The origin of the city of Kuwait–and of the State of Kuwait–is usually placed at about the beginning of the 18th century, when the Bani ‘Utub, a group of families of the ’Anizah tribe in the interior of the Arabian Peninsula, migrated to the area that is now Kuwait. The foundation of the autonomous sheikhdom of Kuwait dates from 1756, when the settlers decided to appoint a sheikh from the Sabah family. During the 19th century Kuwait developed as a thriving, independent trading community....