Huwala also collectively referred to as Bani Huwala, is a blanket term usually used to refer to migrant Arabs who migrated from the Arabian peninsula around the 18th or 19th century to the area which is now the Hormozgan Province and Fars Province, mainly Bandar Abbas, Qishm and the mainland near Bandar Lengeh. Although the term generally refers to the Persanized Arabs who remigrated back to the Arabian peninsula, the term may also be used to refer to both Persanized Arabs or Arabized Persians who both lived on the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf due to the intermarriage between Arabs and Persians. The imposition of restrictive economic policies by Reza Shah 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 and have adopted their language, hence they are sometimes called Ajam by the peninsular Arabs. The Huwala follows Sunni Islam, particularly the Shafi'i school, as opposed the majority Persian Shia and the Hanbali or Maliki peninsular Arabs. Most of the Huwala have remigrated back to the Arabian peninsula between 1850-1900s.
Etymology
Huwala, is a plural Arabic term for Huwali, which is a word derived from the Arabic verb Huwwal 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 tribal affiliation, once a major maritime power, took control of southern Iranian coasts and islands around Bandar Lengeh. In 1779 the Iranian Zand dynasty acknowledged a fait accompli and recognized a Qasimi as local ruler of Bandar Lengeh. At about the same time the Zands allowed the British East India Company to establish its residency and presence in Bushehr. 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. The Qasimis retreated to the southern coast of the Gulf, and their Iranian domains reverted to nominal rule by Tehran. The Achomi Iranian population lived on the coast alongside the Qasimis. They prospered under Al Qasimi rule as merchants in pearl trading. Author John W. Limbert 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 Achomi's 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. Windcatchers 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 in southern Iran. The windcatcher designs today decorates many areas in Eastern Arabia such as Awadhiya in Bahrain, 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 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, a tangy Iranian cuisinefish 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 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 Persian Shia. 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 or Arabs.
