Background
Said bin Ahmad was the son of the Imam and Sultan Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi, and was elected Imam on his father"s death in 1783.
Said bin Ahmad was the son of the Imam and Sultan Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi, and was elected Imam on his father"s death in 1783.
The succession was unchallenged, and Said took possession of the capital, Rustaq. The Sheikh took the towns of Hamra, Shargah, Rams and Khor Fakan. Said fought back, but was unable to regain these towns.
However, Saif and Sultan felt it was too dangerous for them to stay in Oman.
Saif sailed for East Africa, intending to set himself up as a ruler there. He died there soon after.
Sultan escaped to Gwadar on the Makran coast of Balochistan. The Imam was increasingly unpopular.
This revolt soon collapsed.
Another son, Hamad bin Said, came to negotiate with the governor. This happened in 1786. One by one the other fortresses in Oman submitted to Hamad, until Said no longer had any temporal power.
Hamad took the title of Sayyid and established his court in Muscat.
Said bin Ahmad remained in Rustaq and retained the title of Imam, but this was purely a symbolic religious title that carried no power.