47

The Hamdānids

492–570/1099–1174

Northern Yemen, with their capital at Ṣan‘ā

1. The first line of the Banū Ḥātim

2. The line of the Banu ‘1-Qubayb

3. The second line of the Banū Ḥātim

This dynastic title includes three short lines, all stemming from the tribe of Hamdān, the first two of which were probably adherents of the Fāṭimids and the third line certainly so. Hātim b. al-Ghashim, a powerful tribal chief, took over Ṣan‘ā‘ when in 492/1099 the Ṣulayhids lost effective control of the city (see above, no. 45). Subsequently, Hamdāni tribal discontent led to the deposition of Ma‘n and the end of the first line, and the coming to power of the sons of al-Qubayb, forming the second line.

However, when the sons of Hātim b. al-Humās fell into dissension after his death, the tribal leaders of Hamdān raised to power Hātim b. Aḥmad, who became the greatest leader of the dynasty, defending Ṣan‘ā‘ against the Zaydī Imām Aḥmad b. Sulaymān al-Mutawakkil. His line succeeded in retaining control of much of northern Yemen and in 569/1174 drove back the Mahdids (see below, no. 48) from Aden. Like other Yemeni lines, they were however threatened by the arrival of the Ayyūbids, who entered Ṣan‘ā‘ in 570/1174 and took it over (see above, no. 30, 8), although Hamdāni tribal elements continued to be a factor in the military history of northern Yemen for at least the next twenty years.

Lane-Poole, 94; Zambaur, 119.

EI² ‘Hamdānids‘ (C. L. Geddes).

G. R. Smith, The Ayyūbids and Early Rasūlids in the Yemen, II, 68–75, with a genealogical table at pp. 68–9.

idem, in W. Daum (ed.), Yemen: 3000 Years of Art and Civilisation in Arabia Felix, 133–4, 138, with a list of rulers at p. 138.