theocracy · Arabia and the Gulf

Imamate of Oman

1913 CE – 1959 CE · capital Nizwa

The 20th-century Ibadi imamate of interior Oman, autonomous from the sultan of Muscat under the Treaty of Seeb until the Jebel Akhdar War.

Origins

Interior tribes resented the coastal Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, its British ties and its curbs on the arms trade. In 1913 Ibadi scholars and tribal leaders elected Salim ibn Rashid al-Kharusi as imam at Tanuf; his forces took Nizwa and threatened Muscat, which was saved by British Indian troops.

Rule and society

The imamate revived the old Ibadi ideal of an elected imam ruling by Islamic law, with Nizwa as capital and tribal leaders such as Isa ibn Salih al-Harthi as its strongmen. The Treaty of Seeb of 1920 gave the interior wide autonomy. Under Imam Muhammad al-Khalili, from 1920 to 1954, it remained isolated and conservative, with little trade or modern administration.

Decline and legacy

After al-Khalili's death, Imam Ghalib ibn Ali sought outside recognition as oil exploration began. Sultan Said bin Taimur's forces, backed by Britain, occupied Nizwa in 1955, and the Jebel Akhdar War ended in 1959 when British troops stormed the mountain. The leaders went into exile.

Lineage

Sultanate of Muscat and Oman 1856 CE – 1970 CEImamate of Oman

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Imamate of Oman. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/imamate-of-oman
MLA
“Imamate of Oman.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/imamate-of-oman. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Imamate of Oman.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/imamate-of-oman.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Imamate of Oman’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/imamate-of-oman (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