The Beni Sakhar confederacy is one of the largest and most influential tribal confederacies in The Kingdoms of Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Its founder, Sakher bin Tha'labah al Tayy, a great-grandson of Jalhamah, likely lived in the 3rd century AD, making the tribe around 18 centuries old. The Bani Sakher began migrating to The Levant from the Hejaz as early as the 16th century and their influence continued growing until they became the most powerful tribe in northwestern Arabia around the mid 18th century.
107-787: The Beni Sakher is made out of many clans, both through ancestry and alliances. These clans are primarily separated into three groups: the Al-Twaqa, headed by the princely Al-Fayez family ; the Al-Ka'abneh, headed by the Khreisha family; and Al-Khdeir. The Bani Sakher was a tribe title that was given to more than one tribe, but the greatest and most famous of this tribes are the sons of Sakher bin Tha'labah bin Amro bin Alghouth bin Tayy ,
214-575: A coat of mail that probably dated to the early centuries of the Arab conquests and appeared to be on good terms with the government. The tribe showed no sign of lawlessness, though local farmers had to harvest their crops early to avoid them being eaten by the grazing camels. The Beni Sakher showed no interest in the ongoing war in the Balkans and expressed a strong dislike of the Turks . In November 1877 Kitchener visited
321-422: A combined area of 554,000 km (214,000 sq mi). Najd towns are: 'Afif , Ranyah , Dawadmi , Mahd adh Dhahab , Al-Khurmah , Al-Gway'iyyah , As Sulayyil , and Wadi Ad-Dawasir , Najd has few towns and urban areas due to its Nomadic population. Before the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was formed, the native population in that area was largely made up of tribal Arabs : some of them were part of
428-500: A great amount of time debating the exact boundaries between Hejaz and Najd in particular, but generally set the western boundaries of Najd to be wherever the western mountain ranges and lava beds began to slope eastwards, and set the eastern boundaries of Najd at the narrow strip of red sand dunes known as the Ad-Dahna Desert , some 100 km (62 mi) east of modern-day Riyadh . The southern border of Najd has always been set at
535-559: A prince of Kindah. These small principalities were then overthrown in the 530s and 540s in a series of uprisings of the ‘Adnānī tribes of Najd and Ḥijāz . In 540, the Lakhmids destroyed all the Kindite settlements in Nejd , forcing the majority of them to move to Yemen . The Kindites and most of the Arab tribes switched their alliances to the Lakhmids . Muhammad carried out military expeditions in
642-574: A push to cultivate the lands and live a more sedentary lifestyle, then under Mithqal Alfayez as a permanent political power in modern Jordan. The family was the largest owner of land in Jordan and owned portions of modern day Palestine, and Mithqal was the single largest owner of private land in the kingdom in 1922. The Al-Fayez family is active in Jordanian and Arabian politics and is currently headed by former Prime Minister Faisal Al-Fayez . The Al-Fayez are
749-860: A raid on Medina, so he dispatched a force of 150 men under the leadership of Abu Salama 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Asad to make a sudden attack on this tribe. After Prophet Muhammad's death, previously dormant tensions between the Meccan immigrants , the Muhajirun , and the Medinan converts, the Ansar , threatened to split the Ummah . Other Arabian tribes also wished to revert from Islam to local leadership and split from Medina's control; in some places, people such as Al-Aswad Al-Ansi and Musaylima claimed prophethood and started to establish leaderships in opposition to Medina. The Ansar ,
856-541: A semi-nomadic life. In the decades since then, pressures on the Bani Sakher to give up part of their land have led to occasional tension between them and the Jordanian government. However, this tribe has always been counted as stalwart allies of the Hashemite ruling family since the days of King Abdullah I . In 1938, the tribe was estimated to consist of 1,140 tents, dispersed across the region from Amman to Madaba and from
963-567: A small number of African, Eastern European and South-Eastern European slaves and freedmen. Most of the Najdi tribes are of Qaysi Adnanite origin; their members emigrated to Najd from Tihamah and Hejaz in ancient times. The most famous Najdi tribes in the pre-Islamic era were: Hawazin , with its branches, Amir and Jusham . and Its neighbor from the north, the tribe of Ghatafan , with its branches Abs and Dhubyan . Many other smaller tribes existed such as Ghani , Bahila and Muharib . During
1070-401: A squadron leader, arrested the family of Malik, claiming they did not answer the call to prayer. Malik avoided direct contact with Khalid's army and ordered his followers to scatter, and he and his family apparently moved away across the desert. He refused to give zakat , hence differentiating between prayer and zakat. Nevertheless, Malik was accused of rebellion against the state of Medina. He
1177-597: A successful reconciliation. During his visit, Talal was conferred the title of Pasha with a monthly salary and would later become Beylerbey. During his 18-year reign, Talal enjoyed friendly relations with the Ottomans during his last years with strains over the construction of the Hijaz Railway which not only crossed through many of the family's private lands but would also destroy their income as protectors of Hajj Caravans and providers of camels and supplies. Talal negotiated with
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#17328510705561284-564: A war between the ancient Kingdom of Moab and the ancient Kingdom of Israel. Today the stone can be found in the Louvre Museum, Paris. In 1879, Fendi, on the way back from Nablus as part of his camel trade has died in the from illness in the Adwan lands of Al-Ghor region. His burial and mausoleum are located at the final junction of the Valleys of Al-Kafrein and Al-Ramah, exactly four kilometers east of
