Ya'rubids
Ya'rubids اليعاربة | |
---|---|
Country | Omani Empire |
Founded | 1624 |
Founder | Nasir bin Murshid |
Current head | Extinct |
Final ruler | Sultan bin Saif II |
Titles | Imam of Oman |
Dissolution | 1742 |
The Yarubid dynasty (also Ya'ariba or Ya'arubi;
Background
Oman has traditionally been divided between the relatively barren and sparsely populated interior and the more populous coastal region. There was often little or no overall government in the interior, and the tribes often fought amongst each other. They shared belief in the
After the early days of Islam, the interior tribes were led by Imams, who held both spiritual and temporal power.
The Yahmad branch of Azd tribes gained power in the 9th century.[2]
They established a system where the
Early rulers
The Al-Ya'ariba trace their descent from Ya'arab bin Kahtan, whom some date to about 800 BC. The family originated in Yemen and belonged to the Ghafiri faction.[5] Nasir bin Murshid bin Sultan al Ya'Aruba (r. 1624-1649) was the first Imam of the Yaruba dynasty, elected in 1624.[3] He moved the capital to Nizwa, the former capital of the Ibadhi Imamate. Nasir bin Murshid was able to unify the tribes with a common goal of expelling the Portuguese.[6] He built up the Omani army and took the main towns as well as the forts of Rustaq and Nakhal.[7] His forces threw the Portuguese out of Julfar (now
Nasir bin Murshid was succeeded by Sultan bin Saif (r. 1649-1688), his cousin.[10] Sultan bin Saif completed the task of expelling the Portuguese. He captured Sur, Qurayyat and Muscat, expanded the fleet and attacked the Portuguese on the Gujarat coast.[7] Under Sultan bin Seif and his successors Oman developed into a strong maritime power.[6] In 1660 Omani forces attacked Mombasa, forcing the Portuguese to take refuge in Fort Jesus. There was continued fighting between the forces of Portugal and Oman in the East African coast in the years that followed.[9]
Bil'arab bin Sultan (r. 1679-1692) succeeded as Imam in 1679 after the death of his father, Sultan bin Saif. This confirmed that the succession was now hereditary, since his father had also succeeded dynastically, while in the Ibadi tradition the Imam was elected. Most of his reign was occupied in a struggle with his brother, Saif bin Sultan, who succeeded Bil'arab bin Sultan when he died at Jabrin in 1692.[10]
Height of power
In 1696 the Omanis again attacked Mombasa, besieging 2,500 people who had taken refuge in
Saif bin Sultan died on 4 October 1711. He was buried in the castle of Rustaq in a luxurious tomb, later destroyed by a
Civil wars and Persian invasions
When Sultan bin Saif II died in 1718 a struggle began between rival contenders for the Imamate.[6] One faction supported the young boy Saif bin Sultan II while another supported Muhanna bin Sultan, whom they felt was better qualified to become Imam. In 1719 Muhanna bin Sultan was brought into Rustaq Fort by stealth and proclaimed Imam. He was unpopular, and the next year was deposed and killed by his cousin
A civil war commenced in which Muhammad bin Nasir seized power and was elected Imam in October 1724.[21] His rival, Khalf bin Mubarak, stirred up trouble among the northern tribes. In an engagement at Sohar in 1728 both Khalf bin Mubarak and Muhammad bin Nasir were killed. The garrison of Sohar recognized Saif bin Sultan II as Imam, and he was re-installed at Nizwa.[22] However, some of the inhabitants of
With his power dwindling, Saif bin Sultan II eventually asked for help against his rival from Nader Shah of Persia.[23] A
A Persian expedition arrived at
In 1747, the
At first some towns in the interior still adhered to Ya'ariba or other local leaders. On the coast of East Africa, Ahmad bin Said was recognized as Imam only by the governor of Zanzibar.[14] Ahmad bin Said only became undisputed ruler of Oman when Bal'arab bin Himyar died in 1749.[6] The Yaruba family retained some independence. It was not until 1869 that their last stronghold, the fort of al-Hayam in the
Rulers
- Nasir bin Murshid (1624–49)
- Sultan bin Saif (1649–88)
- Bil'arab bin Sultan (1688–92)
- Saif bin Sultan (1692-1711)
- Sultan bin Saif II (1711–18)
- Saif bin Sultan II (1718–19, 1720–22, 1723–24, 1728-42)
- Muhanna bin Sultan (1719–20)
- Ya'arab bin Bel'arab (1722–23)
- Muhammad bin Nasir (1724–28)
- Sultan bin Murshid (1742–43)
- Bal'arab bin Himyar (1728–37, 1743–49)
References
- ^ Thomas 2011, p. 217.
