About Oman

At various times in its history, Oman’s reputation on the high seas was second to none. It commanded fleets of ocean-going trading ships that explored far distant shores and interacted with the great civilisations of the past - Sumerian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Roman and others. The navigational skills of Omani sailors were legendary and brought merchants to the southern shores of Persia and the Orient and westwards across the Arabian Sea to Africa, where they were frequent and welcome visitors to East African ports, from Somalia south to Mozambique. With the rise of Islam, the fame of Omani sailors breached new boundaries. Fearing only God, they displayed tremendous courage at sea and became persuasive instruments in the early dissemination of the faith, to Iraq, Persia, Sindh and beyond. Though trade provided the initial spur for their extensive explorations, it was for their contribution to the spread of Islam that Omanis were most proud. They took their new faith into the very interior of Africa from the coastal ports where they exchanged goods.

They brought it with them to China and the Asian ports in between. Their calm demeanour, the honesty which characterised their dealings, and their embrace of difference, were the factors that made them such effective missionaries of the new faith. Islam sat well with their temperament and Omanis made contributions to culture and intellectual activity in the early Hijri centuries that were both outstanding and longstanding in their impact. The Portuguese reached the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf in the 16th century AD and Oman lost control of the Eastern trade routes. Its towns were looted and brutally vandalised. In time the inhabitants succeeded in closing ranks and re-establishing a naval fleet that was capable of evicting the Portuguese from the strongholds they had occupied in the country. There followed a succession of naval campaigns, dispatched to the western Indian Ocean, to the shores of Persia, to the Arabian Gulf and Eastern Africa, until one by one they had completed the destruction of Portuguese strongholds to end their presence in the region. With the establishment of the Al Busaidi state by its founder, Imam Ahmad bin Said, in 1744 a succession began which continues today in the person of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Oman’s fortunes recovered.

As its influence returned, it set about building what would become its largest ever fleet, an armada which in 1805 numbered four frigates, four corvettes, two single-sail ships, seven boats with mast and twenty armed commercial vehicles. The resurrection of Muscat’s maritime influence was accompanied by unprecedented commercial and diplomatic activity. The Omani vessel Sultana sailed to New York on 30 April 1804, carrying aboard Ahmed bin al-Nu’man, the first Arab envoy to officially visit America. The governor of Mombasa, then an Omani province, also flew to London in 1842 as ambassador to Queen Victoria. The ship “La Caroline visited Marseille in1849. By the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the country had once again retreated into isolation, weakened by internal division and external influence. But 23 July 1970 saw an end to this reversal with the advent of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Once again, Oman banished misfortune to emerge from stagnation into a new era of selfmastery, with all its inherited aspirations intact.

Omani historians are agreed that the Bani Nabhan ruled for a combined five hundred years, spread over two separate periods. The first of these two, or the First Nabhan Period, lasted four hundred years, from the death of Imam Abi Jaber Moussa bin Abi Al-Maali Moussa bin Najad in 549 AH/1154 AD to the defeat of Suleiman bin Suleiman bin Mudhaffar Al Nabhani, the celebrated poet king, and swearing in of Muhammad bin Ismail as Imam of Oman in 906 AH/1500 AD. What followed was a violent succession of wars and invasions waged against the Bani Nabhan from within and without the country’s borders, with intermittent periods of government by the Imamate. The second or Later Nabhan Period, which lasted from 906 to 1034 AH/1500 to 1624 AD, featured a succession of failed imams and was beset by power struggles among the Bani Nabhan themselves, and between the Nabhan and several other tribes in a jostle for power. Yet, the most significant of the events of this period was undoubtedly the occupation by the Portuguese of coastal Oman. For portions of their rule, the Nabhan were confined in their influence to the interior of the territory, and at their peak they held sway as far as the coast. At yet other times dissident tribesmen managed to secede from Nabhan control by retiring to the coastal regions. As to relations between the Nabhan and external powers, Omani sources point to a developing interplay of political and diplomatic connection between Nabhani Oman and the external world, evidenced in exchanges of visits with neighbouring countries, particularly those of the Gulf and East African region, and with a number of Asian kingdoms.

