Records of Oman 1966

Records of Oman 1966–1971

ISBN: (13) 978-1-84097-040-1 Extent: 5 6 volumes, 4,200 pages

Editor: A. Burdett Published: 2003
Paper: Printed on acid free paper
Binding: Library bindings with gilt finish

See sample pages: not available
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HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

This six-year period is of particular interest because of the coup d’état which saw the deposition of Sultan Said bin Taimur and the accession of his son Sultan Qabus bin Said. Whereas under Sultan Said Britain was closely bound to Oman in areas of foreign and defence policy, under Sultan Qabus the country moved away from reliance on Britain, opening up to international influences and forging ahead with internal social policy. The progress on social reform had some impact on the strength of the insurrection in Dhofar and in 1971 the Dhofar Liberation Front agreed to work with the new administration. The other two main rebel fronts continued to oppose Sultan Qabus. However, the new Sultan’s policies of regional cooperation led, by 1976, to regional powers such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE offering military aid and to an agreement to a cease-fire.

DOCUMENTARY IMPORTANCE

Whereas the records for the 1867-1947 were largely derived from documents in the British Library´s India Office Collection, those from 1948 to 1960, (included in Records of Oman 1867-1960), and those for 1961-1965 presented here are drawn principally from documents in the National Archives at Kew, London. These include many letters written by the Sultan, Qabus bin Said, as well as Official British Government documents, including Cabinet papers, many of them top secret, and now published for the first time.

Understanding the series
The three Records of Oman titles combine to create a large collection which offers historical evidence for the political, economic and social evolution of Oman. Such evidence improves our understanding of the modern political position of Oman. It includes, for example, examination of frontier negotiations and questions of sovereignty; constitutional, military and defence developments.