Rashidi
Encyclopedia
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, and the most formidable enemies of the House of Saud
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
in Nejd. They were centered in Ha'il
Ha'il
Ha'il , also spelled Hail, Ha'yel, or Hayil, is an oasis city in Nejd in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of the Ha'il Province. The city has a population of 356,876 according to Ha'il Province....
, a city in northern Nejd that derived its wealth from being on the route of the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
.
The Al Rasheed derived their name from the grandfather of Abdullah, the first Rasheedi amir ("prince") of Ha'il
Ha'il
Ha'il , also spelled Hail, Ha'yel, or Hayil, is an oasis city in Nejd in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of the Ha'il Province. The city has a population of 356,876 according to Ha'il Province....
, who was named Rasheed.
The Rasheedi amirs cooperated closely with the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. However, this cooperation became problematic as the Ottoman empire lost popularity.
As with many Arab ruling dynasties, the lack of a generally accepted rule of succession was a recurrent problem with the Rasheedi rule. The internal dispute normally centered on whether succession to the position of amir should be horizontal (i.e. to a brother) or vertical (to a son). These internal divisions within the family led to bloody infighting. In the last years of the nineteenth century six Rasheedi leaders died violently. Nevertheless The Al Rasheed Family still ruled and fought with each other hand in hand against Ibn Saud.
During the first twenty years of the 20th century the Arabian Peninsula saw a long-running series of wars as the Saudis and their allies sought to unite the peninsula under their rule. While the Al Rasheed rallied the majority of other tribes to their side the effort proved futile, and by 1921 Ha'il was captured and given to Ibn Saud's army by the British command.
Some members of the Rasheed family left the country and went into voluntary exile, mostly to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. By the 1990s only a handful were still outside Saudi Arabia.
Amirs of the House of Rasheed
- 'ʿAbdullah bin Rashīd , (1836-48). Abdullah came to power after leading a revolt (together with his brother prince ʿUbayd Al Rashīd) against the ruler of Ha'il, Muhammad bin Ali, who was a fellow member of the JaafarJa'far al-SadiqJaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq was a descendant of Muhammad and a prominent Muslim jurist. He is revered as an Imam by the adherents of Shi'a Islam and as a renowned Islamic scholar and personality by Sunni Muslims. The Shi'a Muslims consider him to be the sixth Imam or leader and spiritual...
lineage. As a leader, Abdullah was praised for bringing peace and stability both to Ha'il and to the surrounding region. Abdullah demanded from his brother prince ʿUbayd an ahd (covenant) according to which succession to the office of amir would remain in Abdullah's line. - Talāl bin ʿAbdullah , (1848–68). The son of Abdullah. Talal was known for his "urban" interests. During his rule the Barzan PalaceBarzan PalaceBarzan historical palace, located in Ha'il, Saudi Arabia, its construction was started in 1808 by prince Muhammad bin Abdul-Muhsin AL Ali over an area more than 300,000 meter square...
in Ha'il was completed. He established regular trade connections with Iraq, and expanded the Rashidi sphere of influence:"The inhabitants of Kaseem, weary of Wahhabee tyranny, turned their eyes towards Telal, who had already given a generous and inviolable asylum to the numerous political exiles of that district. Secret negotiations took place, and at a favourable moment the entire uplands of that province—after a fashion not indeed peculiar to Arabia—annexed themselves to the kingdom of Shommer
Talal was considered relatively tolerant towards foreigners, including traders in Ha'il:ShammarThe tribe of Shammar is one of the largest tribes of Nejd-Saudi Arabia, with an estimated 1 million in Iraq, over 2.5 million in Saudi Arabia , a Kuwaiti population of around 100,000, a Syrian population is thought to exceed 1 million and with an unknown number in Jordan...
by universal and unanimous suffrage." (William Gifford PalgraveWilliam Gifford PalgraveWilliam Gifford Palgrave was an Arabic scholar, born at Westminster, England. He was the son of Sir Francis Palgrave, K.H. and Elizabeth Turner....
, 1865: 129.)"Many of these traders belonged to the Shia sect, hated by some Sunni, doubly hated by the Wahabees. But Telal [sic] affected not to perceive their religious discrepansies, and silenced all murmurs by marks of special favour towards these very dissenters, and also by the advantages which their presence was not long in procuring for the town". (William Gifford Palgrave 1865: 130.)
In the 1860s internal disputes in the House of Saud allowed a Rashidi/OttomanOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
alliance to oust them. The Rashidi occupied the Saudi capital of RiyadhRiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
in 1865 and forced the leaders of the House of Saud into exile. Talal later died in a shooting incident which has been termed "mysterious". Charles Doughty, in his book Travels in Arabia DesertaTravels in Arabia DesertaTravels in Arabia Deserta was written by Charles Montagu Doughty who was an English poet, writer, and traveller.-References and further reading:* Cousin, John W. . 1910.* Hogarth, D.G. The Life Of Charles M. Doughty. 1928...
