Country history · Asia

History of Yemen

55 recorded states lay in what is now Yemen, from the Kingdom of Saba (800 BCE) to the Republic of Yemen. 4 of them have a full profile, and 10 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)4 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

9th century BCE

  1. Kingdom of Saba800 BCE – 275 CE · profile

8th century BCE

  1. Kingdom of Awsan750 BCE – 650 BCE · kingdom
  2. Kingdom of Hadramawt750 BCE – 300 CE · kingdom

7th century BCE

  1. Kingdom of Ma'in650 BCE – 100 BCE · kingdom
  2. Kingdom of Qataban650 BCE – 175 CE · kingdom

2nd century BCE

  1. Himyarite Kingdom110 BCE – 525 CE · profile

6th century

  1. Aksumite Yemen525 CE – 570 CE · other
  2. Sasanian Yemen570 CE – 630 CE · other

8th century

  1. Ibadi Imamate of Hadramawt746 CE – 748 CE · theocracy

9th century

  1. Ziyadid dynasty819 CE – 1018 CE · emirate
  2. Yufirid dynasty847 CE – 997 CE · emirate
  3. Zaydi Imamate of Yemen897 CE – 1597 CE · theocracy

11th century

  1. Najahid dynasty1022 CE – 1158 CE · emirate
  2. Sulayhid dynasty1047 CE – 1138 CE · kingdom
  3. Zurayid dynasty1083 CE – 1174 CE · emirate
  4. Hamdanid sultanate of Yemen1099 CE – 1174 CE · sultanate

12th century

  1. Mahdid dynasty1159 CE – 1174 CE · emirate
  2. Ayyubid Yemen1174 CE – 1229 CE · other

13th century

  1. Rasulid dynasty1229 CE – 1454 CE · sultanate

14th century

  1. Kathiri Sultanate1395 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate

15th century

  1. Mahra Sultanate1432 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  2. Tahirid Sultanate1454 CE – 1517 CE · sultanate

16th century

  1. Yemen Eyalet1538 CE – 1636 CE · other
  2. Qasimid State1597 CE – 1872 CE · theocracy

17th century

  1. Fadhli Sultanate1670 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate

18th century

  1. Kasadi Sultanate1700 CE – 1881 CE · sultanate
  2. Lower Yafa Sultanate1700 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  3. Upper Yafa Sultanate1700 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  4. Sultanate of Lahej1728 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  5. Haushabi Sultanate1730 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  6. Alawi Sheikhdom1743 CE – 1967 CE · chiefdom
  7. Emirate of Dhala1750 CE – 1967 CE · emirate
  8. Aqrabi Sheikhdom1770 CE – 1967 CE · chiefdom

19th century

  1. Audhali Sultanate1800 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  2. Emirate of Beihan1800 CE – 1967 CE · emirate
  3. Lower Aulaqi Sultanate1800 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  4. Muflihi Sheikhdom1800 CE – 1967 CE · chiefdom
  5. Shaib Sheikhdom1800 CE – 1967 CE · chiefdom
  6. Upper Aulaqi Sheikhdom1800 CE – 1967 CE · chiefdom
  7. Upper Aulaqi Sultanate1800 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  8. Wahidi Sultanate1830 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  9. Aden Settlement1839 CE – 1937 CE · colony
  10. Yemen Vilayet1849 CE – 1918 CE · other
  11. Qu'aiti Sultanate1858 CE – 1967 CE · sultanate
  12. Aden Protectorate1872 CE – 1967 CE · protectorate

20th century

  1. Idrisid Emirate of Asir1906 CE – 1934 CE · emirate
  2. Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen1918 CE – 1970 CE · kingdom
  3. Colony of Aden1937 CE – 1963 CE · colony
  4. State of Dathina1944 CE – 1967 CE · tribal confederation
  5. Federation of Arab Emirates of the South1959 CE – 1962 CE · other
  6. Federation of South Arabia1962 CE – 1967 CE · protectorate
  7. Yemen Arab Republic1962 CE – 1990 CE · republic
  8. State of Aden1963 CE – 1967 CE · other
  9. South Yemen1967 CE – 1990 CE · profile
  10. Republic of Yemen1990 CE – present · profile

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Arabia and the Gulf → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of Yemen. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/yemen
MLA
“History of Yemen.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/yemen. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of Yemen.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/yemen.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of Yemen’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/yemen (Accessed: ).