Oman’s history begins in the early 3rd or late 4th millennium bc, with the rise of a society that had cultural and trade ties to ancient Mesopotamia. Between the 4th century bc and the 7th century ad the area was controlled by successive Persian empires. In the 1st century ad Arab tribes began to migrate into Oman and, when it accepted Islam just before the Prophet Muhammad died in 632, Persian rule ended and Oman’s Arab character was firmly accomplished. In 751 Ibadi Muslims, a moderate branch of the Kharijites, accomplished an imamate in Oman. contempt interruptions, the Ibadi imamate survived until the mid-20th century.

Western world began when Portugal seized Masqat and other coastal strongholds in the early 16th century and held them until the mid-17th century. The imamate then flourished again under the Ya‘aribah dynasty, which extended Omani rule or determine to both sides of the Persian Gulf and East Africa. By the mid-18th century a civil war ended Ya‘aribah rule and the current Al Bu Said dynasty emerged in 1749. The Al Bu Said rulers soon ceased to hold the title of imam and moved their capital from the orthodox Ibadi seat at Nizwá to Masqat to concentrate on maritime commerce. At the beginning of the 19th century the rulers accomplished a close security relationship with Britain; this initially helped to protect them from external threats and later from the forces of the imamate, which was revived in 1913.