sultanate · Arabia and the Gulf

Kasadi Sultanate

1700 CE – 1881 CE (approx.) · capital Mukalla

A dynasty of Yafa'i origin that ruled the Hadrami port of Mukalla until the Qu'aiti sultans took it in 1881.

Origins

The Kasadi were a family of the Yafa tribal confederation, whose men served as soldiers across Hadramawt. In the 18th century they established themselves as naqibs, or governors, of the port of Mukalla on the coast of Hadramawt and ruled it as a small independent state.

Rule and society

Mukalla was the main outlet of Hadramawt to the sea, and the Kasadi lived from customs on trade with India, East Africa and the Red Sea, including slaves and dates. Their rule was contested by Kathiri and other Yafa'i rivals and depended on armed retainers. Little is recorded about their internal administration.

Decline and legacy

In the 19th century the Kasadi came into conflict with the rising Qu'aiti Sultanate. With British support the Qu'aiti took Mukalla in 1881, and the Kasadi naqib went into exile in Zanzibar. Mukalla became the Qu'aiti capital.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (1)

More states of Arabia and the Gulf →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kasadi Sultanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kasadi-sultanate
MLA
“Kasadi Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kasadi-sultanate. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kasadi Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kasadi-sultanate.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kasadi Sultanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kasadi-sultanate (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