1391-727: Is re-elected as the President of the Jordanian Senate. The Al-Fayez are frequently described as being central to the stability of the Jordanian state and the core of the support for the Hashemite Dynasty . Mithqal was one of the first shaykhs in 1921 to meet Abdullah bin Al-Hussein in Ma'an . After their meeting, Mithqal invited him to Amman to establish the Transjordanian emirate there which
1498-581: Is the central region of Saudi Arabia , in which about a third of the country's modern population resides. It is the home of the House of Saud , from which it pursued unification with Hejaz since the time of the Emirate of Diriyah . Historic Najd was divided into three modern administrative regions still in use today. The Riyadh region features Wadi Hanifa and the Tuwaiq escarpment, which houses easterly Yamama with
1605-464: Is why Amman is the capital of Jordan today rather than the much larger cities of As-Salt or Irbid at the time. Shortly afterwards, the nascent Emirate of Transjordan faced to military threats from the Wahhabi's in 1922 to the 1923 Adwan rebellion. Mithqal is credited to be the chief factor in protecting the new state from both of these conflicts by rebranding his own army made of many of his tribesmen into
1712-660: The Al-Qassim Province in the north, and Wadi ad-Dawasir at the southernmost tip of Najd on the border with Najran. Most Najdi villages and settlements are located along these wadis, due to ability of these wadis to preserve precious rainwater in the arid desert climate, while others are located near oases . Historically, Najd itself has been divided into small provinces made up of constellations of small towns, villages and settlements, with each one usually centered on one "capital". These subdivisions are still recognized by Najdis today, as each province retains its own variation of
1819-502: The Balqa region to Wadi Sirhan . Al-Fayez Conferred by the House of Hashim : The House of Fayez ( Arabic : الفايز or, colloquially: Al-Fayez, Alfayez, Al Fayez, Al Faiz, Al Fayiz) is a noble sheikhly Jordanian family that heads the major Jordanian clan Bani Sakher . The family's influence and prominence in the region was at its ultimate under Fendi Al-Fayez , who led the family in
1926-561: The Baptismal Site of Jesus . A dispute occurred shortly after over the succession of Fendi, between his second eldest Satm and his chosen successor Sattam. The feud lasted until 1881, and ended with Satm's death and Sattam being recognized by both the Arabs and the Ottomans. He received his beyship from the latter, and shortly followed the creation of the new administrative region of Al-Jizah with Sattam as its first governor . An incident between
2033-586: The Caliph after Khalid's decisive victories. Moving south from Buzakha, Khalid reached Naqra in October, with an army now 6000 strong, and defeated the rebel tribe of Banu Saleem in the Battle of Naqra . In the third week of October, Khalid defeated a tribal chieftess, Salma, in the battle of Zafar . Afterwards, he moved to Najd against the rebel tribe of Banu Tamim and their Sheikh Malik ibn Nuwayrah . At Najd, getting
2140-678: The Chinedakolpitai ( Greek : Χινεδακολπιται ), gained strength and numbers to play that role and in AD 425 the Ḥimyarite king Ḥasan ibn 'Amr ibn Tubba’ made Ḥujr 'Akīl al-Murār ibn 'Amr the first King ( Ḥujr ) of Kindah. They established the Kingdom of Kinda in Najd in central Arabia unlike the organized states of Yemen ; its kings exercised an influence over a number of associated tribes more by personal prestige than by coercive settled authority. Their first capital
2247-587: The Iberian Peninsula in the west to modern day Pakistan in the east in a matter of decades. The bulk of the tribes that helped the Caliphate 's expansion into Persia and the Levant were composed of Najdi tribes such as Banu Tamim . The Caliphate 's use of these once-rebellious tribes allowed Abu Bakr and Umar to quickly deploy battle hardened men and experienced generals such as Al-Qa'qa' ibn Amr al-Tamimi into
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#17328510705562354-611: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . The Arabic word najd literally means "upland" and was once applied to a variety of regions within the Arabian Peninsula. However, the most famous of these in recent times was the central region of the Peninsula roughly bounded on the west by the mountains of the Hejaz and Yemen and to the east by the historical region of Eastern Arabia and the north by Iraq and Syria . Medieval Muslim geographers spent
2461-600: The Shammar Mountains . The Tayy Shammaris became pastoral nomadic camel herders and horse breeders in northern Najd for centuries with a sedentary faction ruling the tribal league from within their capital city of Ha’il. In the 5th century AD, the tribes of North Arabia became a major threat to the trade line between Yemen and Syria . The Ḥimyarites of Sheba decided to establish a vassal state that controlled Central and North Arabia. The Kindites, mentioned in Greek sources as
2568-671: The expedition of Dhat al-Riqa took place in Nejd as part of this invasion. The most authentic opinion according to " Saifur Rahman al Mubararakpuri ", however, is that the Dhat Ar-Riqa' campaign took place after the fall of Khaibar (and not as part of the invasion of Nejd). This is supported by the fact that Abu Hurairah and Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari witnessed the battle. Abu Hurairah embraced Islam only some days before Khaibar, and Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari came back from Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia ), and joined Muhammad at Khaibar . The rules relating to
2675-682: The "Walls of Khosrau ", constructed by the Sassanid Empire as a barrier between Arabia and Iraq immediately prior to the advent of Islam. The modern usage of the term encompasses the region of Al-Yamama , which was not always considered part of Najd historically, and became incorporated into the larger definition of Najd in the past centuries. Najd is a plateau ranging from 762 to 1,525 m (2,500 to 5,003 ft) in height and sloping downwards from west to east. The eastern sections (historically better known as Al-Yamama) are marked by oasis settlements with much farming and trading activities, while
