# Nabhani dynasty

The Nabhani dynasty (or Nabhanids; Arabic: أسرة بني نبهان ʾusrat banī nabhān), members of the Bani Nabhan family, also referred to as the Sultans of Sohar, were rulers of Oman from 1154 until 1624, when the Yaruba dynasty took power. One of their most visible legacies is the Bahla Fort, a large complex of mud brick buildings on stone foundations built from the 12th to the 15th century. It was registered in 1987 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Nabhanids dynasty may be a possible ancestor of the Nabhan family, a family of Syrian and Lebanese descent that has influential members in the United States. Some immigrated and settled in New York City in the mid-20th century. Other members of the family have influence in Brazil, especially in rural areas, such as Luiz Antonio Nabhan Garcia, Minister of Land Affairs in the Bolsonaro government and former president of the Union for Rural Democracy (UDR).

## Background

After the early days of Islam, the tribes in the interior of Oman were led by Imams, who held both spiritual and temporal power. The Yahmad branch of Azd tribes gained power in the 9th century. They established a system where the ulama of the Banu Sama, the largest of the Nizari tribes of the interior, would select the Imam. The authority of the Imams declined due to power struggles. During the 11th and 12th centuries Oman was controlled by the Seljuk Empire. They were expelled in 1154, when the Nabhani dynasty came to power.

## Rule

Historical Arab states and dynasties :
Ancient Arab states Kingdom of Qedar 800 BC–300 BC Kingdom of Lihyan 600 BC–100 BC Nabataean Kingdom 400 BC–106 AD Kingdom of Osroene 132 BC–244 AD Emesene Dynasty 64 BC–300s AD Kingdom of Hatra 100s–241 AD Tanukhids 196–1100 AD Ghassanids 220–638 AD Salihids 300s–500s AD Lakhmids 300s–602 AD Kingdom of Kinda 450 AD–550 AD :
Arab empires and caliphates Rashidun 632–661 Umayyads 661–750 Abbasids 750–1258 Fatimids 909–1171 :
Eastern dynasties Emirate of Armenia 654–884 Emirate of Tbilisi 736–1122 Emirate of Crete 824–961 Dulafids 840–897 Habbarids 854–1011 Kaysites 860–964 Shirvanshah 861–1538 Alavids 864–928 Hashimids 869–1075 Hamdanids 890–1004 Rawadids 955–1071 Mazyadids 961–1150 Jarrahids 970–1107 Uqaylids 990–1096 Numayrids 990–1081 Mirdasids 1024–1080 Munqidhites 1025–1157 Ma'nids 1517–1697 Turabays 1480–1677 Harfushs 1517–1865 Shihabs 1697–1842 :
Western dynasties and caliphates Salihids710–1019 Fihrid Emirate745-757 Umayyad state of Córdoba756–1031 Muhallabids771–793 Idrisids788–974 Aghlabids800–909 Sulaymanids814–922 Muslim Sicily831–1091 Kanzids1004–1412 Bakrids1012–1051 Tujibids1013–1039 Amirids1020–1086 Abbadids1023–1091 Yahsubids1023–1062 Hammudids1026–1057 Muzaynids1027–1063 Jawharids1031–1091 Hudids1039–1110 Sumadihids1041–1091 Tahirids1049–1078 Nasrids1230–1492 Saadids1554–1659 Senussids1837–1969 :
Arabian Peninsula Imamate of Oman 751–1970 Ziyadids 819–1138 Yufirids 847–997 Ukhaidhirds 865–1066 Rassids 897–1962 Qarmatians 899–1077 Wajihids 926–965 Sharifate of Mecca 968–1925 Sulayhids 1047–1138 Sulaymanids 1063–1174 Uyunids 1076–1253 Zurayids 1083–1174 Nabhanids 1154–1624 Mahdids 1159–1174 Rasulids 1229–1454 Usfurids 1253–1320 Jarwanids 1305–1487 Kathirids 1395–1967 Tahirids 1454–1526 Jabrids 1463–1521 Qasimids 1597–1872 Ya'arubids 1624–1742 Upper Yafa 1800–1967 Muscat and Oman 1820–1970 Rashidids 1836–1921 Qu'aitids 1858–1967 Emirate of Beihan 1903–1967 Idrisids 1906–1934 Mutawakkilite Kingdom 1926–1970 :
East Africa Makhzumi dynasty (Shewa) 896–1279 Nabahani dynasty (Pate Island) 1203–1894 Mahdali dynasty (Kilwa) 1277–1495 Mazrui dynasty (Mombasa) 1746–1828 Sultanate of Zanzibar 1856–1964 Nabahani dynasty (Wituland) 1858–1895 Tippu Tip's State 1860–1887 :
Current monarchies 'Alawis (Morocco) 1631–present Al Qasimi (Ras al Khaymah) 1727–present Al Qasimi (Sharjah) 1727–present Al Saud (Saudi Arabia) 1744–present Al Said (Oman) 1749–present Al Sabah (Kuwait) 1752–present Al Nahyan (Abu Dhabi) 1761–present Al Mualla (Umm al-Quwain) 1775–present Al Khalifa (Bahrain) 1783–present Al Nuaimi (Ajman) 1810–present Al Maktoum (Dubai) 1833–present Al Thani (Qatar) 1868–present Al Sharqi (Fujairah) 1900–present Hashemites (Jordan) 1921–present :
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Bani Nabhan were one of the Arab tribes of the interior with an ascribed Azdi origin. After the collapse of the Makramid dynasty, the Buyids appointed the Bani Nabhan as the governors of Sohar. The Nabhanids retained their power under the transition to Seljuk rule, and emerged as sovereign rulers after the waning of the Seljuk state. They eventually came to control cities in the interior such as Nizwa and Rustaq, but these were won back by the Ibadi Imamate.
The best quality frankincense, a valuable product in the Middle Ages, comes from Dhofar in the interior of southern Oman. The Banu Nabhan controlled the trade in frankincense on the overland route via Sohar to the Yabrin oasis, and then north to Bahrain, Baghdad and Damascus. Muhammed al-Fallah of the Banu Nabhan emerged as a powerful leader in 1151 and had taken control by 1154. He lived until 1176.
The Nabhans ruled as muluk, or kings, while the Imams were reduced to largely symbolic significance. The Imams lost moral authority since the title came to be treated as the property of the dominant tribe at any time. According to the historian Sirhan bin Said there were no records of Imams from 1153, when Imam Musa bin Abu Ja'afar died, until 1406, when Imam Hubaise bin Muhammad died.
The Nabhan came to make their capital at Bahla. The Bahla Fort is called Hisn Tammah, and is said to take its name from an Iranian ruler of the town before the Islamic period. The fort testifies to the power of the Nabhani in their heyday.
The period is poorly documented. It seems that at times the Nabhani only controlled part of the interior of the country, and at other times also ruled over the coastal lands. The Oman suffered from Persian invasions, and at one point the coast was controlled by the Kingdom of Hormuz. The Nabhan coordinated themselves politically with the Kingdom of Hormuz while they managed matters of the Omani interior. The Banu Nabhan were dominant over the other tribes until the end of the 15th century. There are records of personal visits by Nabhani rulers to Ethiopia, Zanzibar, the Lamu Archipelago of what is now Kenya, and Persia. The al-Nabhani dynasty of Pate Island in the Lamu Archipelago claimed descent from the Omani dynasty.

