A History of Modern Oman by Jeremy Jones and Nicholas Ridout (review)

For more than a decade, Cambridge University Press has published what is in essence (although not declared as such) a series of books on individual Middle Eastern countries with titles beginning A History of Modern. … This book continues in that tradition. The authors, who have long familiarity with Oman and have published previous studies on the country, concentrate mainly on political history and clearly regard the emergence of a new government since 1970 as a positive “renaissance.”

The book is divided into two parts: “Foundations” and “Modern History.” In the first, considerable emphasis is placed on Oman’s relationship with Zanzibar and East Africa over the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. In particular, the role of Ibadi religious revivalism is emphasized as a factor in the intertwined history. There has been a small but significant growth of literature on this subject, providing a welcome addition to previous historical investigations – which the authors have mined thoroughly. But it would also seem that they regard Ibadi revivalism as the most, if not the only, significant factor in the struggles between imamate and sultanate while largely ignoring the role of tribal rivalries, the jostling of prominent tribal shaykhs for dominance, and even the Ghafiri-Hinawi divide that explains so much for centuries of Omani politics.

The second part concentrates on developments since 1931. Instead of separate chapters covering the reigns of Sa‘id bin Taymur and Qaboos bin Sa‘id, the authors make 1959 the break, when the imamate disappeared and the interior was absorbed into the sultanate. The events of 1970, when Qaboos overthrew his father, receive their due and Dhofar is given a separate chapter, devoted mainly to the civil war in the 1960s and 1970s. There is also a straightforward summary of Oman’s foreign policy and security considerations, although most of discussion is concerned with recapitulation of recent events in the region rather than an analysis of policy.

In the later chapters, the authors place considerable importance on the concept of shura (consultation) and insist that “shura also contributes to a sense of national identity by incorporating elements of Imamate political practice with the dynastic rule of the Al Bu Sa‘id in the construction of a polity that can lay claim to a full and legitimate accommodation with Oman’s most well-established political traditions and those who might otherwise demand their revival in more confrontational forms” (p. 198). They go so far as to assert that the purpose of Cabinet meetings is not for the formulation or coordination policy but of providing shura or advice to the ruler.

The authors also take issue with the use of the word “development” to describe post-1970 changes in Oman because of its connotation that underdeveloped countries must pursue an evolutionary path following the example of European countries. They also frown on the term “rentier state” because it excludes consideration of the importance of existing social and political organization in Oman’s experience as well as the impact of oil. But their suggested alternative of “nationalization” is not only a stretch but misleading; dirigisme might be a more accurate description.

The text is graced with a number of carefully chosen illustrations, and it is a pleasure to read a book preserving actual footnotes. On the other hand, transliteration is not consistent: jebel but jabbali, for example, while the ‘ayn is represented in some words and not in others (and, confusingly, an apostrophe is often used to represent the ‘ayn instead of the usual reverse apostrophe, commonly used for the hamza). Various quibbles could be raised over minor errors. However it definitely should be pointed out that the mufti, Ahmad bin Hamad al-Khalili, is not, as stated on p. 175, a son of the penultimate Ibadi imam Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah al-Khalili (who, although immeasurably influential and respected during his incumbency, receives short shrift in the text) but only distantly related to him; nor was Ahmad the first mufti.

This...