A History of Dhofar
A Country in the Gulf which is now in the Sultanate of Oman
Dhofar is a lush tropical region in the Arabian kingdom of Oman but it was not always a part of Oman and in the 1960s tried to assert its independence in civil war.
Ancient History
Dhofar's history is recorded as far back as far as the time of King Solomon in the biblical book of 1 Chronicles, when it is called “Ophir”, but it was known throughout the Mediterranean long before that as a source of frankincense, an expensive incense produced from the sap of a tree which grows in the area. The cultivation of frankincense and of tropical fruits was possible because, unlike most states in the Arab Gulf, Dhofar's climate is tropical, not desert. It experiences a monsoon known as the Khareef, which keeps the region green.
Ethnic and Religious Background
Ethnically, Dhofar is largely an Arab country but there are non-Arab minorities such as the Jibbali people who speak a language completely different from Arabic which has been described as “the language of the birds.” The dialect spoken throughout most of Dhofar is called Shihri. It is similar to Arabic and speakers of the two languages can understand each other, but Shihri actually comes from an ancient ancestor of Arabic, not Arabic itself.
Many of the tribes in Dhofar are nomadic or semi-nomadic. Some practice the Sunni variety of Islam (which is different from the Oman's national religion, Ibadhi Islam), but some of the more isolated tribes hold to older, pagan beliefs involving evil spirits and magic.
Conquest by Other States
During its long history Dhofar has mainly been independent, but from time to time had been owned by one of the neighbouring states. Marco Polo visited “Dulfar” in 1285 when he was travelling in Aden (today's South Yemen), which at that time controlled Dhofar. Over the centuries Dhofar had lively trade with its neighbours Oman and Yemen, with Mediterranean countries and even with India and North Africa.
In 1879 a political coup against the ruler of Dhofar handed the country over to the power of Oman. It became known as 'The Dependency of Dhofar' – not truly a part of Oman, but not independent either. Conditions in Dhofar were very basic, and in the twentieth century Sultan Sa'id bin Taimur seemed to want to keep it that way. Eventually a combination of discontent at the economic backwardness of Oman compared to the other Gulf states (which had started exploiting oil), together with Arab nationalism and communism, led to an uprising.
The Dhofar Revolt
The Dhofar Liberation Front started a revolt in 1965, stating that its aims were to release Dhofar from the power of Oman and also from British imperialism, since Oman was very much in Britain's pocket at the time. The DFL had a lot of support from other Arab states like Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and even China lent a hand training guerilla fighters because of the communist connection, but in the end British imperialism won. The British installed a new and more effective sultan in 1970, Qaboos bin Sa'id, and with a combination of British military might and longed-for social reforms, Qaboos managed to end the war by 1975. Today Dhofar is a fully-integrated province of Oman which benefits fully from Oman's oil revenues.
Sources:
F Halliday Arabia Without Sultans
R Hay The Persian Gulf States
Lonely Planet Guide Oman, UAE and the Arabian Peninsula
