History of Oman

The territory of today's Sultanate of Oman was inhabited as early as the Stone Age. Around 2000 BC, Magan, as the region was then called, experienced a peak in copper mining.

From 563 BC, Oman was ruled by various Persian rulers. The Persians facilitated the rebuilding of overseas trade with India, Ceylon, and East Africa. An important innovation introduced by the Persians was the so-called 'falaj'. These are canals that secured the water supply in the villages and the irrigation of the fields and are still used today.

When in 630 AD the population of Oman voluntarily accepted the faith of Islam, the Persians withdrew, and Oman became part of the Caliphate of the Umayyads and Abbasids. Some Omanis migrated to East Africa, thus establishing the dominance of Arabs in the western Indian Ocean. The port city of Sohar in the north of the country became the most important trading hub of the Islamic world due to its favorable location on the Strait of Hormuz. Trade relations could be established with East Africa, India, and China. At that time, Oman exported products such as linen, cotton, and wool, including carpets. Imported goods included ivory, gold, and spices from Africa, silk, porcelain, and jewels from China, and teak wood from India. After the destruction of Sohar, various Persian conquerors ruled the land until around 1500 when the Portuguese captured the island of Hormuz. The Portuguese aimed to destroy the Arab monopoly on East Asian trade and control the trade with India themselves. The Omanis played a significant role as intermediaries in the India trade, a position that Europeans wanted to take over. Ultimately, Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India and was able to expand Portuguese power in the Indian Ocean. They destroyed the Omani cities of Muscat and Quriat and managed to control trade with India through their military superiority. Thus, they gained the spice monopoly for Europe. By the end of the 16th century, the Portuguese were eventually weakened by the British and Dutch. Oman was able to unite against the invaders and expelled the Portuguese in the mid-17th century. Oman could once again become the maritime power in the Indian Ocean that it once was. Muscat became an important point between Arabia and India. The leading Sultan conquered Zanzibar and other parts of the East African coast. Around 1750, the Said dynasty emerged, which still governs the country today. In 1798, Britain increasingly gained influence in Oman. A treaty was made between the Sultan and the East India Company that secured Britain's dominance in the Gulf region. By the mid-19th century, Oman was able to expand its power like never before. However, the loss of Zanzibar in 1856 was followed by economic decline and increased dependence on Britain. It was only in 1968 that the British finally left. From 1932 to 1970, Sultan Said ibn Taimur ruled the country, followed by his son Sultan Qaboos, who was succeeded by his cousin, the current head of state Sultan Haitham Ibn Tarik . He kept the state in its backwardness and foreign political isolation. Slavery continued to exist, there were high internal tariffs, and the school system consisted solely of Quranic schools. The oil production and governance of Sultan Qaboos ibn Said, who succeeded his father in 1970, brought extensive reforms. Slavery and restrictions on movement and travel were abolished. The infrastructure could be improved through the profits from oil production.