The increased interest in ancient and modern relations between Indian and Oman are presently being examined and documented by various academic institutions.

DR. SHANDHYA MEHTA

In the year 1781, anecdotal evidence suggests that a Portuguese trader had asked for the hand of the daughter of an Indian trader in the Masqat area in order to finalize a deal, which was subsequently rejected. This tiny detail in the story of Indo-Oman relations points to the fact that Indian families worked and traded profitably in the period before the twentieth century.

It is stories like this that have captivated the interest of academicians and historians who have begun the process of documenting and looking into more research areas in the study of Indo-Oman relations - a dynamic relationship that has lasted for over a millennium. It is a subject that is of mutual interest as evidenced by the number of universities and institutions that have supported research in this rich area. Indeed as Mr. Abdulla Al-Harrasi, head of the Oman Encyclopaedia Committee and Assistant Professor at Sultan Qaboos University stated: “Indo-Oman relations are an important area of interest that is making itself more visible in the academic and cultural circles in both India and Oman, two countries that are facing each other, separated by the very Arabian Sea that links them together. We, in Oman, cannot study our history nor our society or culture in general without reference to relations with India. Archaeological sites in Oman abound with finds of Indian origins. It is not an exaggeration to say that several elements of the contemporary Omani identity are deeply influenced by relations with India.”

The government of Oman has actively encouraged a great deal of research on historical ties between the two countries, particularly through the establishment of the national archives. Set up in 2007 by a Royal Decree, a committee of the archives is presently in various parts of India, specially Hyderabad and parts of Kerala in order to acquire documents in the form of treaties, letters and other evidence regarding various aspects of Omani history and society. The increased interest in this area is also shown by the number of Fulbright and other scholars who are actively studying the excavation and historical sites in Oman.

In recognition of this interest and in order to address the need for more organized ways of channelling this research, a symposium was hosted by Sultan Qaboos University in February 2011 entitled “Oman and India: Prospects and Civilizations”. This was organized by the Omani Studies Centre in collaboration with the office of External cooperation at the University. The conference aimed at exploring “Oman-India relations in the economic, scientific, cultural and social fields, examine the dimensions of the cultural exchanges between both civilizations and attempt to expand future cooperation between them in various fields”. Participants of this conference came from various parts of the world including Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and India. Areas covered included a diverse array of interests including the maritime history of the Arabian Sea, linguistic and cultural influences between the two nations, a review of specific historical events through emerging documentary evidence as well as a re-reading of established historical narratives from a modern perspective.

In India too, research in this diverse area is being actively pursued. One of the premier universities of the country, Jamia Millia Islamia has, as its specialized unit, the Indo-Arab Cultural Centre. Mr. Aftab Ahmad, Program Coordinator of this institution stated that the vision of the Centre was to facilitate the rejuvenation of the civilizational ties between India and the Arab world. The Centre funds, publishes and organizes various projects dealing with different aspects of Indo-Arab relations and Oman forms a central part of that research. Mr. Ahmad asserted that the Centre was “emerging as an important nodal point for the promotion of Indian culture in the Arab world.” Their in-house publication Thaqafatul Hind (Indian Culture) is an attempt to showcase Indian culture in the Arab speaking nations. Research areas covered by them include examination of maritime-cultural linkages along the Malabar coast as well as linguistic converges that Indian languages have with Arabic as used in Oman.

The Centre is currently engaged in a project to collect material on Oman and India-Oman relations in Indian libraries and archives. This is a rare attempt to make possible the access of thousands of documents in the form of travelogues, personal letters and other evidence that could shed more light on historical links between India and Oman.

Jawaharlal Nehru University too has a research centre where the focus includes various emerging areas of research involving India and Oman. Its Gulf Studies Programme (GSP) is a unit within The Centre for West Asian and African Studies in the School of International Studies, an established centre for research into areas of economic, social, cultural as well as economic studies. The Centre’s conference in 2010 entitled “People, Culture and Goods in Motion: India-Arab Maritime Historical Relations” included a number of papers on different points of interest including one called “The Jewel of Muscat: Reviving the Ancient Indo-Maritime Heritage”. These papers shed a better light on the dynamic relationship that makes for the unique history of the Arabian peninsula.

The increase in research activity in the area of Indo-Oman relations is an eloquent testament to the fact that studies in this field are finally coming of age. In a period when sporadic interests in this historical link is being expressed in more organized and officially recognized manner, it is encouraging to see the support of publicly funded institutions towards the discovery of increasingly ripe areas of research. As Dr. Harrasi said, “This growing research area is expected to pursue the relations between the two countries using suitable research methods. This will help all of us to fill the huge gap in our knowledge about unknown and under-researched aspects of India-Oman relations. This will also strengthen the foundations for our contemporary and future relations in all spheres of life.” The increased support given by the governments of India and Oman confirm this emerging interest and will help in making this fertile area more established as more projects will ensure a sustained and continued interest in an area that promises to hold as much potential in the future as it did in the past.

By
Dr. Sandhya Rao Mehta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English, Sultan Qaboos University.