page_title: Imamate of Oman
hierarchical_section_title: Imamate of Oman
caption_attribution_description: English: The approximate map of historic state of Mascat and Oman. Čeština: Přibližná mapa historického státu Maskat a Omán
context_page_description: The Imamate of Oman refers to a historical area within the Oman proper in the present-day Al Hajar Mountains in Sultanate of Oman. The capital of the Imamate alternated historically between Rustaq and Nizwa. The Imamate's territory extended north to Ibri and south to Alsharqiyah region and the Sharqiya Sands. The Imamate was bounded from the east by the Al Hajar Mountains and from the west by the Rub' al Khali desert. The Al Hajar Mountains separated the Imamate of Oman from the Sultanate of Muscat. The elected Imam resided in the capital, and Walis represented the Imamate in its different regions.
  The Imamate of Oman, similar to the Sultanate of Muscat, was ruled by the Ibadi sect. Imams exercised spiritual and temporal representation over the region. The Imamate is a 1,200 year old system of government pioneered by the Ibadi religious leaders of Oman, and was based upon the Islamic sharia. The Imamate holds that the ruler should be elected. The imam is considered as the head of the community but tribalism that is part of the Omani society encouraged a decentralized form of governance that would help sustain political unity among the Omanis.
context_section_description: The Imamate of Oman (Arabic: إِمَامَة عُمَان‎, romanized: Imāmat ʿUmān) refers to a historical area within the Oman proper (Arabic: عُمَان ٱلْوُسْطَى‎, romanized: ʿUmān al-Wusṭā) in the present-day Al Hajar Mountains in Sultanate of Oman. The capital of the Imamate alternated historically between Rustaq and Nizwa. The Imamate's territory extended north to Ibri and south to Alsharqiyah region and the Sharqiya Sands. The Imamate was bounded from the east by the Al Hajar Mountains and from the west by the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert. The Al Hajar Mountains separated the Imamate of Oman from the Sultanate of Muscat. The elected Imam (ruler) resided in the capital, and Walis (governors) represented the Imamate in its different regions. 
  The Imamate of Oman, similar to the Sultanate of Muscat, was ruled by the Ibadi sect. Imams exercised spiritual and temporal representation over the region. The Imamate is a 1,200 year old system of government pioneered by the Ibadi religious leaders of Oman, and was based upon the Islamic sharia. The Imamate holds that the ruler should be elected. The imam is considered as the head of the community but tribalism that is part of the Omani society encouraged a decentralized form of governance that would help sustain political unity among the Omanis. The Imamate set out a government system wherein the ruler should not have absolute political nor military power; rather power should be shared with local governors. In order to prevent local or external threats to the Imamate, the imam had to gather the support of the local communities and tribes in order to raise a force to fight for a certain cause. The imam needed in-depth understanding of tribal politics and political acumen in order to maintain political stability within the Imamate when conflicts occurred.
caption: The Imamate of Oman around the middle of the 19th century
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