The swearing in in 1744 of Imam Ahmed bin Said, Wali of Sohar, as ruler of Oman ushered in a new era in the history of the country, an era that has passed through many stages of its process up to the present day, a span of more than two hundred and sixty-seven years. The selection of the Imam was promoted by an influential stratum of society, who appreciated the positions he had taken and recognized in him the quality of courage that had ensured the successful dispatch of an attempted Persian invasion of Oman. During the reign of Imam Ahmed bin Said, Oman had for the first time in its history a central government. Imam Ahmed was able to unify the warring tribes and took the steps necessary to lay the foundations for a modern state. This involved establishing an armed force to address the defence needs of Oman, modernising commercial activities and developing a naval fleet. During the reign of Imam Ahmed, Muscat maintained its position as one of the most important trading cities in the region. The Port of Muscat became a major port on the European trade routes. Imam Ahmed revived Oman’s prominent role in the region. On one occasion, Imam Ahmed sent a 100- boat force led by the naval cruiser Al Rahmani in 1775 to the northern sector of the Gulf to break a siege set by the Persians around the Iraqi city of Basra in response to the call of the Wali of Baghdad.

Arab and European historians agree that a number of factors led to the Omanis playing a leading role in the region. The most significant of these factors was Oman’s legacy of centuries of maritime trade, the country’s geographical location, and the unique heritage, coupled with the stability that prevailed in Oman at a time when the rest of the Gulf region was gripped by chaos and continuous instability. Imam Ahmed bin Saidwas a great asset to the nation. He commanded a great degree of selfdiscipline, steadfastness and the ability to make the right decision at the right time. Imam Ahmed gained the respect of European powers, and their confidence in his leadership attracted foreigners and encouraged them to set up commercial agencies in Omani cities, particularly in Muscat which in 1790 became “one of the most important cities in Asia” according to a report drafted by the British East India Company. Arab and European historians agree that a number of factors led to the Omanis playing a leading role in the region. The most significant of these factors was Oman’s legacy of centuries of maritime trade, the country’s geographical location, and the unique heritage, coupled with the stability that prevailed in Oman at a time when the rest of the Gulf region was gripped by chaos and continuous instability. Imam Ahmed bin Said was a great asset to the nation.

He commanded a great degree of selfdiscipline, steadfastness and the ability to make the right decision at the right time. Imam Ahmed gained the respect of European powers, and their confidence in his leadership attracted foreigners and encouraged them to set up commercial agencies in Omani cities, particularly in Muscat which in 1790 became “one of the most important cities in Asia” according to a report drafted by the British East India Company. Arab and European historians agree that a number of factors led to the Omanis playing a leading role in the region. The most significant of these factors was Oman’s legacy of centuries of maritime trade, the country’s geographical location, and the unique heritage, coupled with the stability that prevailed in Oman at a time when the rest of the Gulf region was gripped by chaos and continuous instability. Imam Ahmed bin Said was a great asset to the nation.

He commanded a great degree of self-discipline, steadfastness and the ability to make the right decision at the right time. Imam Ahmed gained the respect of European powers, and their confidence in his leadership attracted foreigners and encouraged them to set up commercial agencies in Omani cities, particularly in Muscat which in 1790 became “one of the most important cities in Asia” according to a report drafted by the British East India Company. Imam Ahmed bin Said died in 1189 AH/1775 AD in Rustaq, the capital of Oman at that time. He was succeeded by a number of imams and sultans of the Al Busaid Dynasty. The capital city was moved from Rustaq to Muscat by Hamad, the grandson of Imam Ahmed bin Said. He ruled from 1193 AH/1779 AD to 1207 AH/1792 AD. Muscat has remained the capital of Oman until the present day. The Omani people have a deep sense of belonging to their land, and a keen awareness of the need for unity in order to confront any challenges the country may face. This sense of unity has been a consistent feature of the Omani national identity throughout the history of Oman. The Al Busaid family’s continuous leadership since the mid-18th century until now has played a significant role in contributing to national unity, especially during the reign of Sayyid Said bin Sultan (1807- 1856), and during the current reign of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the builder of Oman’s Modern Renaissance.

Although periods of weakness occurred from time to time, the rule of the Al Busaid Dynasty has yielded many great achievements, notably the elimination of foreign occupation and the establishment of an empire which extended to many parts of East Africa during the first half of the 19th century. This empire had a strong maritime presence in the Indian Ocean, leading to the fostering of balanced political relations with major world powers such as Britain, France and the United States. During that time, many domestic and regional challenges were overcome and solid foundations for balanced regional and international relations were established. This enabled the Sultanate to protect its national interests and emerge as a prosperous country which ensures the right of all of its people to equal citizenship. With Oman’s unity remaining intact as it had throughout its history, the nation has revived its former glory and continued to make a contribution to the advancement of human civilisation.