Monsoon revolution : republicans, sultans, and empires in Oman 1965-1976

353 Pages·2016·1.57 MB·English

by  Takriti

MONSOON REVOLUTION
OXFORD HISTORICAL MONOGRAPHS
Editors
p. clavin l.goldman j. innes r. service
p. a. slack b. ward-perkins j. l. watts
Monsoon
Revolution
Republicans, Sultans, and Empires in
Oman 1965–1976
ABDEL RAZZAQ TAKRITI
1
1
Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP,
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© Abdel Razzaq Takriti 2013
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First Edition published in 2013
Impression: 1
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To the People of Oman
and
For Suha al-Nashif and Karma Nabulsi
Acknowledgements
Writing this book has been a lesson in humility and I simply could not
have done it alone. Th e editing process was concluded at the University of
Sheffi eld, and I am thankful to my colleagues for embracing me into their
scholarly community. In particular, the constant support of Mary Vin-
cent, Miles Larmer, Adrian Bingham, Anthony Milton, Phil Withington,
Esme Cleall, Caroline Pennock, and Andrew Heath was much welcomed
at several crucial points. Most of the work was completed in the beautiful
surroundings of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and I am extremely grateful to
the Principal and Fellows of the College (especially Karma Nabulsi) for
electing me to the SG Younis Junior Research Fellowship in Political His-
tory. In the Middle East Centre at St Antony’s College particular thanks
go to Eugene Rogan, who has guided this project from beginning to end,
initially as my doctoral supervisor and then as the guest editor. His door
was always open, his mind sympathetic and engaging, and his comments
thorough and detailed. Avi Shlaim off ered caring support throughout,
and Michael Willis kindly granted permission for reproducing the images.
Mastan Ebtehaj forgave many fi nes at the library, and Debbie Usher
patiently hosted me for countless days in the archive.
Elsewhere in Oxford, Sudhir Hazareesingh gave me the great benefi t of
his love, rare intellect, and vast theoretical and empirical knowledge. He
read every chapter and provided helpful comments and subtle observa-
tions, fi rmly and crucially intervening at the right moments. Without his
careful watch this work would have been much impoverished. David
Priestland was a constant intellectual presence, a true friend from whom
I have learned much, and an ideal internal examiner. Charles Tripp was a
fantastic external examiner and commentator on the research. John
Wilkinson, the leading scholar of Oman, carefully read the draft mono-
graph, shared his precious time and specialist knowledge, encouraged
important changes, gave material, and saved me from crucial mistakes.
Fred Lawson came to the rescue at the very end, meticulously reading the
text and helping transform it from a dissertation to a book. Th anks are
also owed to James Piscatori, Robert Gildea, and Andrew Kahn for their
encouragement at various points.
Th is book has benefi ted from the help of other friends in diff erent
corners of the globe. In Toronto, Amir Hassanpour inspired me with his
integrity, introduced me to Dhufar and its revolution, and suggested that
I write on it. James Reilly and Jens Hanssen solidly grounded me in the
Acknowledgements vii
study of Arab history in my undergraduate years, and Sam Ginden was
my graduate mentor. In Beirut, Raghid al-Solh introduced me to every-
one and gave me essential suggestions; Fawaz Traboulsi enthusiastically
shared with me his immense personal and scholarly experience of Dhufar;
Muhsin Ibrahim off ered me an extremely rare interview at a busy and
intense moment, and Riad al-Rayyes gifted me with books and shared
with me thoughtful observations. Help also arrived from elsewhere:
Mohammad Jamal Barut gave me rare documents from his personal col-
lection in Aleppo, Laleh Khalili shared useful notes, and Heiny Srour told
me of her memories and sent me her conference papers.
In Bahrain, the late Hisham al-Shehabi hosted me in his home, intro-
duced me to his comrades, and touched me with his gentleness and forti-
tude. Th e late Abdel Rahman al-Nuaimi shared with me his rich collection
