Sultan bin Saif
| Sultan bin Saif | |
|---|---|
| Imam | |
| Imam of Oman | |
| Reign | 1649-1679 |
| Predecessor | Nasir bin Murshid |
| Successor | Bil'arab bin Sultan |
| Died | c. 1679 |
| Dynasty | Yaruba |
| Father | Saif bin Malik |
Sultan bin Saif bin Malik (died c. 1679) was the second of the Yaruba dynasty of Imams of Oman, a member of the Ibadi sect. He ruled from 1649 to 1679. He completed the work of his predecessor, Nasir bin Murshid, in driving the Portuguese out of Oman. Their last base in Muscat fell to his forces in January 1650. He built up Omani sea power, taking the fight against the Portuguese to their bases in India and East Africa. During his reign the country was peaceful and increasingly prosperous.
Sultan bin Saif was the cousin of the Imam Nasir bin Murshid bin Sultan al Ya'Aruba, who had founded the Yaruba dynasty in 1624. The Imam Nasir died on 14 April 1649 and was buried at Nizwa. He left no sons. The notables who gathered at Rustaq on the day he died selected Sultan bin Saif and proclaimed him Imam. The succession appears to have been undisputed.
When Nasir died, the Portuguese, who had once occupied several ports along the coast, now only had a tenuous hold on Muscat. Sultan bin Saif was resolved to finish the task of expelling them from Oman, but first built up his own fleet. He started his campaign against Muscat towards the end of 1649. Although Sultan gathered a large force outside the port of Muttrah, next to Muscat, the town was captured by a small group that made a surprise attack at night. The Portuguese commander took refuge in Fort Capitan. On 28 January 1650 it surrendered. The Omanis also captured two Portuguese naval vessels that were anchored in the port of Muttrah. Following this the Portuguese continued sporadic war at sea, but made no serious effort to recapture Muscat.
Sultan bin Saif initiated a naval offensive against the Portuguese bases in India and on the east coast of Africa. He added captured ships to his navy, which became increasingly powerful. Sultan launched a raid on the Portuguese at Mumbai in India in 1655. The Omani fleet attacked the Portuguese in Mumbai in 1661 and Diu in 1668, 1670 and 1676. Sultan received a petition from the people of Mombasa on the East African coast asking for help in removing the Portuguese and offering to accept Omani sovereignty in return. A force was dispatched and blockaded the fort of Mombasa for five years before it surrendered. An Arab governor was installed. However, the Portuguese returned soon after and recaptured the town.
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