2782-504: The 15th through the 18th centuries, there was a considerable tribal influx from the west, increasing both the nomadic and settled population of the area and providing a fertile social environment for the Wahhabi movement . By the 20th century, many of the ancient tribes had morphed into new confederations or had emigrated from other areas of the Middle East, and many tribes from other regions of
2889-570: The 1757 raid represented the peak of such attacks which was also likely prompted by the major drought of 1756. In the 1799, the Beni Sakher joined the Es-Sabhah and other tribes in a full-scale battle against a force from Napoleon 's army under the command of General Kleber . The fighting occurred south of Nazareth , with the French having such an advantage in terms of guns and artillery that Amir Rabah,
2996-467: The 1840s and gradually became the leader of the entire Bani Sakher. Fendi would rule large parts of Jordan and Palestine, including the ancient Kingdoms of Moab and Ammon , and parts of modern-day Saudi Arabia until the late 1860s when a series of battles with the Ottoman Empire decreased the family's resources and claimed a portion of its holdings. After Fendi, his young son Sattam led the tribe in
3103-489: The 18th century provided the ideological impetus to Saudi expansion and remains the basis of Saudi Arabian dynastic rule today. The first "Saudi state" established in 1744 in the area around Riyadh rapidly expanded and briefly controlled most of the present-day territory of Saudi Arabia, but was destroyed by 1818 by the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt , Mohammed Ali Pasha . A much smaller second "Saudi state", located mainly in Nejd,
3210-632: The Adwan tribe who were Bani Sakher's adversaries, and the other half under Sheikh Satm allied with the Anazah tribe. In May of 1881 Sheikh Satm was killed in a skirmish with the Adwan, leading to the reunification of the tribe by Sattam bin Fendi in September 1881, to regain some of the influence that his father had on the area. However those two years would prove to be a big loss for the Fayez family as they never recovered to
3317-535: The Anazzah's defeat, forcing some of their sub-groups to migrate to the northern more, and this explains the hostility between the two tribes. In Frederick's book, he also documented the clash between Bani Sakher and the Al-Dhafeer tribes and that they defeated Al-Dhafeer . However, Al-Dhafeer regrouped again under the leadership of their knight Sultan Ibn Suwit, and followed Bani Sakher, whom where heading heading north of
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3424-599: The Arabian Peninsula and in Egypt since at least the 6th century AD, however they gained international prominence in the 14th century AD with the capture and killing of Sultan Sha'ban II in 1377 in Aqaba . The origin of the name is from the progenitor of the house, Fayez bin Fadel Al-Tayy. Fayez is derived from the Arabic word Fa'iz, meaning "Victorious" in Arabic. The Bani Sakher Tribe
3531-527: The Arabian Peninsula. The two tribes met again in Wadi Azraq, now known as Azraq , on the Saudi-Jordanian border. Banu Sakher was able once again to defeat the tribes of Al-Dhafeer, killing Sheikh Sultan Ibn Suwit where he lies in his tomb in that region next to a water ravine that was named after him (Ghadeer Sultan). The Bani Sakher then headed towards Al-Balqa however their stay did not last long because
3638-418: The Bani Sakher and would share a portion of the leadership of the Beni Sakher with his brother Fawaz. After Fawaz's death in 1917, his son Mashour who was had a Damascene education would succeed his father. Mashour was recognized by the Ottomans as Sheikh of Shiekhs, and Mithqal who was older was compensated by the Ottomans by the title of Pasha to become the last real Pasha in Jordan with a title sanctioned by
3745-485: The Bani Sakher returned, they refused to get taxed, which led to a heated situation between them. This conflict lead to the first alliance between Bani Sakher and Al-Adwan where they joined forces with the intent to annihilate the Sardiyya tribe. In 1757, Bani Sakher attacked the hajj caravans that resulted in the death of many pilgrims, immediately and afterwards. Although Bedouin raids on Hajj caravans were fairly common,
3852-554: The Bani Sakher were friends and allies of the Al Rashid dynasty. The relationship ended with Ibn Saud 's conquest of the Nejd . It had its roots in the early nineteenth century when Abdullah Ibn Rashid was fleeing the Ibn Ali family after a conflict over leadership of the Shammar tribe. Ibn Rashid and his brother with a single camel arrived at the tents belonging to Ali Al-Khraisha , leader of
3959-544: The Bani Sakher were united in their opposition to the Turks and were offering to provide the Husseini forces with at least eleven thousand men costing £30,000 (£1,715,944.76 adjusted to inflation as of April 2020) a month. In addition they would donate the harvest of Kerak and Madeba . In 1923 Ibn Saud's Ikhwan initiated their first attack on the Emirate of Transjordan by massacring two villages 12 miles south of Amman belonging to
4066-623: The Beni Sakher again. This time they were camped in Wadi Farrah having left the area around Zerin in the Jezreel Valley following the murder near Nazareth of a British man, Mr Gale, about which they had come under suspicion. Sheikh Fendy was absent at Bosra selling camel to pilgrims on the Haj . The Beni Sakher were close to having a monopoly in this trade and could make £1,500 in a season. Whilst in Bosra
4173-484: The Beni Sakher and father of Haditha Al-Khraisha . Sheikh Ali Al-Khraisha was not there but all the same they were given hospitality. During the night the camel died and the next day they continued their flight on foot. Some distance from the camp they met Sheikh Ali Al-Khraisha returning home. On hearing their story he insisted on them taking the camel he was riding, claiming that no guest who came into his camp riding should leave on foot. When Ibn Rashid came to power in
