[2] Al-Muhanna possessed a stern disposition, and his reign was characterised by increasingly centralised governance and strict disciplinary measures, especially towards his critics and those deemed to be a threat to the imamate.
[3] His desire to maintain order led him to reorganise the military: the navy expanded to 300 warships, and the irregular militias known as the shurat were replaced with a standing army headquartered at Nizwa, comprised from 10,000 soldiers and up to 9,000 horses and camels.
Several such malcontents convinced Musa bin Ali, the most influential scholar on the ahl al-hall wal-aqd, to dismiss al-Muhanna from office.
Although Musa met with al-Muhanna intending to remove him from power, the latter refused and told him that no imam would rule for more than a year if popular opinion reigned supreme.
[10] Led by a certain al-Mughirah bin Raswan, Julandani rebels marched on Tawam where they defeated and killed the local governor, Abu al-Waddah.
The armies scored decisive victories over the Julandanis and carried out a series of reprisals allegedly under the influence of al-Mattar's men: the Banu al-Julanda were massacred, their settlements razed and families forced to starve in the desert.
Ibadi scholars convened to discuss the issue, and by the end of the meeting Muhammad bin Mahbub retracted his views on the matter.