Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi, governor of the…
1744 CE to 1755 CE
Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi, governor of the Suhar garrison, elected in 1743 as a rival Imam, succeeds in 1747 in destroying the last Persian force in Oman.
The Ghafiris and Hinawis confederations exist during the civil wars in Persia that had resulted from Nadir Shah's intervention in the period between 1737-38 and 1742-44.
The confederations have long played a role in the political history of Oman, with Omani tribes being affiliated with one or the other confederation.
Because of the Ghafiris' support of the late Saif ibn Sultan II, a clash occurs between the two confederations in 1748 in which leaders of both tribes die.
Ahmad bin Said becomes undisputed ruler of Oman when Bal'arab bin Himyar dies in 1749: displacing the exhausted Ya'rubids, Ahmad is elected imam of Oman and of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Kilwa, thus establishing the Al Bu Sa'id dynasty that continues to rule Oman.
He distances himself from Ibadi traditions by moving the capital from Ar Rustaq, a traditional Ibadi center in the interior, to ...