Different succession chronologies of the Nabhānī dynasty in Oman

This paper examines the period from the 12th to the 17th centuries when Oman was ruled by the Nabhānī dynasty. Though the origin and history of this state remain largly obscure, some facts may be deduced from the historical records of Oman. Recent researchers have claimed that Omani historians have paid more attention to the influence of religion on Omani historical writing than to other important aspects of this dynasty's history. However, it should be noted that Omani chronicles hardly predate the 17th century, so even major events before that remain largely unrecorded, and Omani historians cannot be blamed for the consequent lack of documentation. This paper presents a new hypothesis on the origin of the Nabhānī dynasty, based on a re-examiniation of the various available sources such as fiqh, poetry and histories, and points out some of the pitfalls which await the unwary researcher in this field.