Ziyadid dynasty

Origins

In 818 or 819 the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun sent Muhammad ibn Ziyad, a descendant of the Umayyad governor Ziyad ibn Abihi, to subdue rebellious tribes in the Tihama. He founded the city of Zabid as his base and established a hereditary emirate, recognising Abbasid sovereignty.

Rule and society

The Ziyadids ruled the Red Sea coastal plain and at times claimed authority over Hadramawt and the highlands. Zabid became a walled city and a leading centre of Sunni learning. Real power often lay with African slave ministers; the Nubian Husayn ibn Salamah, regent in the late 10th century, built mosques and roads linking Zabid with Mecca and Hadramawt.

Decline and legacy

In the early 11th century the last Ziyadid was a child under the control of slave commanders. The line ended around 1018, and after a struggle among these commanders Najah took Zabid around 1022, founding the Najahid dynasty. Zabid's mosques and scholarly tradition survived and made it a UNESCO World Heritage city.