- ^ Rabi 2011, p. 23.
- ^ a b Rabi 2011, p. 24.
- ^ Thomas 2011, p. 221.
- ^ a b Miles 1919, p. 437.
- ^ a b c d Rabi 2011, p. 25.
- ^ a b Agius 2012, p. 70.
- ^ Davies 1997, p. 59.
- ^ a b c Beck 2004.
- ^ a b c d Thomas 2011, p. 222.
- ^ Siebert 2005, p. 175.
- ^ Plekhanov 2004, p. 49.
- ^ Ochs 1999, p. 258.
- ^ a b Limbert 2010, p. 153.
- ^ Davies 1997, p. 51-52.
- ^ Davies 1997, p. 52.
- ^ Miles 1919, p. 225.
- ^ JPM Guides 2000, p. 85.
- ^ a b Oman From the Dawn of Islam.
- ^ Miles 1919, p. 240.
- ^ Ibn-Razîk 2010, p. xxxv.
- ^ Ibn-Razîk 2010, p. xxxvi.
- ^ a b Ibn-Razîk 2010, p. xxxvii.
- ^ Miles 1919, p. 251.
- ^ Ibn-Razîk 2010, p. xxxviii.
- ^ a b Ibn-Razîk 2010, p. xxxix.
- ^ Miles 1919, p. 253.
- ^ Miles 1919, p. 255.
- ^ Ibn-Razîk 2010, p. xli.
- ^ Miles 1919, p. 256.
- ^ Miles 1919, p. 257.
- ^ a b c Thomas 2011, p. 223.
- ^ Miles 1919, p. 262.
Sources
- Agius, Dionisius A. (2012-12-06). Seafaring in the Arabian Gulf and Oman: People of the Dhow. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-20182-0. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Beck, Sanderson (2004). "East Africa, Portuguese, and Arabs". Middle East & Africa to 1875. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Davies, Charles E. (1997-01-01). The Blood-red Arab Flag: An Investigation Into Qasimi Piracy, 1797-1820. University of Exeter Press. ISBN 978-0-85989-509-5. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Ibn-Razîk, Salîl (2010-06-03). History of the Imâms and Seyyids of 'Omân: From A.D. 661-1856. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-01138-9. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
- JPM Guides (2000-03-01). Gulf States. Hunter Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-2-88452-099-7. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Limbert, Mandana (2010-06-07). In the Time of Oil: Piety, Memory, and Social Life in an Omani Town. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-7460-4. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- ISBN 978-1-873938-56-0. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Ochs, Peter J. (1999-11-01). Maverick Guide to Oman. Pelican Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4556-0865-2. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- "Oman From the Dawn of Islam". Omannet. Oman Ministry of Information. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Plekhanov, Sergey (2004). A Reformer on the Throne: Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said. Trident Press Ltd. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-900724-70-8. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Rabi, Uzi (2011). Emergence of States in a Tribal Society: Oman Under Sa'Id Bin Taymur, 1932-1970. Apollo Books. ISBN 978-1-84519-473-4. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Siebert, Stefan (2005). Analysis of Arid Agricultural Systems Using Quantitative Image Analysis, Modeling and Geographical Information Systems. kassel university press GmbH. ISBN 978-3-89958-192-8. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Thomas, Gavin (2011-11-01). The Rough Guide to Oman. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4053-8935-8. Retrieved 2013-11-11.