4280-428: The Beni Sakher for their services, this coupled with the drought of 1756 has led to the infamous raid in 1757 led by Qa'dan. The raid's casualties were in the tens of thousands, including Musa Pasha and the sister of the sultan. In 1820, Fendi Al-Fayez led in battle for the first recorded time, and by mid century he was the paramount sheikh and revered throughout Arabia. One of the most famous conflicts that they had
4387-567: The House of Representatives of Jordan. In 2012, H.E Sami Al-Fayez holds one of the largest tribal conferences in Jordanian history to reaffirm and cement the tribe's support towards the Hashemite Monarchy during the Arab Spring . Later in 2012, H.E Faisal Al-Fayez becomes the undisputed Paramount Sheikh of the Beni Sakher after the passing of his uncle Sami. In 2016, H.E Faisal Al-Fayez became
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4494-475: The House of Saud to its east and south. The third administrative unit is northerly Ḥaʼil , which features the mountains of Jabal Shammar housing the Tayy capital of Ḥaʼil . The Najd region is home to Al-Magar , which was an advanced prehistoric culture of the Neolithic whose center lay in modern-day southwestern Najd. Al-Magar is possibly one of the first cultures in the world where widespread agriculture and
4601-586: The Lakhmid capital of al-Ḥirah in southern modern-day Iraq. Later however in about 529, al-Mundhir recaptured the city and put King Ḥārith and about fifty members of his family to death. In 525, the Aksumites invaded Ḥimyar, and this had a knock-on effect with the Kindites, who lost the support of the Ḥimyarites. Within three years the Kindite kingdom had split into four groups: Asad, Taghlib, Qays and Kinānah, each led by
4708-550: The Majalis of Karak and Henry B. Tristram that same year was solved with Sattam reasserting the Al-Fayez influence and dominance over the Karak region. Sattam's focus during his rule was on safeguarding trading routes going through his regions from bandits and settling new populations from Palestine and Egypt into Jordan to increase the manpower for agriculture. The most notable example of this
4815-457: The Najdi dialect and Najdi customs. The most prominent among these provinces are Al-'Aridh, which includes Riyadh and the historical Saudi capital of Diriyah ; Al-Qassim, with its capital in Buraidah ; Sudair , centered on Al Majma'ah ; Al-Washm, centered on Shaqra ; and Jebel Shammar , with its capital, Ha'il. Under modern-day Saudi Arabia , however, Najd is divided into three administrative regions: Ha'il , Al-Qassim, and Riyadh , comprising
4922-472: The Nejd this deed was remembered. In 1875, a member of the Palestine Exploration Fund 's survey team reported finding the Beni Sakher of the Ghor , who claim descent from the Beni Sakher of the Hauran, had several herds containing 100 to 300 head of cattle and many sheep and goats as well as camels and horses. He mentions that they had fewer camels than previously since their power had been broken 7 or 8 years earlier by Mohammed Said, Pasha of Nablus , but that
5029-456: The Ottomans, where they agreed to keep paying for the Hajj Caravans, and also pay the tribe for the protection of the Hijaz Railway. By 1908, Talal stopped receiving payments from the Ottomans, and his trip to Damascus to complain coincided with the beginning of the Young Turk revolution. Talal would be succeeded by Fawaz bin Sattam in 1909. Fawaz who was recognized by the Ottomans as Sheikh of Shiekhs and would act as an official representative of
5136-418: The Peninsula had moved into Najd. However, the largest proportion of native Najdis today still belong to these ancient Najdi tribes or to their newer incarnations. Many of the Najdi tribes, even in ancient times, were not nomadic or bedouin, but long-settled farmers and merchants. The royal family of Saudi Arabia, Al Saud , for example, trace their lineage to Banu Hanifa. On the eve of Saudi Arabia’s formation,
5243-433: The President of the Jordanian Senate, to become the first person in Jordan's history to have been PM, President of the Senate and the Representatives, and Head of the Royal Court. In 2018, a tribal conflict between the Al-Fayez and a tribe from Madaba causes nationwide unrest but is soon resolved by tribal leaders. In 2020, H.E Amer Talal Al-Fayez became President and Chairman of Al Abdali . In 2021, H.E Faisal Al-Fayez
5350-400: The Prime Minister of Jordan, and later in 2005, also becomes the Head of the Royal Hashemite Court. In 2005, H.E Eid Al-Fayez becomes Minister of Interior after the 2005 Amman Bombings and would serve until 2009. In 2008, H.E Amer Talal Al-Fayez became the Head of Royal Protocol at the Royal Hashemite Court and would stay until 2018. In 2010, H.E Faisal Al-Fayez is elected the Speaker of
5457-416: The Saudi capital, Riyadh since 1824 , and the Sudairi region, which has its capital in Majmaah . The second administrative unit, Al-Qassim , houses the fertile oases and date palm orchards spread out in the region's highlands along Wadi Rummah in central Najd with its capital in Buraidah , the second largest Najdi city, with the region historically contested by the House of Rashid to its north and
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#17328510705565564-451: The Sultan. In 1920, Mashour was recognized as the Governor of Jiza and would serve in the position till his death in a inter-tribal battle in 1921. Mithqal who welcomed then Abdullah bin Hussein in Jiza, was recognized as Sheikh of Sheikhs of the Beni Sakher in the new Emirate of Transjordan with no opposition. In 1923, during the Adwan rebellion, Mithqal Al-Fayez led the Beni Sakher against the Adwan and in full support of Emir Abdullah, with
5671-487: The Tafilah, and agreed to renounce vassalage and replace the tribute with an annual gift as homage instead. The Al-Majalli chief was discontent with this and was ready to force the Tafilah's to become their vassals again, but was stopped by the Bani Sakher headed by Fendi, where Fendi sent Shlash Al-Bakhit Al-Fayez to ensure the contract between them where both parties comprised to avoid bloodshed. However, in January 1864, Al-Majalli again decided to attack and announce himself
