'Dynastic Claims of the Imam of Sana'a to the Aden Protectorate' [‎96v] (6/12)

Enclosure 2.
A Brief Outline of the History of Yemen During the Moslem Period,
by Captain M. Fazluddin, Political Office, Hodeidah.
In order to lind out how far the claim of the Imam of Sanaa, that his ancestors
had held Yemen for a thousand years before this time, is based on facts it is necessary
for one to acquaint oneself with the history of Yemen from the rise of Islam up to the
present day, so that an accurate estimate of the above statement may be made.
2. During the life-time of the Prophet of Islam and just after the era of the
Hijra, i.e. } the Flight of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina, corresponding to
A.D. 622, when the.Moslem conquests in Arabia began, Yemen or Southern Arabia
was governed by a Persian Viceroy named Badhan.* This Viceroy, acting under
instructions from his Monarch, Kisra Perwez, was about to attack Mohammed and his
small number of followers in Yathrab, when he was informed by the Prophet, before
the \iceroy had received any news himself, that the Persian Emperor, under whose
direction he was acting, had, just then, met his deserts and had been deposed by his
outraged subjects. The accuracy of this news was afterwards proved through
official sources, and Badhan embraced Islam and tendered his allegiance to the
Prophet, who confirmed him in his office of the Governor of Yemen, in which
capacity he continued to rule till his death.
3. During the latter portion of Badhan’s government some disturbances of a
more or less serious nature took place in Yemen, and Ali-ibn-Abu-Talib, the
Prophet’s cousin and companion, was appointed by him to quell them. Ali not only
did successfully put down the revolt, but succeeded in converting the whole tribe of
Hamdan to Islam in one day and their example was soon followed by all the in
habitants of Y emen, except those of Nejran who preferred to remain Christain and
pay tribute.
(X.B. -The present tribes of Hashids and Bekils, who claim direct descent
from the original Hamadan tribe which had embraced Islam at the hands of Ali,
aie still proud of this tradition, and never tire of claiming their superiority over
the other tribes of Yemen, who were all later converts to Islam than thev. This event
may also be the cause of the Shiite and pro-Aliite tendencies which all the in
habitants of Yemen have invariably exhibited in the whole of the subsequent Islamic
history of Yemen).
4- After the death of Badhan, the Prophet divided Yemen between Shehr, son
of Badhan, and six of his own companions, to each of whom he assigned a province
m it.^ Immediately after this event, however, the Prophet died in A.D. 632.
5. When Abu-Baker-es-Saddiq was declared Caliph, he found Yemen in the
throes of a serious rebellion which, combined with the disturbances in Yemama t
threatened the very existence of Islam. He, however, successfullv put down the
revolt of El-Astvad-ibn-Ka’ab phool Hamar, and subsequently of Amr-ibn-Ma’dikarb
and Qais ibn Abdul Yagooth in Yemen and of Asha’s ibn Qais in Hadramaut. He
then divided the country between three governors, viz., Saeed-ibn-Labeed appointed
to Hadramaut Ibban-ibn-Saeed appointed to Sanaa, while Jannad was allotted to
Ma ad-ibn-Jabl-el-Ausan. Ibban-ibn-Saeed appears to have died or have been removed
soon after and another person named Jalea ibn Omavva sent in his stead These
Governors were subsequently confirmed in their posts by the Caliphs Omar and Othman
m A.D. 634 and 643 respectively.
6 When, however. Ali-ibn-Abi-Talib succeeded to the Caliphate in A.D. 655
acute dissensions broke out between the two main divisions of the Koraishites, viz., the
Hashamities to whom Ah belonged, and the Ommavyads to whom the late Caliph
othman and his chief advisers belonged, on account of the rather untactful action
ot the new Caliph in dismissing at once all the governors appointed bv the former
Caliphs. All the provinces of the then Moslem Empire refused to recognise the
new governors, except Yemen, where the Aliite governor Abdullah-ibn-Abbas-el-
Ansari succeeded, after some trouble, in establishing his Government, though of
course it was practicaUy of no great advantage, as the former Governor Jalea ibn
Omavva had carried off all the Government Treasury with him.
7. In the subsequent Aleo-Muawiyya struggle for Islamic Caliphate during the
next few years, Yemen shared the fortunes of Ali, and although the Aliite Governor
of that province, Abdullah-ibn-Abbas-el-Ansari, put in a bold and severe fidit
against the Ommayyad Genera! Bashir-ibn-Arteb who had invaded Yemen under
instructions from his chief, his force was utterly routed and the whole province was
cruelly and direly punished for its adherence and faithfulness to Ali P
Playfair ” History of Yemen, founded on the accounts of Masoodi in his book " Meadows
of (rold and Mines of Gems.”
t The country on the east of Hijaz and Asir is generally spoken of as Yemama in the
old Arabian History.