Chapter 173 I Want People and Land

Oman Special (skip)

Sitting in the big tent, thinking about the history of Oman, the Great Sai couldn't help but feel emotional. Is it the hero who makes the times, or the times that make the hero?

In 1743, when the last Sultan of the Yariba Dynasty of Oman, Saif bin Sultan II, died.

Except for Suhar, other parts of Oman were under the control of Persia.

Ahmad bin Said of the Said family served as the governor of Suhar State and controlled the coastal areas of Oman.

In the predicament of the Persian siege of Suhar City and the shortage of material supplies, he held the city and eventually forced the Persian army to withdraw from the Suhar area and retreat to Muscat.

Ahmad first established a trade market in Barka to attract goods shipped from the inland to Muscat for export, in order to cut off the financial resources of the Persian army retreating to Muscat, and then held a Hongmen Banquet in Barka to eliminate the Persian army in one fell swoop.

In September 1749, he was hailed as the Imam of Oman in Nizwa. Incidentally, the Persian monarch he defeated was Nader Shah at that time.

Despite defeating Persia, Imam Ahmed still faced many difficulties at that time: the country was suffering from civil war; there was always a threat of another invasion from Persia; some tribes did not submit to his rule and were ready to revolt at any time; the trade industry was in crisis, and the overseas empire had lost its sphere of influence.

In response, Ahmed recruited Baloch and African slaves to suppress the tribes that opposed him.

He sent a governor to Zanzibar to establish Oman's regime in East Africa, and commercial trade in Muscat was revived.

Ahmed bin Said's sons, Bin Ahmed and Saif, rebelled in 1781 and took control of the Mirani and Jalali forts guarding the port of Muscat. They kidnapped their brother Said bin Ahmed and imprisoned him in Jalali.

Said fought back but failed to recapture the towns. However, the brothers felt safer leaving the country and fled, which is a sign of luck.

Ahmed bin Said had several sons and daughters, and his eldest son Hilal was disqualified for blindness.

After the death of Imam and Sultan Ahmed bin Said al-Busaidi, the founder of the Said dynasty, in 1783, a war for the throne began.

And Oman just had it. By 1775, Oman had thirty-four warships, each equipped with dozens of cannons, five cruisers, each with eighteen to twenty-four cannons, and more than 100 cargo ships.

So, Sayyid decided to support an Omani sultan as the ruler and exercise indirect control over Oman, just like the influence of the high gates on the Crimean Khanate centuries ago. The Ottoman Sultan could decide who would be the Khan, but the only difference was that Oman was included in the territory of the Ottoman Empire this time.

What attracted Sayyid the most was the Omani navy. It is well known that if you want to build a strong navy, it is useless to have ships alone, but you also need people - qualified crew members are also the guarantee of the navy's combat effectiveness.

From this, it can be seen that Hamed's rule is not stable. His father is alive, which is enough, and the chicken-eating competition can continue.

The other fortresses in Oman surrendered to Hamad one by one. Sayyid no longer has any secular power. Hamad obtained the title of Sultan and established his court in Muscat.

However, the deterrence of his father was limited. Ahmed bin Said died in Al Batinah Castle in Rustaq on December 15, 1783.

During this period, Sayyid bin Ahmed bribed the jailer and escaped. Isolated and without hostages, the two brothers agreed to surrender.

In 1786, Sayyid's son Hamad bin Sayyid successfully took control of Muscat and its fortress.

From this, it can be seen that Oman was easily subverted during the power transfer between the first and second generations of the Sayyid dynasty.

Adhering to the spirit of coming here, Sayyid the Great had no intention of returning empty-handed. He was determined to incorporate Oman into the Ottoman Empire. As for how to rule specifically, these were all debatable.

The two brothers received the support of the powerful Sheikh Saka, who marched into the capital in April 1781 and forced their father to agree to amnesty and let his rebellious sons occupy the two fortresses.

The operation of the Omani Sultan made Muscat a trade center from Basra in Iraq in the north, India in the east, and the coast of West Africa in the west. European and Arab merchant ships often traveled here, with huge economic benefits.

His third son, Qais bin Ahmed, later became a high official in Sohar. His fourth and fifth sons were Saif and bin Ahmed.

In 1775, Ahmed handed over the responsibility for day-to-day administration to his son, Sayyid bin Ahmed, while retaining the title of Imam.

More attractive to Sayyid was Oman's maritime trade network.

Around the end of 1785, a group of notables elected his brother Qais bin Ahmed as Imam, a rebellion that soon collapsed.

Sayyid bin Ahmed remained in Rustaq and retained the title of Imam, but this was a purely symbolic religious title and did not carry any power.

When the governor of Muscat attempted to retake the fortress, bin Ahmed and Saif began a destructive bombardment of the town.

As far as the current situation is concerned, direct rule is unrealistic. The British may destroy Oman's navy directly, and then the war of the Great Said will be in vain.

His second son, Said bin Ahmed, is his successor.

In this situation, Ahmed, as the founder, first pretended to agree, and then returned to Muscat at the beginning of the next year, occupied Milani, and bombed Jalali from Milani and the ships on the other side, and managed to regain control of the situation.

The chicken-eating competition has reached this point, and everyone wants to do it.

Because Oman now can be decided by a battle.

As for whether it is difficult to fight Oman, the Great Said can only say that it is much easier than fighting the Emirate of Diriyeh.

But Said bin Ahmed became increasingly unpopular.

The chief then occupied a large number of towns (all located in today's UAE).

In 1783, Said bin Ahmed's two brothers were not polite to him. They called on Sheikh Sakkar of the Shemar tribe to help them get the throne.

Ahmed expanded maritime trade, established a powerful naval fleet, and restored the Yariba Dynasty's maritime power in the Indian Ocean.

Said the Great liked people like Ahmed's father, a pure waste. After leaving his great father, he was simply incompetent.

When Said the Great took Muscat in one battle, Oman would hardly be able to organize any resistance. Then Said would be installed, and the mission would be accomplished.

As for the other party's offspring, of course, they would be taken home and raised as dogs. After all, the future Said the Great had already been born, so why give up a good card?