## Decline and fall

Oman had an elected Imam and a hereditary Nabhani sultan from the 15th century into the 17th century, with the Imams gaining the ascendancy. The Nabhani ruler Suleiman bin Mudhafar was removed by the Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail (1500–29). However, the Nabhanis clung to power in the Bahla region. In 1507 the Portuguese captured the coastal city of Muscat, and gradually extended their control along the coast up to Sohar in the north and down to Sur in the southeast. Omani histories record that the Bahla fort was destroyed in the early 17th century shortly before the Ya'Aruba dynasty took control of Oman, although it is possible that parts of the old structure remained and were used as the basis for later construction. In 1624 Nasir bin Murshid of the Ya'Aruba took over control of Oman.

## Later years

The Nabahina retained power at the beginning of the Ya'rubi state and they treated Jabal al-akhdar (The Green Mountains located in the interior of Oman) as an emirate. Thus, the Nabahinah transferred their loyalties from the Banu Rawahah to the Banu Riyam at the beginning of the seventeenth century. They became the tamimah of the Banu Riyam and princes of the Jabal al-Akhdar, and survived as such until they were defeated in the war of Jabal Akhdar in 1956. At the time the Sheikh of the Bani Riyam was Suleiman bin Himyar Al-Nabhani, Lord of the Jebel Akhdar-and descendant of the ancient Nabahina dynasty. After the war Suleiman bin Himyar fled to Saudi Arabia where he remained in exile until he returned to Oman on Thursday, 28 November 1996, where he lived his remaining days in Muscat until he died on Thursday, 7 May 1998 – most of his kin remain to this day living in Muscat the capital of Oman.
Although the Ya'Aruba ruled under the title of Imam, since they originated from the Nabahina kings dynasty they actually continued to rule as kings inheriting the title of Imam through vertical succession, thereby contradicting the Imamate tradition which provides that the Imam must be chosen from among the ahl al-hal wal ‘aqd transliterated as "those who loosen and bind". (This concept evolved during the period of the Khulafa ar-Rashidoon as a mechanism to choose the leader of the Muslims. The ahl al-hal wal ‘aqd are the leading personalities of society who are knowledgeable and have a proven track record of sincerity and sacrifice. They have no personal or class interests. The person who is appointed leader also does not covet such a position but is seen as most suitable for the job.)

## List of sultans

| Name | Reign start | Reign end | Notes |
| Muhammed al-Fallah | 1406 | 1435 | |
| Abul Hassan of Oman | 1435 | 1451 | |
| Omar bin al Khattab | 1451 | 1490 | |
| Omar al Sharif | 1490 | 1500 | |
| Muhammad bin Ismail | 1500 | 1529 | Portuguese protectorate imposed on 15 April 1515. |
| Barakat bin Muhammad | 1529 | 1560 | |
| Abdulla bin Muhammad | 1560 | 1624 | |