Zanzibar's Forgotten Omani Navy and the 1852 Persian Gulf War

In the mid-19th century, the Busaidi sultanate of Zanzibar and Oman maintained a formidable naval force that projected power across the Indian Ocean. This episode explores the little-known 1852 conflict between the Omani navy and the Persian Empire in the Persian Gulf, sparked by disputes over the port of Bandar Abbas. We follow Sultan Said bin Sultan's fleet of dhows and frigates, the role of British pressure to curb the slave trade, and how this naval engagement reshaped Omani-Zanzibari relations. Key figures include Said bin Sultan, his son Thuwaini bin Said (governor of Muscat), and the British political agent Colonel Atkins Hamerton. We also examine the aftermath: the weakening of Omani naval capacity, the rise of British influence in the Gulf, and the long-term shift of Busaidi focus toward East Africa. A crucial but often overlooked chapter in Indian Ocean maritime history. #OmaniNavy #SaidBinSultan #BandarAbbas #PersianGulfWar1852 #BusaidiDynasty #ThuwainiBinSaid #AtkinsHamerton #IndianOceanHistory #ZanzibarHistory #MaritimeHistory #RoyalNavy #SlaveTradeAbolition #Muscat #Zanzibar #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #EastAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo