The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 – 1 placed the questions of Kuwaiti origins and statehood under the spotlight as never before. This made them a matter of pressing concern both for the Kuwaitis themselves and for the world at large.
During the 1990s a great deal of scholarly effort has been focused on the particular circumstances of Kuwait’s emergence as a state, and as a result much new material has been brought to light.
Kuwait: The Growth of a Historic Identity consists of a series of papers presented at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, on 19th May 1995. Put forward by five leading scholars in the field, these papers explore the historical, political and social processes of this country. These governed the birth, survival, prosperity and ultimate sovereignty of a unique Arab maritime polity.
