Articles From Our Experts

Soft Power, Harsh Rivalries at the Court of the Imam of Muscat

Against a backdrop of bold manoeuvres by different states in the nineteenth century, the British Agent at the Court of the Imam of Muscat wrote numerous letters focused on small matters of prestige.

Soft Power, Harsh Rivalries at the Court of the Imam of Muscat

Gwadar: the Sultan’s Possession

Gwadar was an enclave of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman for nearly 200 years, but records show that while the Sultans were reluctant to lose sovereignty over the territory, they were nevertheless open to negotiations with the British.

Gwadar: the Sultan’s Possession

In the Absence of Men: Female Leaders in 1832 Oman

With the city of Muscat in disarray and growing dissent on the coast, the absent Imam of Muscat had to rely on his close relative to take charge and defend his territories. The person to assume this mantle? Influential, commanding, and female.

In the Absence of Men: Female Leaders in 1832 Oman

The Prize Agents of 1857 and the Acquisition of the Delhi Collection

Certain collections within the British Library’s manuscript holdings represent dark links between Britain’s nineteenth-century colonial and military activities, and its acquisition of cultural and intellectual heritage.

The Prize Agents of 1857 and the Acquisition of the Delhi Collection

Assassination and Intrigue in Muscat 1866–68

The struggle for power in Muscat 1866–68 following the death, in suspicious circumstances, of Sayyid Thuwaynī bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd, Sultan of Muscat.

Assassination and Intrigue in Muscat 1866–68

The Impact of the Napoleonic Wars in the Gulf: The Franco-Persian Alliance and Napoleon’s Threat to India

At the height of the Napoleonic Wars, Britain’s concerns over a possible French invasion of India through Persia led to its deepening intervention in the Gulf.

The Impact of the Napoleonic Wars in the Gulf: The Franco-Persian Alliance and Napoleon’s Threat to India