Muscat – Two special exhibits showcasing the shared heritage of Oman and India are currently on display in the National Museum.

The first of these exhibits is a lithograph dating from late 19th century called the Tārīkh-i Qaişarī or The History of the Caesars which gives a brief into the history of Oman and Zanzibar.

The book has been loaned from the National Museum, New Delhi. The other special exhibit is a painting of Al-Mirani Fort of Muscat loaned from the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. The display of the special exhibits in Oman coincides with the celebrations of the 73rd Republic Day of India. The display of the collections will continue for three months.

Jamal bin Hassan al Moosawi, secretary-general of the National Museum, said, “The National Museum is honoured to participate in the celebrations of the Republic Day of India by
displaying loaned artefacts from the National Museum in New Delhi and National Gallery of Modern Art, in the Omani and Indian Relations Corner at the National Museum. The loaned artefacts embody the ancient bilateral relations between the two countries.”

H E Amit Narang, Ambassador of India to the Sultanate of Oman, said, “Oman and India share thousands of years of shared heritage and rich bonds of people-to-people contacts. The special exhibits obtained on loan from India showcase this shared past and are also testimony to the excellent cooperation between the museums and institutions of art and heritage of both the countries. I appreciate the assistance of Jamal bin Hassan al Moosawi in making this special exhibition possible. We look forward to more such opportunities for cooperation in the future.”

The Tārīkh-i Qaişarī, which was authored by Mohammad Akbar Ali Khan, is a rare visual directory of the princely states of India with the miniatures of their founders or incumbent rulers in addition to the rulers whose countries had close relations with the British Raj.

The book was published on January 1, 1877 CE in two languages; Urdu and Hindi, with the support of the Anjuman-i Islāmīya Dihlī (the General Islamic Gathering), on the occasion of proclaiming Queen Victoria the title of Qaişarī-i Hind (the Empress of India), and announced during the ‘Delhi Darbār’ (the Court Assembly in Delhi).

The publication contains biographies of sultans, kings and princes, including Sultan Thuwaini bin Said al Busaidi (reign: 1856 – 66 CE) and Sultan Barghash bin Said al Busaidi (reign: 1870-88 CE), including two unique miniature paintings of the two sultans and listing their exploits and formal titles.

The oil painting depicts a view of Al-Mirani Fort of Muscat by the British artist Thomas Daniel, which dates back to the period of Al Busaid dynasty (1814 CE).