tribal confederation · Anatolia and the Levant
Salihids
Origins
The Salih were an Arab tribe of the Quda'a group who entered Roman territory in Syria and Transjordan. During the 5th century they displaced the Tanukhids as the principal foederati, guarding the desert frontier and supplying troops in return for annual payments.
Rule and society
Known mainly from later Arabic sources and scattered Greek references, the Salihids were Christian and their leaders appear to have founded monasteries; Arabic tradition remembers a king named Dawud who built one. They helped defend the frontier against nomad raids and the Lakhmid allies of Persia. Details of their government and territory are uncertain.
Decline and legacy
According to Arabic tradition, disputes over the tribute they collected from newly arrived Ghassanid tribes led to fighting in which the Ghassanids prevailed. Around 502 Rome concluded a treaty with the Ghassanids, who took the Salihids' place. The Salih survived as a tribe and fought on the Byzantine side against the early Muslim armies.
Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Salihids was a vassal of Byzantine Empire400 CE – 502 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Salihids. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/salihids
- MLA
- “Salihids.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/salihids. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Salihids.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/salihids.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Salihids’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/salihids (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