, writes that Talal committed suicide. Talal left seven sons, but the oldest, Bandar, was only 18 or 20 when his father died. - Mutʿib bin ʿAbdullah , (1868–9). A younger brother of Talal, he was supported by senior members of the Rashid family and the sheikhs of the Shammar sections. After only a year he was shot and killed in the Barzan Palace by his nephew and next amir, Bandar. Doughty's version of the events is that Bandar and Badr, the second-oldest son, cast a silver bullet to kill their uncle because they knew he wore an amulet that protected him against lead.
- Bandar bin Talāl , (1869). Ruled for only a short time before he was killed by his uncle, Muhammed, the brother of Mutʿib. Bandar reportedly married his uncle's widow and had a son by her.
- Muhammed bin ʿAbdullah , (1869–97) A confrontation outside Ha'il with his nephew, the young Amir Bandar, ended with Muhammed killing Bandar. Muhammed then continued his journey to Ha'il and announced himself as the new amir. In order to prevent the possibility of revenge, Muhammed gave orders for the execution of all of Bandar's brothers (the sons of Talal), Bandar's cousins (the children of Talal's sister), and their slaves and servants. Only one of Talal's sons, Naif, survived. In spite of the inauspicious beginning, his rule turned out to be the longest in the history of the Rashidi dynasty. His rule became "a period of stability, expansion and prosperity" (ref.: p. 61, Al Rasheed). His expansion reached al-JawfAl Jawf, Saudi ArabiaSkaka is a city in the north of Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of Al Jawf Province.See Sakakah for full description-External links:* , Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes...
and PalmyraPalmyraPalmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
to the north, and TaymaTaymaTayma is a large oasis with a long history of settlement, located in northwestern Saudi Arabia at the point where the trade route between Yathrib and Dumah begins to cross the Nefud desert...
and KhaybarKhaybarKhaybar is the name of an oasis some 153 km to the north of Medina , Saudi Arabia. It was inhabited by Jews before the rise of Islam, and was conquered by Muhammad in 629 AD.-Pre-Islamic Khaybar:...
to the west. In 1891, after a rebellion, ʿAbd al-Rahman bin Faysal bin Turki Al SaudAbdul Rahman bin Faisal*Muhammad*Abdul-Aziz*Saad*Saud*Abdallah*Musaid*Faysal*Abdul-Muhsin*Fahd*Ahmad*Saad*sixteen daughtersAbdul-Rahman bin Faisal was the last ruler of the Second Saudi State. He was the youngest son of Faisal bin Turki...
left Riyadh. The SaudHouse of SaudThe House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
family, including the ten year old Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, went into exile in KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. - ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz bin Mutʿib , (1897–1906). A son of Mutʿib, the third amir, he was adopted by his uncle Muhammed, the fifth amir, and brought up to be his heir. After Muhammed died of natural causes, Abd al-ʿAziz succeeded him unopposed. However Rashidi rule was insecure as their Ottoman allies were unpopular and weakening. In 1904 the young Ibn SaudIbn Saud of Saudi ArabiaKing Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia was the first monarch of the Third Saudi State known as Saudi Arabia. He was commonly referred to as Ibn Saud....
, the future founder of Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, returned from exile with a small force and retook Riyadh. Abd al-ʿAziz died in the battle of Rawdat Muhanna with Ibn Saud in 1906. - Mutʿib bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz , (1906–07). Succeeded his father as amir. However, he was not able to win support of the whole family, and within a year he was killed by Sultan bin Hammud.
- Sultān bin Hammūd , (1907–08). A grandson of Ubayd (the brother of the first amir), he was criticized because he ignored the ahd (covenant) between his grandfather and the first amir. He was unsuccessful in fighting Ibn Saud, and was killed by his own brothers.
- Saʿūd bin Hammūd , (1908–10). Another grandson of Ubayd. Saʿud was killed by the maternal relatives of Saʿud bin ʿAbd al-ʿAziz, the 10th amir.
