'History of the imâms and seyyids of 'Omân by Salîl-ibn-Razîk, from A.D. 661-1856; translated from the original Arabic, and edited with notes, appendices, and an introduction, continuing the history down to 1870, by George Percy Badger, F.R.G.S., late chaplain in the Presidency of Bombay.' [‎20] (53/612)

I
1
I
xx
introduction
a groat part of the interior until the reestablishment of the
Iraamatej a.d . 1429, and continued to exercise considerable
influence in the country up to the accession of the Imam
Nasir-bin-Murshid, a.d . 1664.
Prior to the sway of the Benu-Nebhan the Imams were
chosen from different families of the el-Azd stock; only one
instance is recorded of lineal succession (p. 51), although
such succession appears to have been the rule in the case of
the sovereigns of the Julanda dynasty. The change which
subsequently took place in that respect was probably coeval
with the prevalence of the Ibadhiyah doctrines, which in
culcated that the Imam should be the elect of the people.
During the government of the Benu-Nebhan, a.d . 1154 —
1406, ^Oman was twice invaded from Persia, once by the
u people of Shiraz ,"a.d. 1265, and again a few years later by
the Amir Mahmud-bin-Ahmed, el-Kusy, from Hormuz, on
the mainland of Kerman, the seat of a petty principality, of
Arab origin, which for the time being was subverted by the
Moghuls, but was subsequently reestablished on the island
of Jerun, 1 or Zarun, since called Hormuz. The date of
these invasions, taken in conjunction with a passage from
Marco Polo's travels about the same time, (note, p. 3 7),renders
it tolerably certain that they occurred on the accession of
Abaka, the son of Hulaku-Khan; 2 and although the invaders
were repelled on the later occasion, nevertheless, as we
shall see presently, the " Kings of HormAz" continued to
claim jurisdiction over the seaboard of 'Oman up to the
beginning of the sixteenth centurj'-.
The few detached notices given by the author of the rule
of the Benu-Nebhan are of little interest. Their sovereigns
appear to have resided either at Makniyat or Behla, and one
these Maliks attained the dignity of Imam ; but the passage is of doubt
ful import.
1 Abulfeda in his Takwim-el-Bulddn writes it " Zarun."
2 Ibn-Wardy says that Hulaku-KhtLn died on the 19th of Rabia'-el-
Akhir, a.h . 663 = 8th February, 1265.
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