Sultan bin Ahmad

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Sultan bin Ahmed
Sultan of the Omani Empire
Reign1792–1804
Predecessor Hamad bin Said
Successor Salim bin Sultan and Said bin Sultan
Died1804
Qeshm Island
Dynasty Al Busaid
Father Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi

Sultan bin Ahmad al Busaidi (died 1804) was the Sultan of Oman, the fourth of the Busaid dynasty dynasty, ruling the country between 1792 and 1804.

Contents

Early years

Sultan bin Ahmad was the son of the Imam and Sultan Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi. Early in 1781 he and his brother Saif took control of the forts of al-Mirani and al-Jalali that guarded the harbor of Muscat. When the governor of Muscat tried to recover the forts, Sultan and Saif began a damaging bombardment of the town. The two brothers gained the support of the powerful Sheikh Sarkar, who marched on the capital in April 1781. Their father agreed to an amnesty, letting his rebellious sons hold both the forts. He changed his mind and took al Mirani, while the brothers held al Jelali for some months. Sultan and Saif then kidnapped their brother Said bin Ahmad. [1] The Imam, their father, hurried to Muscat which he reached in January 1782. He ordered the commander of Mirani to fire on Jelali, and his ships joined in from the east of the fort. While this was happening, Said bin Ahmad bribed his jailer and escaped. Isolated and without a hostage, the two brothers agreed to surrender. [2] The Imam took Saif and held him under surveillance to prevent a fresh rebellion. [3]

On his father's death in 1783 Said bin Ahmad was elected Imam and took possession of the capital, Rustaq. Sultan and Saif called on Sheikh Sakar of the Shemal tribal group to help them gain the throne. The Sheikh took the towns of Al Jazirah Al Hamra, Sharjah, Rams and Khor Fakkan (all in today's UAE). Said fought back, but was unable to regain these towns. However, the brothers felt it was safer to leave the country. Saif sailed for East Africa, intending to set himself up as a ruler there. [4] He died there soon after. Sultan sailed to Gwadar on the Makran coast of Balochistan. The ruler of that state granted him protection and gave him Gwadar. [5] [lower-alpha 1]

Said bin Ahmad became increasingly unpopular. Around the end of 1785 a group of notables elected his brother, Qais bin Ahmad, as Imam. This revolt soon collapsed. [7] In 1786 Said's son Hamad bin Said managed to get control of Muscat, with its fortress. One by one the other fortresses in Oman submitted to Hamad. Said no longer had any temporal power. [8] Hamad took the title of Sheikh and established his court in Muscat. Said bin Ahmad remained in Rustaq and retained the title of Imam, but this was purely a symbolic religious title that carried no power. Hamad died in 1792. [6]

Reign

Sultan bin Ahmad, who had returned to Oman from Balochistan, took control in Muscat. To avoid family disputes, at a meeting in Barka he confirmed his brother Said as Imam in Rustaq, and he ceded control of Sohar to his brother Qais bin Ahmad. In 1798 Sultan made a treaty with the British East India Company. In 1800, Oman suffered from an invasion by Wahhabis from the north, who occupied the Buraimi oasis and besieged Sultan's brother Qais in Sohar. [6]

Sultan died in 1804 on an expedition to Basra. He appointed Mohammed bin Nasir bin Mohammed al-Jabry as the Regent and guardian of his two sons, Salim bin Sultan and Said bin Sultan. [9]

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Sultan bin Saif bin Malik was the second of the Yaruba dynasty of Imams of Oman, a member of the Ibadi sect. He ruled from 1649 to 1679. He completed the work of his predecessor, Nasir bin Murshid, in driving the Portuguese out of Oman. Their last base in Muscat fell to his forces in January 1650. He built up Omani sea power, taking the fight against the Portuguese to their bases in India and East Africa. During his reign the country was peaceful and increasingly prosperous.

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Saif bin Sultan II was the sixth of the Yaruba dynasty of Imams of Oman, a member of the Ibadi sect. He held the position of Imam four times during a chaotic period of civil war and invasion by Persian forces.

Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi was the first ruler of Oman of the Al Said dynasty. He came to power during a period when Oman was divided by civil war, and the Persians had occupied large parts of the country. During his long rule as Imam the country prospered and regained its leading position in the Persian Gulf.

Bal'arab bin Himyar was an Omani Imam, a member of Yaruba dynasty. He was elected Imam in 1728, holding power in the interior of Oman while his cousin, Saif bin Sultan II, held power on the coast. In 1737, he renounced his claim after being defeated by Saif's Persian allies. He was again elected Imam in 1743 during another Persian invasion, and again held power in the interior while Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi was recognized as ruler by the coastal people. He died in battle against Ahmad bin Said in 1749, who shortly after became the undisputed ruler of the country.

Sultan bin Murshid was one of the rival Imams during the civil wars in Oman in the final years of the Yaruba dynasty. He was elected Imam in 1742 in place of Saif bin Sultan II. His predecessor called on the Persians for assistance. In mid-1743 Sultan bin Murshid died while defending the town of Sohar against the Persian force.

Muhammad bin Nasir al-Ghafiri was one of the rival Imams during the civil wars in Oman in the final years of the Yaruba dynasty.

Muhanna bin Sultan was one of the rival Imams at the start of the civil wars in Oman in the final years of the Yaruba dynasty. He held power briefly in 1719–1720 before being deposed and murdered.

Said bin Ahmad was briefly the Imam and Sultan of Oman, the second of the Al Said dynasty, ruling the country between 1783 and 1786.

Hamad bin Said was ruler of Oman, the third of the Al Said dynasty, ruling the country between 1786 and 1792.

Salim bin Sultan was joint Sultan of Oman with his brother Said bin Sultan, ruling between 1804 and 1806.

Qais bin Ahmad was the third son of Ahmad bin Sa'id Al-Busaidi, the first Sultan of Oman of the Al Said dynasty. After his father's death he made more than one attempt to gain the throne.

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ Gwadar would remain a possession of Oman until 1958, when it was sold back to Pakistan. [6]

Citations

  1. ↑ Miles 1919, p. 279.
  2. ↑ Peterson 2007, p. 72.
  3. ↑ Miles 1919, p. 280.
  4. ↑ Miles 1919, p. 281.
  5. ↑ Miles 1919, p. 282.
  6. 1 2 3 Thomas 2011, p. 224.
  7. ↑ Miles 1919, p. 282–283.
  8. ↑ Miles 1919, p. 283.
  9. ↑ Miles 1919, p. 304.

Sources

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