Qasimid State

Origins

In 1597 al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, a Zaydi scholar, proclaimed himself imam and began a revolt against Yemen Eyalet from the northern mountains. His son al-Mu'ayyad Muhammad continued the war until the Ottoman Empire evacuated Yemen in 1636, leaving the Qasimid family masters of the country.

Rule and society

Under al-Mutawakkil Isma'il, imam from 1644 to 1676, the state reached its greatest extent, taking Aden, Lahej and Hadramawt. Its wealth came from coffee, shipped through Mocha to Cairo and, through Dutch, English and French factories, to Europe. Although Zaydi doctrine called for elected imams, succession became dynastic, and the court at Sanaa or al-Mawahib resembled a monarchy.

Decline and legacy

From the early 18th century southern and eastern districts broke away, including the Sultanate of Lahej, and coffee exports fell as colonial plantations grew. Rival imams, tribal revolts and Wahhabi raids weakened it further. In 1872 the Ottomans took Sanaa and formed the Yemen Vilayet.