A History of Modern Oman

by Jeremy Jones, Nicholas Ridout

The ideal introduction to the history of modern Oman from the eighteenth century to the present, this book combines the most recent scholarship on Omani history with insights drawn from a close analysis of the politics and international relations of contemporary Oman. Jeremy Jones and Nicholas Ridout offer a distinctive new approach to Omani history, building on post-colonial thought and integrating the study of politics and culture. The book addresses key topics including Oman's historical cosmopolitanism, the distinctive role of Omani Islam in the country's social and political life, Oman's role in the global economy of the nineteenth century, insurrection and revolution in the twentieth century, the role of Sultan Qaboos in the era of oil and Oman's unique regional and diplomatic perspective on contemporary issues.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East

300 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Jeremy Jones has an Oxford-based consulting business and has worked on Oman since the 1980s. His first book Negotiating Change: The New Politics of the Middle East anticipated the Arab Spring.

Reviews

[Jacob Heartstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an informative comprehensive history of modern Oman - starting with the ascent of the Al Bu Said family to power in the mid-18th century and tracing historical constants that extend in one way or another right into the present time and influenced the course of Omani history.

I generally liked how the book approached the tellling of this history, the level of detail it exhibits, and the oftentimes critical view towards the reception of previous writte histories of Oman.

However, the book was full of small mistakes and/or inaccuracies - mainly typos, but also some questionable assessments of contemporary Omani policies. Furthermore, and while generally speaking following events in a chronological outline, each chapter deals with a specific aspect or persons in Omani history, which often disrupts chronology and gives the entire book a somewhat disjointed character. Also, there's a lot of name-dropping, especially in the first part of the book, often without adequate explanation who all of these persons are/were, so a certain foreknowledge about the history of the Gulf is necessary to be able to completely follow this book.

[Annie Yotova · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read "Celestial Bodies" last year, I realized how little I know about Oman - I could find it on a map, I knew its capital and I knew that it is an Arab Muslim absolute monarchy and a non-OPEC oil producer. And that was about it. I could not even tell you if they are Shia or Sunni Muslims (as it turned out, the answer is none of the above - they are mostly Ibadi which unlike Wahhabism is not a Sunni or Shia sect (Wahhabism is Sunni) but on the same level as the two big ones). I don't remember if the novel mentioned Zanzibar or if I found about it being an Omani possession for awhile while checking other details from the book but that made me go and check my maps again - they are not exactly next to each other and Oman is not exactly one of the big colonizers that ended up with possessions all over the oceans. You don't need to know even that to enjoy "Celestial Bodies" but I feel uncomfortable when a war or an uprising is mentioned and I cannot figure out when in time it happened, at least down to a decade or 2 around the actual date (with Oman, I would have been hard-pressed to make a distinction between events in the 1950s from ones in the 1850s). So I looked around for a book about it, marked a few and got distracted. Then I read "By the Sea" which deals with the final expulsion of the Omani from Zanzibar and decided it is time to get un-distracted. Except that Oman is not exactly popular - they don't invade their neighbors, they seem to be getting along with everyone and most of the books I was finding were dealing with very specific events - and I really wanted a relatively modern general history (nothing against books such as Phillips's "Oman: A History" (and I may still decide to read it for the background) but it is from 1971 and the country had changed a lot since then and the western understanding of the region had changed a bit).

So where do you start the history of modern Oman? The authors settle on 1932 as the start of the modern history but they go back to 1749, the year when the first Al Bu Said Imam was elected as Imam (the dynasty which still holds the power) to fill in the background which is required to understand what happens post 1932. And even then they go back even from that - to the changes which the appearance of the Europeans brought to the Indian ocean and the internal struggles that led to the Al Saids taking power. Starting in 1932 means that modern Oman had had only 2 sultans in its history - Said bin Taimur (until he was deposed in 1970) and then his son Qaboos bin Said (now, they had had 3, Qaboos bin Said died in January 2020). After reading the book, that distinction makes sense - the history of these last 2 rulers is indeed very different from what came before that.

The history is interesting (even though if you are not used to the names, they can get a bit confusing but then the procession of Charles and Henry in Western European history is not much easier to untangle - at least here noone changes their name 3 times in the same year). I am still not entirely sure why the Omani ended up on Zanzibar initially (1698 is a bit before the scope of this book so it was just touched upon and it has to do with trade and wins and the Indian Ocean and the nearby African coast (and slaves)) but at least the later events on the island (or islands really) started making a lot more sense (the Omani Sultanate even moved its capital to Zanzibar for awhile in mid 19th century before the two countries were split (not without the help of the British - is there anything they had not partitioned?) and they were never again to be under the control of the same rulers. But that does not make the Zanzibari history less important for Oman - so the authors proceed to keep track of the double story until much later and well into the 20th century (and the expelled Omanis in the revolution of 1964 still had a role to play in the 1970 coup d'état in Oman (and its aftermath).

