'Handbook of Yemen' [‎12r] (28/190)

— 11 —
Hajur, a group of some eleven small agricultural tribes of
mixed Zeidi and Sunni (Shafe'i) profession and divided in
their allegiance between the Turks, the Imam, and Idrisi
[see p. 54 for names); and then, beyond them, a section of
the great Hashid federation {see below).
Beyond these again, towards the north-east above
Sa'dah, lie the Hamdan esh-Sham, the detached northern
section of a very large Zeidi tribe, whose other section is
settled on the central highlands near San'a. The northern
Hamdan are, by themselves, very numerous and formidable.
They extend to the almost desert country of the Yam
tribes, centred on Nejran, and lying outside the proper
limits of Yemen, as treated here. West and south-west
of the Hamdan come important Zeidi tribes, filling up the
space between Sa^dah and Hajur, viz. the Beni Juma/a,
the Ahl Razah (of Jebel Razah) and the Khaulan esh-
Sham, the last being one of the sheet-anchors of the Imam's
power, and a detached section of a large tribe, of which
the remainder lies in the eastern part of the central high
lands. Immediately about Sa'dah itself, and ranging
eastward, are smaller, but not unimportant, Zeidi tribes,
the Beni Murran, the Sahar (many nomads), the A1
Ammar, and A1 Damaj ; and then, as we leave Sa'dah
for Khamir, we encounter the greatest tribal and territorial
unity in Southern Arabia, the Hashid wa Bekil, a
group or confederation which lies right across the high
lands from near the Hajur boundary to the easternmost
oases, envelopes Khamir, and almost touches 'Amran.
This is the realm of Nasir Ibn Mabkhut, the most powerful
person in the Yemen after, perhaps, the Imam. On the
nature and constituents of this great federation, see page 62.
The chief tribe of the Eastern Oases, the Dhu Husein,
lies outside the geographical limits of the Yemen, as pre
scribed for this Handbook, but is included on page 71,.
because of its intimate connection with the Hashid and
the politics of Northern Yemen.
In the rest of North Yemen, i.e. on the western fringe
below Hajur, we have a group of small settled Zeidi tribes.