5778-403: The aid of the Ikhwan, Ibn Saud captured al-Ahsa from the Ottomans in 1913. In 1916, with the encouragement and support of Britain (which was fighting the Ottomans in World War I ), the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali , led a pan-Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire to create a united Arab state. Although this revolt failed in its objective, the Allied victory in World War I resulted in
5885-661: The apostate tribes of north-central Arabia without interference from Yamamah. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr sent Shurhabil 's corps to reinforce Ikrama at Yamamah. However, Ikrimah attacked Musaylima's forces in early September 632 and was defeated. He wrote the details of his actions to Abu Bakr, who, both pained and angered by the rashness of Ikrimah and his disobedience, ordered him to proceed with his force to Oman to assist Hudaifa ; once Hudaifa had completed his task, to march to Mahra to help Arfaja , and thereafter go to Yemen to help Muhajir. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr sent orders to Khalid to march against Musaylima. Shurhabil's corps, that
5992-632: The area. The first was the Nejd Caravan Raid against the Quraysh , which took place in 624. The Meccans led by Safwan ibn Umayyah , who lived on trade, left in summer for Syria for their seasonal trade business. After Muhammad received intelligence about the Caravan's route, he ordered Zayd ibn Haritha to go after the Caravan, and they successfully raided it and captured 100,000 dirhams worth of booty. The Invasion of Nejd happened in Rabi‘ Ath-Thani or Jumada al-Awwal , 4 AH (October, 625 AD). Muhammad led his fighters to Nejd to scare off some tribes whose intentions were suspicious. Some scholars say
6099-475: The centuries back and forth from Nejd to Iraq and the Levant, with many Najdi tribes reaching Khorosan and the Maghreb. In the 16th century, the Ottomans added the Red Sea and Persian Gulf coast (the Hejaz , Asir and al-Ahsa ) to the Empire and claimed suzerainty over the interior. One reason was to thwart Portuguese attempts to attack the Red Sea (hence the Hejaz) and the Indian Ocean . [REDACTED] Ottoman control over these lands varied over
6206-455: The city of Ha'il. Dated at 8,000 years before the present, these are thought of as the earliest known depictions of dogs in the world. In ancient times , Najd was settled by numerous tribes such as the Kindites , Tayy , and many others. Led by Usma bin Luai ( Arabic : عصمة بن لؤي ), the Tayy sacked the mountains of Aja and Samra from Banu Tamim in northern Arabia in their exodus from Yemen circa CE 115. These mountains are now known as
6313-399: The conflicts and wars following the birth of the state, the Al-Fayez played a major role in protecting the state and its sovereignty. The Al-Fayez have customarily chosen a head of the house (Sheikh), usually not conforming to the Bedouin custom of conferring the role to the eldest son (Albikir) of the current head, but rather to the most competent and capable person of a given generation in
6420-416: The corps commanders, was instructed to make contact with Musaylima at Yamamah , but not to engage in fighting until Khalid joined him. Abu Bakr's intention in giving Ikrimah this mission was to tie Musaylima down at Yamamah. With Ikrimah on the horizon, Musaylima would remain in expectation of a Muslim attack, and thus not be able to leave his base. With Musaylima so committed, Khalid would be free to deal with
6527-426: The current government was impotent. He counted 150 tents and estimated the tribe strength as 400 men. Two years later, 1877, the survey team led by Lieutenant Kitchener , found the Bani Sakher camped on the road to Jenin , and later between Beisan and Tiberias . Kitchener reported that their Sheikh, Fendi Al-Fayez , was the most powerful local leader and could muster 4,500 fighting men. The sheikh showed Kitchener
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#17328510705566634-477: The domestication of animals occurred, particularly that of the horse, during the Neolithic period, before climate changes in the region resulted in desertification . Radiocarbon dating of several objects discovered at Al-Magar indicate an age of about 9,000 years. In November 2017 hunting scenes showing images of what appear to be domesticated dogs resembling the Canaan dog and wearing leashes were discovered in Shuwaymis, an area about 370 km southwest of
6741-405: The empire, but would face a rebellious Mithqal who challenged Ottoman authority over cultivated fertile lands. By then, the new Ottoman administration was enacting new conscription laws that even included tribesmen. Mithqal dropped his claim over the land after peaceful negotiations between the two parties and a settlement of 200 ewes to Mithqal. By 1913, Mithqal would act as the military commander of
6848-429: The end of Ottoman suzerainty and control in Arabia. Ibn Saud avoided involvement in the Arab Revolt and instead continued his struggle with the Al Rashid. Following the latter's final defeat, he took the title Sultan of Najd in 1921. With the help of the Ikhwan, the Hejaz was conquered in 1924–25 and on 10 January 1926, Ibn Saud declared himself King of the Hejaz . A year later, he added the title of King of Nejd. For
6955-486: The family. For example, Sattam was Fendi's third son, and Mithqal was Sattam's sixth son, and Akef was Mithqal's fourth son. Note that the head of the Al-Fayez, would also be the head or co-head (with the head of the House of Khraisha) of the Bani Sakher clan as the Al-Fayez are the leading house in the clan. 17th Century: 18th Century: 19th Century: 20th Century: 20th Century - present: Nejd Najd ( Arabic : نَجْدٌ , pronounced [nad͡ʒd] )
7062-434: The first caliph . Apostasy and rebellion in central Arabia were led by Musaylima in the fertile region of Yamamah . He was mainly supported by the powerful tribe of Banu Hanifa . At Buzakha in north central Arabia, another claimed prophet, Tulayha , a tribal chief of Banu Asad , led the rebellion against Medina, aided by the allied tribes of Banu Ghatafan , the Hawazin , and the Tayy . At Najd, Malik ibn Nuweira led
