The General Treaty of Peace of 1820…

The General Treaty of Peace of 1820 between the East India Company and the sheikhs of the coastal area—which becomes known as the Trucial Coast because of the series of treaties between the sheikhs and the British—is a way of ensuring safe passage for East India Company.

The agreement acknowledges British authority in the gulf and seeks to end piracy and the kidnapping of slaves.

Bahrain also becomes a party to the treaty, and both British and Bahraini leaders assume that Qatar, as a dependency, is also a party to it.

However, when, as punishment for piracy, an East India Company vessel bombards Doha in 1821, destroying the town and forcing hundreds to flee, the residents have no idea why they are being attacked.

The situation in Qatar remains unsettled.