam.[10] This was visible on board the pearling vessel, as it was noted that before meals the crew was summoned to prayer.[11] Here we can see the tension between the idea of a “dhow culture” and an interconnected maritime world. Not all aspects of life on board these boats where the same, but some were more consistent than others.
While the video demonstrated some of the practices on the vessel, it also noted the common types of boats that were used in the region. The film notes that there are three types of vessels used: the small, medium, and large.[12] The film then goes on to note that one type of these larger vessels was the sanbuq.[13] This note is rather important, as it again ties this trade to the broader context of the Indian Ocean maritime world. The sanbuq was known for being a long distance trade vessel throughout the Indian Ocean, tying the Emirati pearlers to the broader Indian Ocean world.[14] While the majority of this film focuses on the act of pearling itself, this reference points to the trade that the pearls where a part of.
The various forms of economy described within the film further tie the Indian Ocean maritime world to the specific Emirati pearling market. While the majority of the film focused on the methods in which the boat operated, the pearl market underlay this film. While the film seemingly focused on one vessel, it was noted that there was a mass exodus of pearling vessels from May to September each year during the diving season.[15] Additionally the film describes that the pearls went to the nakhada, or the captain,[16] and then onto the global market where they were sold in “capitals around the world.”[17] What was not described in the film was the perpetual debt and slavery that came with the pearl trade. In Khaldoun al-Naqeeb’s book Society and State in the Gulf and Arab Peninsula, he describes in great deal the manner in which the pearl industry kept divers and other crew members in a permanent debt to the captain, with the debt inherited to the children of the crew.[18] The slavery associated with pearling was not mentioned either, with African laborers and slaves making up parts of the crew.[19] While it is not clear within the film if Africans or slaves were portrayed, it is clear they were not explicitly mentioned. As such, it appears that this part of pearling, including it ties to the broader Indian Ocean world, where deemed detrimental to the national building project that the Emirati Ministry of Media and Culture embarked on. This highlights that the goal of this film was not the celebration of the shared maritime practices of the Indian Ocean world, but instead the creation of an Emirati nation building project.
The film can be seen within as an aspect of nation building. As the film is created by the Emirati Ministry of Media and Culture, the glorification of the trade and its ties to the international market makes sense, as the ministry was founded near the beginning of the UAE’s life. It can be assumed that this was one of the earlier videos produced for Abu Dhabi TV, by and large for nationals, and therefore it would try and paint the history of the UAE in a positive fashion. As such, this video would seemingly appear as a form of nation building, with the goal being to paint pearling as the UAE’s grandiose entrance into global markets. If one looks towards contemporary advertising by the emirate of Abu Dhabi this narrative reappears. In the 2016 marketing campaign “Abu Dhabi – Your Extraordinary Story,” the act of pearling is depicted as a continued practice that is not in contrast to the sweeping developments and luxuries shown in the video.[20] As such, it is clear to see that pearling has been integrated into the contemporary heritage of the nation, and therefore we can see the creation of Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahr within a broader narrative of the creation of this heritage.
Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahr depicts a modified rendition of pearling before the unification of the Emirates. While it does demonstrate that the pearl trade was connected to the larger Indian Ocean world economy, it is not the emphasis of this film. The film shows some practices that can be assumed to be shared throughout the Indian Ocean world, such as the call to prayer and Islam, it also depicts regionally specific practices such as the act of pearling itself and the sung songs. This film also is part of the Emirati nation building project, being created by the Ministry of Media and Culture, broadcasted on Abu Dhabi TV, and produced by Abudllah al-Nowis, Sheikh Zaid’s media guru. As such, it is not surprising that shared maritime practices of the Indian Ocean world are not emphasized throughout this film. Finally, this film is set before the advent of oil in the Gulf, which is a point that cannot be forgotten. The question at hand is of the existence of “dhow culture.” Not the past existence of it. Consequentially, this film does not seem to speak to the present, only the past. As Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahr is clearly situated in a nation building, revisionist, and past narrative of the pearling industry, it does not seem possible to answer if “dhow culture” exists based on this account alone. As “dhow culture” has become a more widely accepted academic term, I believe that even with my reservations on the utilization of it that Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahr can be used in an examination of the creation of “dhow culture.” That being said one must remember the context in which Al-Ghous: Rijal wa-Bahr emerges, and how the film does not intend to speak to the existence of a broader culture, but instead build the Emirati nation through its scenes.
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