Presentation copy inscribed to Saleh bin Ghalib Al-Qu'aiti, Sultan of Shihr and Makalla

Said-Ruete, Rudolph. Said bin Sultan (1791-1856). Ruler of Oman and Zanzibar. His Place in the History of Arabia and East Africa.

London, Alexander-Ouseley, (1929).

Large 8vo. XVIII, 200 pp. With half-title, frontispiece portrait, 5 black-and-white plates, folding map and "Genealogical table of members of the Al Bu Said dynasty". Publisher's original blue cloth, title gilt on spine & upper cover, Said bin Sultan name gilt in Arabic on upper cover.

 28,000.00

Rare first edition: presentation copy from Said-Ruete to Sir Saleh bin Ghalib Al-Qu'aiti, Sultan of Shihr and Makalla (ruled 1936-56), inscribed in green ink: "To / His Highness The Sultan / of Shiher and Makalla / Saleh bin Galib Alcaity / a token of sincere esteem / by the Author. / London, May 7th 1937". Below this is pasted a printed bookplate in Arabic.

The Qu'aiti Sultanate of Shihr and Mukalla, in the Hadhramaut region of the southern Arabian Peninsula (now Yemen), was the third largest kingdom in Arabia after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman. While the monarchy was toppled by communists in 1967 and Sultan Ghalib II was forced to abdicate, the Qu'aiti royal family still thrives in exile.

Said-Ruete was the son of Princess Salma (1844-1924), daughter of Sayyid Sai’id ibn Sultan (1791-1856), ruler of Oman and Zanzibar. The Princess married Friedrich Ruete, a clerk at the German embassy, and lived for 52 years as a widow in Germany. Their son Rudolph produced this remarkable survey of his grandfather’s life and times, considered as important as Vincenzo Maurizi‘s "History of Seyd Said, Sultan of Muscat" (London 1819). Sayyid Said ibn Sultan became the ruler of Oman in 1806, when he was about 15 years of age. After defeating the opposition with British help he determined to reassert Oman's traditional claims in East Africa. He eventually succeeded, and in about 1840 shifted his capital to Zanzibar, where he introduced the cloves that became the foundation of the island's economy. He also controlled the Arab traders that brought back slaves and ivory from the African interior. In this monograph the author highlights the early history of Oman, the rise of Said ibn Sultan to power in Oman and Zanzibar, and his relations with foreign powers (France, England, and the United States). In his foreword to this work, Major General Sir Percy Cox identifies the establishment of an Arab dominion in Zanzibar as Sultan Said's most lasting achievement.

Minimal wear to extremeties; insignificant spotting to first few leaves as common. Upper spine-end professionally repaired. A beautiful copy.

References

Macro 1986. OCLC 5705061.