But that story, the story of Zanzibar and Oman, was the story of the merchants of the coastal areas in Oman. The interior belonged to the Imams - and the story developed differently. Since the mid 1850s, the country had been know as "Muscat and Oman" (or the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman in some eras), showing the internal division more clearly than anything else could; the name won't change to "Sultanate of Oman" until 1970.

And that's what made Oman so different from most of its neighbors - between the Ibadi Imams and the Sultans which were more merchants than politicians, the country went in a radically different direction than the rest of the Arab world through history. They never became British protectorate as pretty much anyone else in the area (although the British were there and interfered a lot). They kept their peace and diplomatic relationship with Iran through all the upheavals in the area. The Omani are one of the keeps of the Strait of Hormuz (and for big parts of their history, they actually controlled both sides, before selling the side that do not sit on the Arabian peninsula to Pakistan in 1958. Considering that the Strait of Hormuz is the only way for anyone from the Persian Gulf to leave and cross into the Indian ocean and the fact that all of the countries in the Gulf need the tankers carrying their oil out to actually leave the Gulf, that made Oman the mediator in the area more often than not. So it played its role - it kept the peace with Iran, it even tried to keep diplomatic relations with Israel when all other Arab countries cut them (and succeeded... for awhile).

But despite all the differences, it is still an oil state. They discovered it later than elsewhere but the country did change once that happened. It never got the high risers of some of its neighbors (partially because it was still working on its basic infrastructure, partially because it did not want to) and it kept its traditional dress even when they travel abroad (although as it turns out that is not exactly true - the "traditional" clothes we all are used to see were a modern invention designed to unify the country in the 1970s and make the different tribes and peoples appear less different).

And then there were some surprises - Oman had women in high positions before any other Gulf state. Its political structures are still getting changed and they are away from what you would call democratic as the West understands the term but the authors make the point that just because something worked elsewhere, it does not need to work here as well. Oman has its own traditions of consultation which don't exist in the same form almost anywhere. Despite the imams and the very heavy Ibadi influence, the Islam taught in schools is non-sectarian. Things are slowly moving towards a more modern state - one which probably won't copy its structure from the West but then... why should it.

Of course there is a lot in the book about the wars and rebellions which made the modern Oman - they don't exactly live in the most peaceful part of the world - Yemen next door had collapsed as a state (and Oman had had issues with them historically in the province closest to them) and the Saudis had always taken exception to the neighbor who does not like their brand of religion (aka the wahhabism) and does not want to adopt it.

At the end of the book, they try to make some predictions for the future in their 21st century chapter. The book was published in 2015, written mostly in 2014 and that is important to remember because this is when ISIS was consolidating its power (and declared its Caliphate up in the same area which had always been a problem in the region). Some of their prediction were spot on (they list 3 people as the possible next Sultan and one of them did succeed), they noted that the way succession works will probably change (this was the only Arab monarchy which did not have a Crown prince; the first thing the new Sultan did in 2020 was to declare one). Some were too vague or are still in play. None was wrong.

So at the end, I liked the book as it served its purpose although I do have two issues with it:
- there were 3 maps: Oman, Oman in the Gulf and Oman in the Indian Ocean. This book could have used a LOT more maps, especially historical ones showing the state of borders and cities and what's not.
- the authors have the very annoying habit to cite other books at length and to remind you that they talked about something in chapter 2 or that they will talk about in chapter 5 (while you are in chapter 3 for example). None of these is usually a big deal but there was a section in the middle of the book which felt as if that is all they were doing for pages upon pages.

The biggest problem I have now is that I want more details and I suspect I may end up reading more about Oman. But this history is a pretty good introduction and overview.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read with nice overview of history of Oman. I'm giving us 3 stars due to the number of factual errors in the book which makes you start doubting the other information provided, needs a proper editing job!

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, provided the reader brings a decent prior understanding of Arabian Peninsula history, politics, and economics. Otherwise, as prior reviews suggest, this may be a dry read. But with some background, readers will find this book a treat.

