Huwala ( ar, الهولة, sing. Huwali هولي) also collectively referred to as Bani Huwala, is a blanket term usually used to refer to
Iranian Arabs
Iranian Arabs ( ar, عرب إيران ''ʿArab Īrān''; fa, عربهای ايران ''Arabhāye Irān'') are the Arab inhabitants of Iran who speak Arabic as their native language. In 2008, Iranian Arabs comprised about 1.6 million people, ...
who originate from the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
, initially migrating in the 13th and 14th century from Iraq and Arabia and intermixed with indigenous population of older Arabic background. Such migrations continued till around the 17th or 18th century to the area which is now the
Hormozgan Province and
Fars Province, mainly
Bandar Abbas
Bandar Abbas or Bandar-e ‘Abbās ( fa, , , ), is a port city and capital of Hormozgān Province on the southern coast of Iran, on the Persian Gulf. The city occupies a strategic position on the narrow Strait of Hormuz (just across from Musan ...
,
Qishm and the mainland near
Bandar Lengeh
Bandar Lengeh ( fa, بندرلنگه, also Romanized as Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e-Langeh and Bandar Langeh; also known simply as Lengeh, Linja, Linjah or Lingah) is a harbour city and capital of Bandar Lengeh County, in Hormozgan province of ...
. The Huwala follows
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...
, as opposed the majority Persian Twelver Shia and similar to Sunni Peninsular Arabs. Most of the Huwala have remigrated back to the Arabian peninsula between 1850-1900s. The imposition of restrictive economic policies by
Reza Shah
Reza Shah Pahlavi ( fa, رضا شاه پهلوی; ; originally Reza Khan (); 15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was an Iranian Officer (armed forces), military officer, politician (who served as Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran), ...
in the 1930s led to the migration of most of the Huwala back to the Arabian peninsula.
Most of the Huwala Arabs settled in Iran for a period of time and intermarried with the indigenous
Achomi
Achomi ( fa, اچُمی), also known as Larestani and Khodmooni, is a Southwestern Iranian Persian language spoken by people in southern Fars and western Hormozgan and by significant numbers of immigrant groups in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, ...
and have adopted their language, hence they are sometimes called
Ajam
''Ajam'' ( ar, عجم, ʿajam) is an Arabic word meaning mute, which today refers to someone whose mother tongue is not Arabic. During the Arab conquest of Persia, the term became a racial pejorative. In many languages, including Persian, Tur ...
by the peninsular Arabs .
Etymology
![Al Bastakiya of Dubai](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Al_Bastakiya_of_Dubai.jpg)
Huwala (Arabic: الهولة), is a plural Arabic term for Huwali (Arabic: هولي), which is a word derived from the Arabic verb Huwwal (Arabic: حوّل) which means "to change over". A book by Dejanirah Couto and Rui Loureiro into Portuguese interactions in Hormuz defines Huwala as "migrant Arabs".
Author Lawrence G. Potter defines Huwala as
History
In the 18th century, the Arab
Al Qasimi
Al Qasimi ( ar, القواسم, spelled sometimes as Al Qassimi or Al Qassemi; plural: Al Qawasem ar, القواسم and, archaically, Joasmee) is an Arab dynasty in the Persian Gulf that rules Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, today forming two of ...
tribal affiliation, once a major maritime power, took control of southern Iranian coasts and islands around
Bandar Lengeh
Bandar Lengeh ( fa, بندرلنگه, also Romanized as Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e-Langeh and Bandar Langeh; also known simply as Lengeh, Linja, Linjah or Lingah) is a harbour city and capital of Bandar Lengeh County, in Hormozgan province of ...
. In 1779 the Iranian
Zand dynasty
The Zand dynasty ( fa, سلسله زندیه, ') was an Iranian dynasty, founded by Karim Khan Zand (1751–1779) that initially ruled southern and central Iran in the 18th century. It later quickly came to expand to include much of the rest of ...
acknowledged a fait accompli and recognized a Qasimi as local ruler (farmandar) of Bandar Lengeh. At about the same time the Zands allowed the British East India Company to establish its residency and presence in
Bushehr
Bushehr, Booshehr or Bushire ( fa, بوشهر ; also romanised as ''Būshehr'', ''Bouchehr'', ''Buschir'' and ''Busehr''), also known as Bandar Bushehr ( fa, ; also romanised as ''Bandar Būshehr'' and ''Bandar-e Būshehr''), previously Antioc ...
