Sultan bin Murshid () (died 1743) was one of the rival Imams during the civil wars in

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

in the final years of the

Yaruba dynasty The Yarubid dynasty () (also the Yaruba or Ya'arubi) were rulers of Oman between 1624 and 1742, holding the title of Imam. They expelled the Portuguese from coastal strongholds in Muscat and united the country. They improved agriculture, expanded ...

. He was elected Imam in 1742 in place of

Saif bin Sultan II Saif bin Sultan II () (c. 1706 – 1743) was the sixth of the Yaruba dynasty of Imams of Oman, a member of the Ibadi sect. He held the position of Imam four times during a chaotic period of civil war and invasion by Persian forces. Saif bin Sultan ...

. His predecessor called on the Persians for assistance. In mid-1743 Sultan bin Murshid died while defending the town of

Sohar Sohar ( ar, صُحَار, also Romanized as Suḥār) is the capital and largest city of the Al Batinah North Governorate in Oman. An ancient capital of the country that once served as an important Islamic port town, Suhar has also been credited ...

against the Persian force.

Accession

Sultan bin Murshid bin Jadi belonged to a distant branch of the ruling Yaruba dynasty, but is also said to have been the grandson of the great Imam of Oman,

Saif bin Sultan Saif bin Sultan () was the fourth of the Yaruba dynasty Imams of Oman, a member of the Ibadi sect. He ruled from 1692 to 1711. Where Omani presence became firmly established on the coast. Early years Saif bin Sultan was the son of the second Yar ...

. His cousin, the Imam

, led a self-indulgent life that turned the tribes against him. In February 1742 Sultan bin Murshid was proclaimed Imam in his place. Sultan bin Murshid was installed at

Nakhal Nakhal ( ar, نَخَل) or Nakhl ( ar, نَخْل) is a wilayah in Al Batinah South Governorate in Oman. It is home to many old castles and forts, including the Nakhal Fort. Notable people * Abdullah Al Hilali Abdullah Al Hilali (born Jan ...

. He gathered troops and marched on

Rustaq Rustaq ( ar, ٱلرُّسْتَاق, Ar-Rustāq) is a town and ''Wilayah'' (District) in Al Batinah Region of northern Oman. The wilayah is in the Western Hajar Mountains, in the south of the Batinah. Rustaq was once the capital of Oman, during ...

. Saif bin Sultan II also raised troops and counter-marched, but was too late to prevent the fall of Rustaq. He retreated to the town of

Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is s ...

and took a defensive stance. Sultan bin Murshid followed him to Muscat but was unable to take the town. Instead he occupied the nearby port of

Muttrah Muttrah, ( ar, مطرح) administratively a wilayah (province), is located in the Muscat Governorate of Oman. Before the discovery of oil in Oman, Muttrah was the center of commerce in Oman (Muscat). It is still a center of commerce as one of t ...

, attracting merchants to this port and thus depriving Saif bin Sultan II of revenue.

Struggle with the Persians

Saif bin Sultan II appealed to the Persians for help and promised to cede

to them in exchange. Fresh from a victorious campaign in India, the Persian ruler

Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian h ...

dispatched an expedition of 6,000 men under Mirza Mohammed Taki Khan, which arrived at

Julfar Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) ( ar, رأس الخيمة; ) is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city of Ras Al Khaimah, abbreviated to RAK or RAK City, is the capital of the emirate and home to most of the emir ...

around October 1742. Saif bin Sultan II went by sea to

Khor Fakkan Khor Fakkan ( ar, خَوْر فَكَّان, Khawr Fakkān) is a city and exclave of the Emirate of Sharjah, located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), facing the Gulf of Oman, and geographically surrounded by the Emirate of Fuja ...

and then traveled overland to meet the Persians. The officers of the ships at Khor Fakkan went over to Sultan bin Murshid, taking their ships to him at Muttrah. The Persians besieged

and sent forces to Muscat, but were unable to take either place. In January 1743 they received reinforcements. They sent another force to attempt to take Muscat. Sultan bin Murshid, who was still based at Muttrah, deliberately abandoned Muscat, and the Persians entered the town. While they were engaged in plunder, Sultan bin Murshid attacked with the combined garrisons of Muttrah and Muscat, destroyed the Persian force and captured several ships.

Death

The Persians sent a fresh force by land, and succeeded in taking Muttrah. Sultan bin Murshid escaped to Sohar, where he was mortally wounded under the walls of the town in mid-1743. Some say that he killed himself.

Bal'arab bin Himyar Bal'arab bin Himyar () (died 1749) was an Omani Imam, a member of Yaruba dynasty. He was elected Imam in 1728, holding power in the interior of Oman while his cousin, Saif bin Sultan II, held power on the coast. In 1737, he renounced his claim afte ...

was elected Imam in his place. The Persians took Muscat and again attacked Sohar to the north. After enduring nine months of siege, the governor

Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi (1694 – 15 December 1783) was the first ruler of Oman of the Al Said dynasty. He came to power during a period when Oman was divided by civil war, and the Persians had occupied large parts of the country. During his long ...

negotiated an honorable surrender. Later he would drive the Persians from the country and establish a new dynasty of rulers of Oman.

References

Citations Sources * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sultan bin Murshid 1743 deaths Omani monarchy Omani imams Omani Ibadi Muslims Yaruba dynasty 18th-century Omani people Year of birth unknown 18th-century Arabs