- Saʿūd bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz , (1910–20). A boy of 10 when he was made amir, his maternal relatives of the Al SabhanAl SabhanThe House of Sabhan were a historic dynasty of the Arabian Peninsula, and supporters of the House of Rashid. Ha'il city was their main center. The Al Sabhan were a part of the Jafaar lineage of the Abda section of the Shammar tribe...
family ruled as regents on his behalf until he came of age, based on the constitution of Emara. In 1920 he was assassinated by his cousin, Abdullah bin Talal (a brother of the 12th amir). Two of his widows remarried: Norah bint Hammud Al Sabhan became Ibn Saud's eight wife, and Fahda bint Asi Al ShuraimFahda bint Asi Al ShuraimFahda bint Asi Al Shuraim was the eighth wife of King Abdul-Aziz and she had three children with him.She was part of the Abde section of the Shammar tribe, and she had first been married to the 10th Rashidi Emir, Saud, who was killed in 1920....
of the Abde section of the ShammarShammarThe tribe of Shammar is one of the largest tribes of Nejd-Saudi Arabia, with an estimated 1 million in Iraq, over 2.5 million in Saudi Arabia , a Kuwaiti population of around 100,000, a Syrian population is thought to exceed 1 million and with an unknown number in Jordan...
tribe became Ibn Saud's ninth wife and the mother of King Abdullah of Saudi ArabiaAbdullah of Saudi ArabiaAbdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005...
. - 'ʿAbdullah bin Mutʿib , (1920–21). A son of the 7th amir, he surrendered to Ibn Saud.
- Muhammad bin Talāl , (1921). A grandson of Naif, the only surviving son of Talal, the 2nd Amir. Surrendered to Ibn Saud. One of the daughters of Muhammad bin Talal, Watfa, married Prince Musa'id bin Abdul Aziz, the fifteenth son of Ibn Saud. Prince Musa'id and Watfa became the parents of Prince Faisal bin Musa'id, the assassin of King FaisalFaisal of Saudi ArabiaFaisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975. As king, he is credited with rescuing the country's finances and implementing a policy of modernization and reform, while his main foreign policy themes were pan-Islamic Nationalism, anti-Communism, and pro-Palestinian...
.
There has been a tendency to attribute the development of the House of Rashid to trading and commercial expansion, but recently documents have come to light which emphasise the significance of external pressures and the Rashidi's interaction with foreign governments and leaders.
See also
- Jebel ShammarJebel ShammarJebel Shammar was a sovereign state, also known as the Emirate of Ha'il, located in what is today northern Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1835. Following a period of conflict between the Al Saud and the Shammar's ruling Al Rashid family, the emirate was conquered by Saudi led coalition on August...
- List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
- List of countries in 1919
- List of countries in 1922
Further reading
Many foreign travellers visited the Rashidi amirs at Ha'il and described their impressions in journals and books, including:- Georg WallinGeorg August WallinGeorg August Wallin was a Finnish orientalist, explorer and professor remembered for his journeys in the Middle East during the 1840s.- Biography :...
(1854): Narrative of a Journey from Cairo to Medina and Mecca, by Suez, Arabia, Tawila, al-Jauf, Jublae, Hail and Negd in 1845, Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol 24: 115-201. (Reprinted in Travels in Arabia, New York: Oleander Press, 1979.) - William Gifford PalgraveWilliam Gifford PalgraveWilliam Gifford Palgrave was an Arabic scholar, born at Westminster, England. He was the son of Sir Francis Palgrave, K.H. and Elizabeth Turner....
(1865): Personal Narrative of a Year's Journey through Central and Eastern Arabia (1862-1863), vol. I, Macmillan & Co., London, - Lady Anne BluntLady Anne BluntAnne Isabella Noel Blunt, née King-Noel, 15th Baroness Wentworth , known for most of her life as Lady Anne Blunt, was co-founder, with her husband the poet Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, of the Crabbet Arabian Stud. The two married on 8 June 1869...
(1881): A Pilgrimage to Nejd, The Cradle of the Arab Race: a Visit to the Court of the Arab Emir and `our Persian Campaign` (reprinted 1968) - Charles Montagu DoughtyCharles Montagu DoughtyCharles Montagu Doughty was an English poet, writer, and traveller born in Theberton Hall, Saxmundham, Suffolk and educated at private schools in Laleham and Elstree, and at a school for the royal navy, Portsmouth...
(1888): Travels in Arabia Deserta. (Reprinted many times) - Gertrude BellGertrude BellGertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who explored, mapped, and became highly influential to British imperial policy-making due to her extensive travels in Greater Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Arabia. Along...
(1907): The Desert and the Sown (republished 1987) - D. G. Hogarth (1905): The Penetration of Arabia: a Record of Western Knowledge Concerning the Arabian Peninsula.
- Freeth, ZahraZahra FreethZahra Dickson Freeth is a British author, the daughter of H. R. P. Dickson and Dame Violet Dickson , who has written several books on the Middle East....
, and Winstone, H.V.F.H. V. F. WinstoneHarry Victor Frederick Winstone FRGS, known as Victor, was an English author and journalist, who specialised in Middle Eastern topics. He wrote biographies of several influential figures in the history of this region....
: Explorers of Arabia from the Renaissance to the End of the Victorian Era, Allen & Unwin, London, 1978
External links
- Al Rasheed on hukam.net, with pictures and flags.