. The Qasimis remained in control of Bandar Lengeh and surrounding region until 1887, when they were defeated by the British in their self proclaimed “anti-piracy” campaign which Emirati based scholars (including current
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital o ...
ruler
Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi
''
, spouse = Jawaher bint Mohammed
, issue = Azza bin SultanMohammed bin Sultan, Crown Prince of Sharjah Bodour bint SultanNoor bint SultanHoor bint SultanKhalid bin Sultan
, house = Al Qasimi
, father = Mohammed b ...
) argue was a myth used to dominate trade routes to India and Iraq. The Qasimis retreated to the southern coast of the Gulf, and their Iranian domains reverted to nominal rule by Tehran.
The Achomi (Larestani) Iranian population lived on the coast alongside the Qasimis. They prospered under Al Qasimi rule as merchants in pearl trading. Author
John W. Limbert
John W. Limbert (born 1943) is an American diplomat. He is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran in the US State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He is a veteran U.S. diplomat and a former official at the U.S. Embass ...
argues that in response to Reza Shah Pahlavi's policies of centralization, conscription, civil status reforms, and, most important, the forced unveiling of women led to many of the Achomis to follow the Qasimis back to the Arabian Peninsula, further mixing the Huwala's Arabic and Persian roots.
Culture
The re-migration of the Arabs and some Persians to the Arabian Peninsula led to the transfer of the technology of
windcatchers
A windcatcher, wind tower, or wind scoop ( ar, برجيل ; fa, بادگیر) is a traditional architectural element used to create cross ventilation and passive cooling in buildings. Windcatchers come in various designs: unidirectional, bid ...
. Windcatchers (called Baadgir in Persian and Barjil in Arabic) is an ancient air-conditioning system that cools the airs inside living quarters in the hot and dry climate of the Iranian plateau and the Arabian peninsula. The Bastakis established Bastakiya in Dubai mirroring their original hometown of
Bastak
Bastak ( fa, بستک) is a city and capital of Bastak County, Hormozgan Province, Iran. Bastak was traditionally part of the region of Irahistan.
At the 2006 census, its population was 8,376, in 1,765 families.
See also
*Achomi people
*Eva ...
in southern Iran. The windcatcher designs today decorates many areas in Eastern Arabia such as Awadhiya in Bahrain (established by Huwala who named the region Awadhiya in honor of their hometown Awadh - now known as
Evaz
Evaz ( fa, اوز, also Romanized as Awadh, Avaz, Evazeh, and ‘ewaz) is a city and capital of Evaz County, in Fars Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 14,315, in 3,297 families. The people of Evaz are native Persians of ...
), Bastakiya in Dubai, and Souq Waqif in Doha by the Lari's. The Huwala established the many iconic Eastern Arabian cultural buildings seen including
Qasr al-Hosn
Qasr ( ar, قصر, lit=palace/castle/fortress, plural ''qusur''), from Latin ''castrum'', may refer to:
Individual ''qusur'' and places named after a ''qasr''
*
*
Particular types of ''qusur''
*Alcázar (cognate Spanish term; also ''Alcácer'' ...
in Abu Dhabi which was designed by Mohammed al Bastaki. Alongside the Qassimi maritime power, the Huwala windcatchers and
Baghlah which formed the maritime unit of the Qassimi today formulated the majority of
Eastern Arabian culture icons.
Mahyawa
Mahyawa or mehyawa ( fa, مهیاوه) is an Iranian cuisine tangy sauce made out of fermented fish.
History
Mahyawa originates in the southern coastal regions of Iran, but has become a popular food item in the Persian Gulf countries, brought by ...
, a tangy Iranian cuisine fish sauce was also introduced by the Huwala to the Arabian peninsula and many associate the sauce with the Huwala.
Identity and origin
The Huwala and the
Achomi
Achomi ( fa, اچُمی), also known as Larestani and Khodmooni, is a Southwestern Iranian Persian language spoken by people in southern Fars and western Hormozgan and by significant numbers of immigrant groups in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, ...
(also called Larestani) share very similarities that have led scholars to even consider them sometimes as the same population. Both are Sunni Muslims and both may refer to themselves as ''Khodemooni'', a colloquial Larestani word that means “among ourselves”, “casual”, “insider”, or just “us” which was used to differentiate them from the majority Shia Persian speakers and Sunni Arabic speakers on both sides of the gulf. However, the tribal Huwala communities distinguish themselves from the Larestani speakers because they have maintained a purer Arabic tongue and culture.
