The al-Lawati as a Historical Category

Abstract

This chapter explores the sur al-Lawati, the fortified enclave of the al-Lawati, a non-Arab, non-Ibadi mercantile community historically oriented toward the British Raj, staunchly allied to the pre-1970 Muscat sultanate, and grounded in a Shiʿi geography. This community has been incorporated into Oman's national historical narration and iconic imagery. Their differences to the Arab and Ibadi population are managed through the state's governing logics of a common history and tribalization, even while these institutional mechanisms apportion the space in which one emerges as an Omani citizen. This dense assemblage of key elements both limits and opens possibilities for political engagement and participation in state planning and policy making. These terms of reference formulate the space in which the “differences” that sum up the al-Lawati are managed within the community and with outsiders, defining the terms of their political and religious belonging and the referential basis by which they participate in public life (outside the sur) versus private life (inside the sur).