sultanate · Arabia and the Gulf

Rasulid dynasty

1229 CE – 1454 CE · capital Ta'izz

The most brilliant medieval dynasty of Yemen, whose scholar-sultans ruled from Ta'izz, grew rich on Aden's trade and built famous madrasas.

Origins

Nur al-Din Umar ibn Rasul, a commander of Turkmen origin, was left as deputy when the last ruler of Ayyubid Yemen departed in 1229. He soon declared himself sultan and obtained recognition from the Abbasid caliph in 1235, founding a dynasty based in Ta'izz and Zabid.

Rule and society

Under al-Muzaffar Yusuf, who reigned for 45 years and took Dhofar in 1279, the state reached from Mecca's borders to Dhofar. The Rasulids taxed the spice and textile trade of Aden, exchanged embassies with Egypt, India and China, and received Ming fleets in the 15th century. Several sultans were scholars: al-Ashraf Umar wrote on astronomy, medicine and farming. Ta'izz and Zabid gained mosques and Sunni Shafi'i madrasas.

Decline and legacy

From the late 14th century revolts by slave troops, tribes and family rivals weakened the dynasty. After disputed successions in the 1440s, the Tahirid Sultanate took power in 1454. The Rasulid period is remembered as Yemen's medieval golden age.

Lineage

Ayyubid Yemen 1174 CE – 1229 CERasulid dynastyTahirid Sultanate 1454 CE – 1517 CE

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