On the Sultanate, Ibadism, and the Indian Ocean

Here is a little bit of what I have learned about Oman so far:

Oman is an absolute monarchy, which means that its ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id al-Sa’id ultimately has control over all the decision making that happens in the country.  He took over from his father in a coup in 1970 and has been in power ever since.  His father, Sultan Sa’id bin Taimur rejected modernity, forbade most technological advancements, and in spite of the discovery of large oil deposits, he refused to use the oil revenues to build up the country.  After the coup, Sultan Qaboos exiled his father to England, where he died a few years later.  

Though an absolute monarchy sounds like a bad recipe for governance to my Western ears, the Sultan is well loved, and is responsible for the impressive developments Oman has seen in education, health care, industry, jobs, and foreign relations.  Over the past forty years, he has used Oman’s oil revenues to build up infrastructure and services for Omani citizens, as well as investing in alternative forms of revenue for the fast-approaching day when the oil runs out.   

The primary religion in Oman is Ibadi Islam, or Ibadism.  This is a sect that originated very early on in Islamic history and is different from both Sunni and Shia Islam.  Ibadism is characterized by tolerance and non-involvement in politics, among other things, which I will write about as I learn more.  Oman grants freedom of religion to all of its minorities, which include Hindus, Christians, Baha’is, Zoroastrians and Sikhs as well as Shia and Sunni Muslims.  The diversity in religions is one of the results of centuries of trade with the countries of the Indian Ocean.

The monsoon winds blow like clockwork across the Indian Ocean, northwest in the summer months and southwest in the winter months.  Sailors used these reliable currents for thousands of years to move goods from the shores of the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa to the archipelagos of Southeast Asia and even as far as China.  Because of its location on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman is in a key position to benefit from this trade.  At one time, Oman established a Sultanate on the East African island of Zanzibar, where they grew rich off of the selling slaves and cloves to the rest of the world.

Centuries of cross-cultural interactions have shaped Omani culture to be truly unique, with a blend of races, languages, religions, and cultures, all in one small country. 

I am excited to learn more, and ultimately, to see how the things I am learning now stand up to the things I will learn once I finally arrive.