7169-446: The front-lines against the Persians and Byzantines . Najd soon became a politically peripheral region of the Muslim world as the focus shifted to the outside of the peninsula . Many of members of the conquering tribes of Najd soon shifted into the Levant, Persia and North Africa, playing a role in future conflicts in the caliphate, becoming governors and even birthing emirates such as the Aghlabids . Migrations continued throughout
7276-442: The head of the Zionist political department in Palestine, Chaim Arlosoroff , at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. A series of events in the 1920s and 1930s put further pressure on their nomadic lifestyle, eventually leading to famine. The Bani Sakher were saved from this by the British government ruling Jordan at the time. In exchange, the British required the Bani Sakher to give up their nomadic lifestyle and turned more towards
7383-442: The large sea of sand dunes known today as Rub' al Khali (the Empty Quarter), while the southwestern boundaries are marked by the valleys of Wadi Ranyah, Wadi Bisha, and Wadi Tathlith. The northern boundaries of Najd have fluctuated greatly over time and received far less attention from the medieval geographers. In the early Islamic centuries, Najd was considered to extend as far north as the River Euphrates , or more specifically,
7490-509: The leader of the Beni Saqr, commenting on the effectiveness of his spear, said that he "could not swim in hell with a stick." In the 19th century, the Beni Sakher lived as nomads. Their income came from their monopoly in trading camels and from the protection they could gave to pilgrims and visitors. In 1867, the Ottoman Empire launched a raid which defeated the Beni Sakher and ended their practice of collecting khuwwa (protection money) from established settlements. For fifty years up to 1920
7597-473: The leaders of the tribes of Medina, met in a hall or house called saqifah , to discuss whom they would support as their new leader. When Abu Bakr was informed of the meeting, he, Umar , Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah and a few others rushed to prevent the Ansar from making a premature decision. During the meeting Umar declared that Abu Bakr should be the new leader, and declared his allegiance to Abu Bakr, followed by Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, and thus Abu Bakr became
7704-582: The major nomadic tribes of Najd included 'Utaybah , Mutayr , Dawasir , Shammar (historically known as Tayy) Subay' , Suhool , Harb , and the Qahtanites in southern Najd. Many members of the sedentary population belonged to tribes such as Anizzah , Banu Tamim , Banu Hanifa , Banu Khalid , Banu Zayd , Banu Lam , Dawasir , Subay' , Shammar , and Bahila . Most of the minority nomadic tribes are now settled either in cities such as Riyadh, or in special settlements, known as hijras, that were established in
7811-501: The majority class of sedentary farmers and merchants who lived in villages and towns dotted around central Arabia; others (a minority of inhabitants) were nomads ( bedouins ) who roamed between the towns and villages of Najd, much like Hejaz. The rest of the population consisted mainly of Arabs who were unaffiliated with any tribes; most of these lived in the towns and villages of Najd and worked in various trades such as carpentry, or as Sonnaa' ( craftsmen ). The population also included
7918-573: The master of the Tafilah, and was met with an immediate declaration of war from Fendi himself. Shlash Al-Bakhit was successful in leading an attack against Qoblan Al-Mkheisen who was appointed by Al-Majalli to oversee the Tafilah. Fendi shortly after sent 200 who met a force of 2000 riflemen on dromedaries. However, during the long standstill, the people of Al-Kerak were virtually under siege and were quickly running out of food and becoming increasingly ill-content, sensing this, Al-Majalli secretly went to Fendi in
8025-420: The newly formed Arab Army . Faced with similar wahhabi threats, Nuri Al Sha'lan , whose son Nawwaf is married to Mithqal's sister Jawaher, sent a letter to Mithqal and Emir Abdullah for permission to enter the country from the east. Ultimately, Mithqal and the new army successfully defended the emirate, with King Faisal Al Saud noting that "if it wasn't for Beni Sakher, our borders would reach Palestine". In
8132-510: The news of Khalid's decisive victories against apostates in Buzakha, many clans of Banu Tamim hastened to visit Khalid , but the Banu Yarbu' , a branch of Banu Tamim, under their chief, Malik ibn Nuwayrah , hung back. Malik was a chief of some distinction: a warrior, noted for his generosity, and a famous poet. Bravery, generosity, and poetry were the three qualities most admired among the Arabs. At
8239-599: The next five years, he administered the two parts of his dual kingdom as separate units. After the conquest of the Hejaz, the Ikhwan leadership turned to expansion of the Wahhabist realm into the British protectorates of Transjordan , Iraq and Kuwait, and began raiding those territories. This met with Ibn Saud's opposition, as he recognized the danger of a direct conflict with the British. At
8346-691: The next four centuries with the fluctuating strength or weakness of the Empire's central authority. The emergence of what was to become the Saudi royal family, known as the Al Saud , began in Najd in central Arabia in 1744, when Muhammad bin Saud , founder of the dynasty, joined forces with the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab , founder of the Wahhabi movement, a strict puritanical form of Sunni Islam. This alliance formed in
8453-519: The night to personally declare his surrender to him and agreed to pay reparations to all those wronged in the conflict, including reinstating Al-Huara's son as the Chief of Al-Tafilah. In 1868, an Anglican missionary, F.A Klein , was accompanied by Sattam bin Fendi on Fendi's orders to show him the Mesha Stele , which was previously unknown to the western world. The stone has been dated to 840BC and described