gathered during his unique revolutionary life. Abdel Munim al-Shirawi
gave many hours of his time, and I am grateful for his invaluable assist-
ance and for his dedication to documenting the history of his generation.
Abdel Nabi al-Ikri helped in ways too numerous to count: time, inter-
views, suggestions, contacts, and unwavering support. Nouh gave me a
profound interview and gifted me a ‘return ship’ to Palestine crafted with
his own hands. Osama Takriti aff orded me a place to stay, and my dear
friend Omar al-Shehabi took me everywhere and endured many days of
research in my company. Many others in Bahrain contributed to this
work, but in accordance with their wishes they remain unnamed. Th e
same goes for the remarkable Omanis who helped me during my stay in
Salalah; their strength and persistence was a true inspiration.
Th is work would not have been appeared without the kind acceptance
of the Editors of the Oxford Historical Monographs series. Joanna Innes
played an essential role in expediting the publication process. My grati-
tude also goes to Stephanie Ireland at OUP for commissioning the book
and patiently preparing it for publication, and for Cathryn Steele for her
oversight of the editorial process. Emma Barber, Senior Production Edi-
tor, has been exceedingly kind, helpful, and a joy to work with. I am also
very much indebted to Nicholas Bromley for his copy-edits. Michael
Athanson, Deputy Map Librarian at the Bodleian Library, created the
maps with precision. Th e staff at the British Library were extremely help-
ful on each of my many visits, as were the archivists at the National
Archives at Kew Gardens, and Rhodes House at Oxford. Special thanks
go to Afzal Hassan at Exeter’s Arab World Documentation Unit for help-
ing with the cover image.
Crucially, this book drew on fi nancial support received during the
completion of the doctoral dissertation upon which it is based. First and
foremost, I wish to thank Hani Kalouti, who had generously and discretely
viii Acknowledgements
funded my education when it really mattered. His was a grand gesture
that had a major impact on my life, and I shall forever remember it with
heartfelt appreciation and gratitude. Suha al-Nashif worked very hard to
give me crucial help throughout, and I shall never forget her sacrifi ces.
Th anks are also due to Wadham College, and especially to Ian Th ompson
for assisting me with a grant from the Warden’s Exhibition Fund; Karma
Nabulsi and Ilan Pappe for the fi rst Edward Said and Ibrahim Abu-
Lughod Scholarship; the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies for a
Research Award; the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada for a Doctoral Fellowship; the Pachachi Trustees and the Director
and Fellows of the Middle East Centre at St Antony’s College for the Ali
Pachachi Studentship; the Council Secretariat of the University of Oxford
and the Board of Management of the Beit Fund for funding two research
trips; and Ismail Takriti, who gave assistance at several important moments.
Finally, this book is dedicated to Suha al-Nashif and Karma Nabulsi.
My earliest inspiration and fi rst example, Suha’s generous humanity, sharp
mind, and kind heart gave me strength for every step, and made every-
thing good in my life possible, including this work. Karma Nabulsi read
and commented on each individual chapter, provided essential theoretical
engagement, elevated the tone of this work, and sharpened its argument.
She has been my guide, mentor, and friend--a truly creative scholar who
irrevocably transformed both mind and spirit. Her generous and selfl ess
presence shaped the course of my writing journey, and I am enormously
grateful to her.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations xi
Abbreviations x ii
Introduction 1
1. Imperial Sovereignty in Omani History 10
2. Dhufari Politics, Society, and Economy 25
3. A Struggle for Sovereignty 49
4. Crises and Constellational Shifts, 1966–1968 84
5. Relocating the Revolutionary Subject: From DLF to
PFLOAG 107
6. Last Stand of the Raj 132
7. Th e Sultan is Deposed, Long Reign the Sultan! 160
8. Constructing the Absolutist State 194
9. Revolutionary Culture 230
10. From Citizenship to Subjecthood, Episodes From 1971–76 261
Conclusion 309
Appendix 312
Bibliography 318
Index 331