The Omani Empire

What makes the Omani Empire different from other Islamic empires?

• It was a thriving maritime empire as opposed to a large land-based one.

• It was a giant land-based empire.

• It was an empire that stretched across the entire world.

• It was an empire that only controlled a small area of Africa yet had major power.

What areas did the Omani Empire cover at its peak? [Choose all that apply]

• Most of the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula.

• Parts of the coast of current Iran and Pakistan.

• East Africa from the northern tip of the Somali coast to modern Mozambique.

• The western coast of modern day India.

How did the Omani Empire come to be an empire?

• The Omani Empire became an empire through a gradual process, growing from a series of ports ruled under one dynasty.

• The Omani conquered their neighbors through a superior military.

• The Omani defeated the Ottomans and Mughals in a major battle and were given land that became their empire.

• The Omani removed European influence and took over the region that became their empire.

How was the Omani Empire different from other empires?

• It did not have the same military strength or bureaucracies that other empires had.

• The Omani Empire had a very volatile social hierarchy that caused much tension.

• The Omani Empire did not gain its influence through trading.

• It lacked any real weaknesses unlike the other empires.

Who controlled the Omani Empire?

• The empire was a multi-ethnic empire, controlled by an Arab elite with other cultures involved in important areas.

• The empire was controlled exclusively by the Arab elite.

• The empire was was controlled by a combination of Swahili Africans and Hindu Indians.

• The empire was controlled mainly by European Christians.

How did the Omani Empire have a lasting impact on East Africa? 

• The Omani Empire led to the migration of South Asians and Arabs form the Arabian Peninsula to East Africa.

• Constant wars within the empire caused societal disruptions that are still felt today.

• The Omani Empire helped spread Christianity to East Africa as more Europeans flocked to the area.

• The Omani Empire conquered much of East Africa, spreading Islam to much of the region.

How does the Omani Empire help us see world history in a different way?

• The Omani Empire collapses boundaries with different parts of the world, blending the lines between one region and another.

• The Omani Empire shows us that a strong military and an organized government help empires grow and thrive.

• The Omani Empire shows us that Empires can be unified under a single culture and belief system.

• The Omani Empire shows us that empires can grow and thrive without strong economies based on long-distance trade.

What is the lasting impact of the Omani Empire on current-day Oman?

• Oman remains culturally diverse with many different communities.

• Oman has become unified under a singular culture centered on Islam.

• Oman is now mainly populated by people from India instead of Africa.

• Oman has an incredibility powerful military it uses to keep its influence in the area intact.

What makes the Omani Empire interesting in the study of world history?

• The Omani Empire shows us the importance of the Indian Ocean trade network and that maritime empires can be as influential as land-based ones.

• The Omani Empire shows us that land-based empires are more important than maritime empires.

• The Omani Empire shows us the importance of strong militaries and organized bureaucracies in maintaining empires.

• The Omani Empire shows us the influence Islam had on the entire Indian Ocean region.

Reflect on what you just watched and how it compares to the land-based empires we looked at in the Final Four. Should we consider the Omani Empire a true empire? Why or why not?