8560-569: The paramount Sheikh of Shammar Aqil Al-Yawar Al-Jarba and the paramount Sheikh of the Anazzah Mahrouth bin Fahad bin Hathal, agreed to cease the ancient practice of extra-tribal warefare " Ghazw ". Mithqal was also a signatory and a broker of a similar agreement between Syrian tribes and Jordanian tribes in 1928 which ended the tradition in the whole of North Arabia. In 2004, H.E Faisal Al-Fayez becomes
8667-571: The peak that they experienced under Fendi. In 1742, Sheikh Qa'dan Al-Fayez, the progenitor of the Qa'dan branch of the Al-Fayez family and the grandson of Fayez Al-Tay, was invited to support the Ottoman state in Sieging Tiberias. Although the siege was a failure, the Beni Sakher were still thanked by an invite from As'ad Pasha al-Azm to escort the Hajj Caravans. In 1757, the Ottoman state failed to pay
8774-611: The peninsula. Subject to this suzerainty, Arabia was ruled by a patchwork of tribal rulers, with the Sharif of Mecca having pre-eminence and ruling the Hejaz . In 1902, Abdul Rahman 's son, AbdulAziz—later to be known to the west as Ibn Saud —recaptured control of Riyadh, bringing the Al Saud back to Najd. Ibn Saud gained the support of the Ikhwan , a tribal army inspired by Wahhabism, and which had grown quickly after its foundation in 1912. With
8881-487: The plain of Aqraba to subdue the region around Yamamah and to kill or capture all who resisted. Thereafter all of central Arabia submitted to Medina. What remained of the apostasy in the less vital areas of Arabia was rooted out by the Muslims in a series of well-planned campaigns within five months. Muhammad's followers rapidly expanded the territory under Muslim rule beyond Arabia, conquering huge swathes of territory from
8988-640: The prayer of fear, which Muhammad observed at the Dhat Ar-Riqa' campaign, were revealed at the Asfan invasion and, these scholars say, took place after Al-Khandaq . The Expedition of Qatan also took place in Nejd. The Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah tribe (not to be confused with the Banu Asad tribe) was a powerful tribe connected with the Quraysh. They resided near the hill of Katan , in the vicinity of Fayd , in Nejd . Muhammad received intelligence reports that they were planning
9095-608: The progenitor of the Banu Tayy, who is a descendent of Kahlan of the famous Qahtaniya tribe . The Tayys lived in what is now the Ha'il Region , where Sakher Al-Ta'yun and the now Bani Sakher mainly lived on top of the "Mountain of Lions". Then the Bani Sakher migrated to occupy the lands Tayma to Al-'Ula ; where they were adjacent to the Bani Harb which led to the mixing of the two tribes leading some genealogists to fall into error and consider
9202-421: The rest has traditionally been sparsely occupied by nomadic Bedouins. The main topographical features include the twin mountains of Aja and Salma in the north near Ha'il, the high land of Jabal Shammar and the Tuwaiq mountain range running through its center from north to south. Also important are the various dry river-beds ( wadis ) such as Wadi Hanifa near Riyadh, Wadi Na'am in the south, Wadi Al-Rumah in
9309-556: The result being the defeat of the Adwan forces with some taken as prisoners and exiled. In may of 1926, Emir Abdullah brokered both peace and an agreement of non-aggression between the Bani Sakher and the Huwaytat , signed on by Mithqal Al-Fayez and Hamad bin Jazi. This was followed with the larger Al-Ramadi conference in Iraq in 1927, where Mithqal and heads of the major tribes of Jordan and Iraq such as
9416-707: The ruling branch of the Twaqa, the descendants of the 14th century AD Twayq bin Ahmad Al-Djarah, who was a Bani Sakher Sheikh. The Bani Sakher are descendants of the 3rd century Sakher, a great grandson of Julhamah bin Udad, the 2nd AD progenitor of the Banu Tayy Tribe which itself originated from Kahlan , the son of King Sheba , who was the great-grandson of Qahtan in Ancient Yemen . The Bani Sakher were well established in
9523-413: The same time, the Ikhwan became disenchanted with Ibn Saud's domestic policies, which appeared to favor modernization and the increase in the number of non-Muslim foreigners in the country. As a result, they turned against Ibn Saud and, after a two-year struggle, were defeated in 1930 at the Battle of Sabilla , where their leaders were massacred. In 1932 the two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were united as
9630-511: The sheikh was arrested. His son was killed in a rescue attempt. The father was released and is reported as having said "My son and I were servants of the Sultan, now he has one less". This was taken to mean that the tribe would not engage in a blood feud. In 1891 missionaries reported fighting north of Kerak between the Beni Sakher and the Hameidah . And again in 1893 the route between Kerak and Madaba
9737-508: The state of Madinah . His riders were stopped by Khalid's army at the town of Buttah . Khalid asked them about the signing of pact with Sajjah ; they said it was just because they wanted revenge against their terrible enemies. When Khalid reached Najd he found no opposing army. He sent his cavalry to nearby villages and ordered them to call the Athaan to each party they meet. Zirrar bin Azwar ,
9844-442: The time of Muhammad, he had been appointed as a tax collector for the tribe of Banu Tamim. As soon as Malik heard of the death of Muhammad he gave back all the tax to his tribespeople, saying "Now you are the owner of your wealth." Moreover, he was to be charged because he signed a pact with the anti-Islamic prophet Sajjah . This agreement stated that first, they would deal with local enemy tribes together, and then they would confront
9951-518: The tribe of Bani Sakher a part of Bani Harb . The Bani Sakher were also adjacent to Bani Anazzah , whom inhabited the Khayber , and between the two tribes there were several conflicts, including the orientalist Frederick Gerard Peake in his book " A History of Jordan and its Tribes , x, 1958" that the tribe of Bani Sakher clashed with tribes of Anazzah on the way to migrate to the Levant . The battle ended with