Something about the writing style is deeply satisfying. It's academic writing, it's historical writing, but it's crisp and seems to dissect complex themes with precision not typical to scholarly prose. Time and again I had the sense that I was being led to understand an event or idea perfectly, with the authors exploring every possible angle of the matter using an economy of words that defied the complexity. This is not true, of course, as no treatment of history can catalogue all viewpoints of any historical phenomenon, but this volume gives the reader that sense.

Jones and Ridout focus primarily on 18th and 19th century Oman, with roughly equal attention to political and economic history. Readers receive a very decent survey of the various Bitnah-interior conflicts, the various iterations of the Imamate, Oman's ventures in East Africa, and its foreign relations with its Gulf neighbors. Twentieth and 21st century developments are treated generously as well, just with less detail than the earlier centuries. We learn how the uprising in Dhofar affected the Omani psyche leading into Sultan Qaboos' reign, as well as how Qaboos has balanced Oman's relationships with the US and Iran.

Published in 2015, this book is obviously missing analysis of the upheaval of America's shifting involvement in the Middle East, the question marks surrounding the JCPOA, the succession following the death of Sultan Qaboos, and how the pandemic might change Oman's political, economic, and security landscapes going forward. Nevertheless, Jones and Ridout ably equip those starting with only a cursory understanding of Oman with a much deeper view of how Oman has charted for itself a very unique and critical role on the Arabian Peninsula, based largely on its very unique history.

[Joel Gallant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will tell you everything you wanted to know (and much, much more) about the complex history, politics, and economics of Oman dating back to the 18th century, but reading it is a slog. This is an academic book written in dense, ponderous prose. Here’s an example: “However, the complexities of tribal allegiance mean that these characterisations need to be examined carefully, not least because, as we have already suggested in relation to the Seeb Agreement, local understandings of political relations and structures differed from those associated with a conception of sovereignty origination from earlier European experiences, which was now the basis for the system of international law in which nations could assert their identity and define their territorial boundaries.” Are you hooked yet?

Things get a little better and more relevant as the book moves into the late 20th century, when Oman was transformed from a primitive and inaccessible backwater to the vibrant country it is today, but there is no real discussion of culture, and no human interest. For example, the authors don't mention the fact that slavery was legal in the country until the 1970’s, or that the beloved Sultan Qaboos, the widely revered father of modern Oman, was as close to being openly gay as it was possible to be as a Middle Eastern monarch.

A word about the Kindle version. It's a
complete mess
.
The formatting (line spacing and punctuation
)
are all screwed up. That being said
, I didn't need to own a hard copy of this book.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange overview. Early chapters I found really hard to come to grips with and I do wonder if a bit more disciplined structure or writing style to explain everything basically leading up the Dhofar Rebellion would have helped. Far more lucid in the later chapters but whether or not this is my Western bias (and prior knowledge) finding the development of a more recognisable nation state under Sultan Qaboos easier to contend with or not is debatable. I did find a lot of the broader strokes especially in regards to the slave trade and British Imperial shenanigans intriguing at least in the earlier chapters and it has helped me come to grips with parts that my other reading hasn't.

Oman tends to be glossed in MENA history and politics but this is a worthwhile look despite perhaps not being the single volume point of entry or reference you'd want it to be. Strangely enough it's worth it for the 21st Century chapter alone which raises a lot of interesting questions about Oman's future (and for what will be the new Sultan's reign)

[Ali Jon Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't doubt this is a decent history of Oman, but it is not an interesting page turner for the casual reader. And a lot of the fault lies in the subject matter rather than the author. I very much enjoyed the chapters on the early and medieval history, but by the time were get into trade treaties with the British Empire, the history becomes entirely dry.

Also there are a few historical controversies in Oman I've read about before, particularly about British involvement in the coup d'état of 1970 - potentially one of the highlights of Omani history for English language readers - which I felt were dealt with quite superficially.

[Natalia Melendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rigorous history book about Oman

I really appreciated the overall quality of the historical research encompassed in this book, as well as the conversational tone that eased the reading. Wanting to learn more about Oman’s history, I found that this was one of the few English written books about it, and it pleasantly surprised me. Through it, I learned not only about history but about culture, diplomacy and social issues ingrained in Oman’s past and present. It is truly a very valuable and accessible history book! Really recommend!

[Larkin H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to prepare for a trip to Oman and under that circumstance it is a perfect fit. Outside of such specific interest I doubt there is a large audience. The authors write in a very academic manner (I assume this is a textbook for many Omani history courses) and more maps/graphics would have greatly helped in following the narrative as the history traversed the country and region. Overall, it suited my needs/interest quite well.