This study examines the figure of Sheikh Rahmah ibn Jabir, whose influence emerged in the late 18th century, and whose network’s activity operated across three key centres along the Gulf shores, without a defined political domain on land. The Gulf waters delineated the boundaries of ibn Jabir’s power between 1782 and 1826, with his ship al-Ghatrusha serving as his mobile capital city. Unlike land-based tribal leaders, ibn Jabir’s power was inseparable from the sea, which he used as a sphere for competition, negotiation, and defence. This study compares the land-centric approach to Gulf political history by highlighting the often overlooked centrality of the sea, in shaping regional power dynamics around the turn of the 19th century. It proposes the term “maritime sheikhdom” as an alternative to “piracy” to better capture what delineates it from land sheikhdoms.