10058-611: The tribe of Bani Sakher. In a two-day battle, the tribesmen of Bani Sakher assisted by the Hadid tribe managed to defeat the raiders. The raiders were intercepted by British armored cars and planes only after they had begun to withdraw. On 8 April 1933 Sheikh Mithqal Pasha al-Fayez , Chief of the Al-Fayez and the Beni Sakher, was a member of a delegation which met the President of the World Zionist Organization , Chaim Weizmann , and
10165-448: The tribe to submit without bloodshed. Bani Jadila submitted, and their 1000 warriors joined Khalid's army. Khalid, now much stronger than when he had left Zhu Qissa, marched for Buzakha . There, in mid-September 632, he defeated Tulayha in the Battle of Buzakha . The remaining army of Tulayha retreated to Ghamra , 20 miles from Buzakha, and was defeated in the Battle of Ghamra in the third week of September. Several tribes submitted to
10272-450: The tribes didn't welcome them, most notably the Al-Adwan (العدوان) whom where extending their influence over the region. The Bani Sakher went to Palestine and stayed for a period of time until they soon returned to Al-Balqa. At this time, the area was under the sovereignty of the Sardiyya tribe, which was imposing a tax on the tribes that inhabited the areas in and around Al-Balqa, however when
10379-554: The tribes of Banu Asad and Banu Ghatafan , which stood solidly behind Tulayha, but the Tayy were not so staunch in their support of Tulayha, and their chief, Adi ibn Hatim , was a devout Muslim. Adi was appointed by Abu Bakr to negotiate with the tribal elders to withdraw their contingent from Tulayha's army. The negotiations were a success, and Adi brought with him 500 horsemen of his tribe to reinforce Khalid's army. Khalid next marched against another apostate tribe, Jadila . Here again, Adi ibn Hatim offered his services to persuade
10486-445: The tribes of Banu Tamim against the authority of Medina. On receiving intelligence of the Muslims' preparations, Tulayha too prepared for a battle, and was further reinforced by the contingents of the allied tribes. Before launching Khalid ibn Al-Walid against Tulayha, Abu Bakr sought ways and means of reducing the latter's strength, so that the battle could be fought with the maximum prospects of victory. Nothing could be done about
10593-432: Was Qaryat Dhāt Kāhil, today known as Qaryat al-Fāw . The Ghassānids , Lakhmids and Kindites were all Kahlānī and Qaḥṭānī kingdoms which thrived in Najd. In the 5th and 6th centuries AD, the Kindites made the first real concerted effort to unite all the tribes of Central Arabia through alliances, and focused on wars with the Lakhmids . Al-Ḥārith ibn 'Amr, the most famous of their kings, finally succeeded in capturing
10700-506: Was against the Majalli family in 1863 and was documented by the Italian explorer Carlo Claudio Camillo Guarmani in his book that Northern Nejd. The Al Tafilah villagers, who were subject to Mohammad Al-Majalli, paying yearly tributes to him, were discontented with the recent negligence of the Majalis in protecting the villagers. The Tafilah villagers were gathered by Abdullah Al-Huara, the chief of
10807-492: Was also to be charged for his entering in an anti-Caliphate alliance with the anti-Islamic prophetess Sajjah. Malik was arrested along with his clansmen. Malik was asked by Khalid about his crimes. Malik's response was "your master said this, your master said that", referring to Abu Bakr. Khalid declared Malik a rebel apostate and ordered his execution. Khalid bin Walid killed Malik ibn Nuwayra . Ikrimah ibn Abi-Jahl , one of
10914-517: Was closed due to fighting between the Beni Sakher and the Anazi . In June 1917 Fawaz el Fayez, one of the leaders of the Bani Sakher, had a secret meeting with T.E. Lawrence . El Fayez was a member of an anti-Turkish committee in Damascus and Lawrence was seeking support for his military campaign. Immediately after the meeting Lawrence fled fearing betrayal. El Fayez was killed shortly afterwards. By June 1918
11021-451: Was defeated too. Khalid joined with the corps of Shurhabil early in December 632. The combined force of Muslims, now 13,000 strong, defeated Musaylima's army in the Battle of Yamamah , which was fought in the third week of December. The fortified city of Yamamah surrendered peacefully later that week. Khalid established his headquarters at Yamamah, from where he despatched columns to all over
11128-529: Was established in 1824 by Turki bn Abdullah . Throughout the rest of the 19th century, the Al Saud contested control of the interior of what was to become Saudi Arabia with another Arabian ruling family, the Al Rashid . By 1891, the Al Rashid were victorious and the Al Saud were driven into exile in Kuwait . At the beginning of the 20th century, the Ottoman Empire continued to control or have suzerainty over most of
11235-883: Was separated from Banu Tayy during that time as they migrated north to modern day Jordan, and then the Fayez were further distinguished after multiple successful leaders from the family and furthermore the lineage of Fayez Al-Tayy. Fayez's full name is Fayez bin Fadel bin Rahma bin Ghbayen bin Im'jayd bin Twayq bin Hamad Bin Al-Djarah Bin Al-Ahmadi Bin Al-Fahaad Al-Sukhari The family was briefly split in 1879 when Emir Fendi died of illness on his way back from Nablus. During that time, half of his eight remaining sons allied with
11342-487: Was stationed at Yamamah, was to reinforce Khalid's corps. In addition to this Abu Bakr assembled a fresh army of Ansar and Muhajireen in Medina that joined Khalid's corps at Butah . From Butah Khalid marched to Yamamah to join with Shurhabil's corps. Though Abu Bakr had instructed Shurhabil not to engage Musaylima's forces until the arrival of Khalid, shortly before the arrival of Khalid, Shurhabil engaged Musaylima's forces and
11449-547: Was the settling of many Gazans such as the Abu Zaid family into the Sahab region After Sattam's death in 1891, another succession crisis unfolded with Sattam's son Fayez bin Sattam vying to succeed his father, in opposition to his uncle Talal bin Fendi . Talal was eventually recognized as Sheikh of Sheikhs of the Beni Sakher. The Ottomans invited both Fayez and Talal to Istanbul to arbitrate
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