Oman proper
Encyclopedia
Oman proper refers a historical area within the present-day Sultanate of Oman. It lay inland from Muscat
beyond the Jebel Akhdar
(Green Mountains) and was centered on the city of Nizwa
in the area of the current region of Ad Dakhiliyah
. Along with Muscat and Dhofar
, it was a constituent part of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman
but with the 1970 palace coup
, the term Oman alone was applied to the entire country.
te imam
s who exercised spiritual and often temporal authority over the region. There were often tensions between these imams and the sultan
s of Muscat
and in 1913, the election of Salim ibn Rashid al-Kharusi as imam led to the proclamation of the Imamate of Oman (Arabic: إمامة عُمان ) with its capital at Nizwa. In 1954, a new imam, Ghalib bin Ali
, attempted to gain further Omani independence from Muscat, an effort that took Sultan Said Bin Taimur of Muscat and his British suzerains five years to suppress. In 1957, Nizwa was taken, the imam was overthrown and exiled, and his position was abolished. In 1959, the last forces of the Imamate were defeated and the name of the whole of Muscat and Oman was changed to the Sultanate of Oman in 1970.
In current usage, Oman proper can also refer to the whole of the present-day sultanate minus the exclaves of Musandam
and Madha
.
s of dubious postal value under the name of the State of Oman (Arabic: دولة عُمان ).
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
beyond the Jebel Akhdar
Jebel Akhdar (Oman)
The Jebel Akhdar, Jabal Akhdar or Al Jabal Al Akhdar , also known as the camals hideout, is part of the Al Hajar Mountains range in Oman, which extends about 300 km northwest to southeast, between 50-100 km inland from the Gulf of Oman coast. It is one of Oman’s most spectacular areas...
(Green Mountains) and was centered on the city of Nizwa
Nizwa
-Attractions:The main tourist attractions in the city are Nizwa Fort, the traditional Souq and Falaj Daris. In the 1990s, the Jama, the fort and the souq which sit next to each other in the centre were renovated using the same traditional materials...
in the area of the current region of Ad Dakhiliyah
Ad Dakhiliyah Region
Ad Dakhiliyah is one of the regions of Oman with Nizwa town as the regional center.Ad Dakhiliyah Region consists of eight wilayats: Nizwa, Samail, Bahla, Adam, Al Hamra, Manah, Izki and Bid Bid....
. Along with Muscat and Dhofar
Dhofar
The Dhofar region lies in Southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen. Its mountainous area covers and has a population of 215,960 as of the 2003 census. The largest town in the region is Salalah. Historically, it was the chief source of frankincense in the world. However, its frankincense...
, it was a constituent part of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman
Muscat and Oman
Muscat and Oman was a country that encompassed the present day Sultanate of Oman and parts of the United Arab Emirates. The country is not to be confused with either the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, which were sheikhdoms under British protection since 1820....
but with the 1970 palace coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
, the term Oman alone was applied to the entire country.
History
Oman proper was ruled by IbadiIbadi
The Ibāḍī movement, Ibadism or Ibāḍiyya is a form of Islam distinct from the Sunni and Shia denominations. It is the dominant form of Islam in Oman and Zanzibar...
te imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
s who exercised spiritual and often temporal authority over the region. There were often tensions between these imams and the sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
s of Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
and in 1913, the election of Salim ibn Rashid al-Kharusi as imam led to the proclamation of the Imamate of Oman (Arabic: إمامة عُمان ) with its capital at Nizwa. In 1954, a new imam, Ghalib bin Ali
Imam Ghalib Bin Ali
Imam Ghalib bin Ali Al-Hinai was the last elected Imam of The Imamate of Oman. Since 1954, he led a faction of the Ibadis from his Imamate of Oman in Nizwa and Oman proper in Jebel Akhdar revolt against Sultan Said Bin Taimur through small uprisings and attacks against the oil exploration convoys...
, attempted to gain further Omani independence from Muscat, an effort that took Sultan Said Bin Taimur of Muscat and his British suzerains five years to suppress. In 1957, Nizwa was taken, the imam was overthrown and exiled, and his position was abolished. In 1959, the last forces of the Imamate were defeated and the name of the whole of Muscat and Oman was changed to the Sultanate of Oman in 1970.
In current usage, Oman proper can also refer to the whole of the present-day sultanate minus the exclaves of Musandam
Musandam
Musandam Governorate is a governorate of Oman.Geographically, the Musandam peninsula juts into the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entry into the Persian Gulf, from the Arabian Peninsula. The Musandam peninsula is an exclave of Oman, separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates...
and Madha
Madha
The Omani territory of Madha or Wadi Madha is an exclave of Oman, surrounded by the United Arab Emirates . It is located halfway between the Musandam Peninsula and the rest of Oman. It belongs to Muhafazat Musandam....
.
Postal history
Following its overthrow, the Imamate of Oman issued postage stampPostage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s of dubious postal value under the name of the State of Oman (Arabic: دولة عُمان ).
See also
- History of OmanHistory of Oman-Prehistory:Prehistoric migration of Homo Sapiens is likely to have taken place around 100,000 years ago and to have followed the coastlines from Africa along Yemen and the sea shores of Oman. Archaeological sites in Yemen and Oman have yielded a stone tool style that is distinct from the East...
- List of rulers of Oman
- Muscat and OmanMuscat and OmanMuscat and Oman was a country that encompassed the present day Sultanate of Oman and parts of the United Arab Emirates. The country is not to be confused with either the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, which were sheikhdoms under British protection since 1820....