Imam Sultan bin Saif al-Yarubi
Imam Sultan bin Saif al-Yarubi, who liberated Muscat from Portuguese colonialism, completed the Omani jihad by expelling the Portuguese from Oman in 1650 after continuing the efforts of his predecessor, Imam Nasser bin Murshid al-Yarubi.
The last battle was very difficult, and thousands of Omani martyrs fell to liberate Muscat and its forts that the Portuguese had fortified at the top of the mountains of Muttrah and Old Muscat.
The enthusiasm of the members of the Omani army increased when they saw their ruler moving with his soldiers on the battlefield without any fear, leading in all the violent clashes and defeating all of the Portuguese who advanced face to face when they ran out of manufactured gunpowder. On the battlefield, in its alleys and beaches.
Despite the wounds that Imam Sultan bin Saif sustained in the battles, he continued until the end in the battles of Al-Kur and Al-Far, leading his army and soldiers.
After many battles, the Imam was able to storm Muttrah Fort after a large number of martyrs fell as a result of Portuguese bombing. However, the use of ammunition during their siege facilitated the Omanis’ task of storming the castle. They stormed it and broke its doors after the entrance, and others were able to enter the castle through its secret doors after learning the details through the Imam’s spies.
There in the city, the Portuguese leader threw himself from the summit as a result of his sense of humiliation and defeat after the Jews defeated them and the family surrendered to them.
Here, may God bless them and pray for them, while they prayed, thanking God, as the red Omani flag was raised, and the takbirs and mercy be upon the martyrs were raised in the market.
The news spread to the Portuguese, so Imam Sultan bin Saif Junod ordered the Portuguese women and their children to go towards the high churches that they had built so that they could be sent safely to their country later, and the Portuguese did that to the Portuguese people. Oman and those who killed children and women without mercy.
After many events, the Imam and his army were later stationed at the gates of the Palace of Sciences to attack the fort of Al-Mirani, Al-Jalali, and finally the Portuguese.
Imam Mujahidah’s continuous battles and attacks against the Portuguese with a deliberate siege and a plan to prevent them from receiving aid because of the heroism of the people of Dhofar, Sur, Qalhat, the villages and the people of the East and Central in the general who joined his forces with the Imam to attack the Portuguese ships coming from India and Africa and heading to Muscat, in addition to the gathering of the people of Al Batinah and Sandam in Barka in the future.
Finally, the Omani army stormed Al-Mirani Castle, followed by their invasion of Al-Jalali Castle to liberate Oman once and for all from Portuguese colonialism on its coast. The Imam believes in acumen in not harming women, children, and the priest of any church, he left the Portuguese heritage untouched so that it remains a true witness throughout time to the ability of the Omanis. To storm the fortified Portuguese fortress with the sacrifices of our heroes and martyrs. So he entered the city and found the priest at the church, but he did not harm him or the church because it was their place of worship, and he was in his duty.
The Imam’s writings could have been erased, and their sanctity could have been demolished, but he gave us a wonderful lesson of the intelligence of the leader who dealt with victory with calm, composure and respect, regardless of religion.
Nasr Al Busaidi
