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Afterlives of Revolution: Everyday Counterhistories in Southern Oman
The Dhufar Revolution was fought between 1965–1976, in an attempt to depose Oman's British-backed Sultan and advance social ideals of egalitarianism and gender equality. Dhufar, the southernmost governorate in today's Sultanate, captured global attention for its revolutionaries and their liberation movement's Marxist-inspired social change. But following counterinsurgency victory, Oman's government expunged the revolution from sanctioned historical narratives. Afterlives of Revolution offers a groundbreaking study of the legacies of officially silenced revolutionaries. How do their underlying convictions survive and inspire platforms for progressive politics in the wake of disappointment, defeat, and repression?
Alice Wilson considers the "social afterlives" of revolutionary values and networks. Veteran militants have used kinship and daily socializing to reproduce networks of social egalitarianism and commemorate the revolution in unofficial ways. These afterlives revise conventional wartime and postwar histories. They highlight lasting engagement with revolutionary values, the agency of former militants in postwar modernization, and the limitations of government patronage for eliciting conformity. Recognizing that those typically depicted as coopted can still reproduce counterhegemonic values, this book considers a condition all too common across Southwest Asia and North the experience of defeated revolutionaries living under the authoritarian state they once contested.
Alice Wilson considers the "social afterlives" of revolutionary values and networks. Veteran militants have used kinship and daily socializing to reproduce networks of social egalitarianism and commemorate the revolution in unofficial ways. These afterlives revise conventional wartime and postwar histories. They highlight lasting engagement with revolutionary values, the agency of former militants in postwar modernization, and the limitations of government patronage for eliciting conformity. Recognizing that those typically depicted as coopted can still reproduce counterhegemonic values, this book considers a condition all too common across Southwest Asia and North the experience of defeated revolutionaries living under the authoritarian state they once contested.
312 pages, Paperback
Published May 23, 2023
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November 9, 2026
Afterlives of Revolution offers a fascinating and insightful exploration of how revolutionary ideals can survive long after political movements have been defeated. Alice Wilson examines the Dhufar Revolution in Oman, revealing how former revolutionaries continue to preserve egalitarian values, social networks, and alternative historical memories despite government efforts to erase their legacy.
One of the book's most compelling contributions is its attention to the everyday ways people sustain political convictions through family relationships, social interactions, and unofficial commemorations. Rather than presenting defeat as the end of revolutionary influence, Wilson demonstrates how political ideals can find new expressions across generations. This is a valuable contribution to the study of political history, anthropology, social movements, and resistance.
One of the book's most compelling contributions is its attention to the everyday ways people sustain political convictions through family relationships, social interactions, and unofficial commemorations. Rather than presenting defeat as the end of revolutionary influence, Wilson demonstrates how political ideals can find new expressions across generations. This is a valuable contribution to the study of political history, anthropology, social movements, and resistance.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review