[Al-Atiqi. Op. Cit.] The
Achomi's language is a southern Iranian language with dialects such as Gerashi and Bastaki. Achomi is an endangered language as its usage has declined tremendously as most young people speak either Arabic or Persian. Both the Huwala and the Achomi lived in the subtropical region of southern Iran. This area was largely neglected by the central Iranian government as most of its inhabitants were nomads.
The Huwala seem to have a different origin to other Iranian Arabs such as Khuzestanis, according to scholarly consensus and Huwala's own origin narrative, they immigrated from numerous areas of Eastern Arabia, some from
Tarout
Tārūt Island ( ar, جزيرة تاروت) is an island in the Persian Gulf belonging to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, connected by two causeways to Qatif. It is six kilometers from the coast, and is the longest island in the Persian G ...
near
Al-Qatif
Qatif or Al-Qatif ( ar, ٱلْقَطِيف ''Al-Qaṭīf'') is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in th ...
, Bahrain and the Qatari peninsula and other areas of Eastern Arabia. Mainly Sunni Arab maritime families moved due to economic reasons and famine, settling in Southern Iran at different times throughout the 17th to 19th century. They settled on the coasts of Southern Iran, marrying into local Achomi or Larestani Persians due to their shared Sunni denomination. Many Huwala are dual lingual, speaking both Arabic and Persian throughout their history.
Modern Huwala families have more Arab than Persian ancestry, many families speaking a Gulf dialect of Arabic in Iran before the forced partial Persianization by the Pahlavi Dynasty discouraging and outright banning Arabic being taught in their areas and enacting policies that supported the break up and banning of tribal identification. Many Huwala families were forced to drop their Arab surnames in favor of city based surnames when signing up for schools or dealing with the Iranian state. These policies encouraged many Huwala families to move back to the Arab states of the Gulf, many moving to the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, who offered them refuge and citizenship.
Huwala families
*
Al Qasimi
Al Qasimi ( ar, القواسم, spelled sometimes as Al Qassimi or Al Qassemi; plural: Al Qawasem ar, القواسم and, archaically, Joasmee) is an Arab dynasty in the Persian Gulf that rules Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, today forming two of ...
*
Al Marzooqi
*Al Harm
*Al Majid
*Ahli
*Al Ansari
*Al Janahi
*Al Musallami
*Al Bastaki
*Abbasi
*Fardan
*Al Awadhi
*Galadari
*Gargash
*Falaknaz
*Al Gurg
*Rostomani
*Al Hammadi
*Khoory
*Al Emadi
*Al Kooheji
*Shaibani
*Al Rais
*Al Faris
*Al Farisi
*Al Abdouli
*Belshalat
*Al Huwali
*Yaqoobi
*Bucheeri
See also
*
Arab-Persians
fa, فارس-عربها
, native_name_lang =
, image = Choosing Imam Musa Sadr to preside over the Supreme Council of the Shiites of Lebanon (2).jpg
, image_caption = Al-Sadr is a famous Shia family which has Arab, Persian ...
*
Ajam of Bahrain
The Ajam of Bahrain ( ar, عجم البحرین), also known as Persians of Bahrain or Iranians of Bahrain, are an ethnic group in Bahrain composed of Shia Bahraini citizens of Persian/Iranian background.
The Ajam are estimated to number aroun ...
*
Ajam of Kuwait
There are a large number of expatriates in Kuwait, with most residing in the capital Kuwait City. Expatriates are primarily attracted by the employment opportunities in Kuwait. Kuwaiti nationals account for 31% of Kuwait's total population.
India ...
*
History of Bahrain
Bahrain was a central location of the ancient Dilmun civilization. Bahrain's strategic location in the Arabian Gulf (Omar Ebn Elkhatab gulf) has brought rule and influence from mostly the Persians, Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Portuguese, ...
*
History of Kuwait
Kuwait is a sovereign state in Western Asia located at the head of the Persian Gulf. The geographical region of Kuwait has been occupied by humans since antiquity, particularly due to its strategic location at the head of the Persian Gulf. In the ...
*
Culture of Eastern Arabia
There is a rich and ancient culture in Eastern Arabia. The culture in this region has always been Seafaring, oriented towards the sea.
The semiannual tradition of Qarqe'an (قرقيعان) is deeply rooted in Gulf culture. The Eastern Arabian cuis ...
References
External links
Huwala DNA Project
{{Iranian peoples
History of Eastern Arabia
Bahraini people of Iranian descent
Kuwaiti people of Iranian descent
Persian communities outside Iran
African diaspora
Iranian diaspora in the Middle East