| Sultan bin Ahmed | |
|---|---|
| Sultan of theOmani Empire | |
| Reign | 1792–1804 |
| Predecessor | Hamad bin Said |
| Successor | Salim bin Sultan andSaid bin Sultan |
| Died | 1804 (1805) Qeshm Island |
| Dynasty | Al Bu Said |
| Father | Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi |
Sultan bin Ahmad al Busaidi (died 1804) was the Sultan ofOman, the fourth of theAl Bu Said dynasty, ruling the country between 1792 and 1804.
Sultan bin Ahmad was the son of the Imam and SultanAhmad bin Said al-Busaidi.Early in 1781 he and his brother Saif took control of the forts ofal-Mirani andal-Jalali that guarded the harbor ofMuscat.When the governor of Muscat tried to recover the forts, Sultan and Saif began a damaging bombardment of the town.The two brothers gained the support of the powerful Sheikh Sarkar, who marched on the capital in April 1781.Their father agreed to an amnesty, letting his rebellious sons hold both the forts. He changed his mind and took al Mirani, while the brothers held al Jelali for some months.Sultan and Saif then kidnapped their brotherSaid bin Ahmad.[1]The Imam, their father, hurried to Muscat which he reached in January 1782. He ordered the commander of Mirani to fire on Jelali, and his ships joined in from the east of the fort.While this was happening, Said bin Ahmad bribed his jailer and escaped. Isolated and without a hostage, the two brothers agreed to surrender.[2]The Imam took Saif and held him under surveillance to prevent a fresh rebellion.[3]
On his father's death in 1783Said bin Ahmad was elected Imam and took possession of the capital,Rustaq.Sultan and Saif called on Sheikh Sakar of the Shemal tribal group to help them gain the throne.The Sheikh took the towns ofAl Jazirah Al Hamra,Sharjah,Rams andKhor Fakkan (all in today'sUAE). Said fought back, but was unable to regain these towns.However, the brothers felt it was safer to leave the country.Saif sailed for East Africa, intending to set himself up as a ruler there.[4]He died there soon after. Sultan sailed toGwadar on theMakran coast ofBalochistan.TheKhan of Kalat,Mir Nasir Khan I, granted him protection and gave him Gwadar.[5][a]
Said bin Ahmad became increasingly unpopular. Around the end of 1785 a group of notables elected his brother, Qais bin Ahmad, as Imam.This revolt soon collapsed.[7]In 1786 Said's sonHamad bin Said managed to get control ofMuscat, with its fortress.One by one the other fortresses in Oman submitted to Hamad.Said no longer had any temporal power.[8]Hamad took the title ofSheikh and established his court in Muscat. Said bin Ahmad remained in Rustaq and retained the title of Imam, but this was purely a symbolic religious title that carried no power. Hamad died in 1792.[6]
Sultan bin Ahmad, who had returned to Oman from Balochistan, took control in Muscat. To avoid family disputes, at a meeting inBarka he confirmed his brother Said as Imam in Rustaq, and he ceded control ofSohar to his brotherQais bin Ahmad.In 1798 Sultan made a treaty with the BritishEast India Company.In 1800, Oman suffered from an invasion byWahhabis from the north, who occupied theBuraimi oasis and besieged Sultan's brother Qais in Sohar.[6]
Sultan died in 1804 on an expedition toBasra. He appointed Mohammed bin Nasir bin Mohammed al-Jabry as the Regent and guardian of his two sons,Salim bin Sultan andSaid bin Sultan.[9]
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