Book Reviews with JeanneinDoha: The Corsair by Abdulaziz Al-Mahmoud

In a new blog feature, I will be sharing reviews of books that explore Qatar and the Arabian Gulf. In this month's piece, I will be reviewing the English translation of Abdulaziz Al-Mahmoud's The Corsair, one of the best selling novels to have been written by a Qatari author.

The Corsair narrates the story of Erhama bin Jaber, a veteran pirate whose exploits against British trading and other interests in the Arabian Gulf have raised the ire of His Majesty's government. Sent to contain the pirates' activities is the ill-tempered Captain Francis Loch, who is determined to eliminate the pirate and in doing so, further his ambitions with the Royal Navy. To this narrative, is added the character of Major George Forster Sadleir who is tasked by the British Governor of Bombay to deliver a priceless gift to the Ottoman warlord, Ibrahim Pasha, in return for the latter's agreement to an alliance with the British against Wahhabi aspirations in the Gulf. As Sadleir comes into contact with Loch and Erhama, the narratives intertwine and Sadleir must cooperate with Erhama's son, Bashir, to fulfill a mission he steadily loses faith in. The novel traverses ports and settlements in the Gulf, including Zubara in northern Qatar, and the ports of Dammam, Muharraq and Muscat. 

The Corsair explores a number of themes that one would expect to encounter in a book of this kind. Colonial prejudice is widespread and particularly evident in the characterization of Captain Loch, who sees little to gain by understanding the "backward tribes" of the Arabian peninsula. This theme, however, receives some nuance through Major Sadleir, who in journeying across Arabia, comes to question the perceived primitiveness of the Arabs, and the moral rectitude of a British alliance with Ibrahim Pasha. Arab tribalism receives no less favorable a treatment. Erhama bin Jaber is willing to sacrifice the happiness of Bashir in order to pursue tribal vendettas, and it is this that is his ultimate undoing. 

Whilst The Corsair provides an interesting exploration of piracy and 19th century British mercantile interests, its thematic trajectories are somewhat predictable for a book that explores the relationship between colonizers and the colonized. The hyperbolic rages of Loch are the kinds of tirades one would expect to see an author present in their characterization of a prejudiced colonial overlord, whether in 19th century Arabia, Africa or South Asia. Loch's outwitting at various points by Erhama, the uneducated pirate, or his loss in battle to a local Sheikh at Ras Al Khaimah are similarly almost to be expected in a narrative of this kind. And whist Major Sadleir's character offers nuance, the presence of a more contemplative colonial character, who towards the novel's close, finds solace in verses from the Quran is also somewhat unsurprising. 

Character predictability aside, however, The Corsair does provide a gripping read. Whilst some of its characters are fictional, the broader narrative is based on the author's archival research into the history of piracy in the Gulf. The novel is therefore the sort of historical fiction that encourages one to further study the history of British engagement in 19th century Arabia. Finally, for those interested in visiting Zubara, The Corsair would  undoubtedly provide interesting context to their explorations.

The Corsair is published by Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing and is available for purchase on amazon.co.uk or on loan from the Qatar National Library.