Himyarite Kingdom

The Himyarite Kingdom or Himyar (in Arabic ‫حْمَير‬ ِ ‫ مملكة‬mamlakat ħimyâr), anciently called Homerite
Kingdom by the Greeks and the Romans, was a state in ancient Yemen dating from 110 BC Taking the
modern date city of Sanaa as its capital after the ancient city of Zafar. It conquered neighbouring Saba
(Sheba) in c.25 BC, Qataban in c.200 CE and Hadramaut c.300 CE Its political fortunes relative to Saba
changed frequently until it finally conquered the Sabaean Kingdom around 280 CE.

History

It was the dominant state in Arabia until 525 AD. The economy was based on agriculture. Foreign trade
was based on the export of frankincense and myrrh. For many years it was also the major intermediary
linking East Africa and the Mediterranean world. This trade largely consisted of exporting ivory from
Africa to be sold in the Roman Empire. Ships from Himyar regularly traveled the East African coast, and
the state also exerted a large amount of Influence both cultural religious and political to the trading cities
of East Africa whilst the cities of East africa remained independent. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
describes the trading empire of Himyar and its ruler Charibael (Karab Il Watar Yuhan'em II), who is said
to have been on friendly terms with Rome:

"23. And after nine days more there is Saphar, the metropolis, in which lives Charibael, lawful king of two
tribes, the Homerites and those living next to them, called the Sabaites; through continual embassies and
gifts, he is a friend of the Emperors."
—Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, Paragraph 23.

Origination and further History of Himyar and related Tribes

Himyar descendant of Pure Arabs: Who originated from the progeny of Ya‘rub bin Yashjub bin Qahtan.[4]
They were also called Qahtanian Arabs.

• Himyar: The most famous of whose septs were Zaid Al-Jamhur, Banu Quda'a and
Sakasic.
• Kahlan: The most famous of whose septs were Hamdan, Azd, Anmar, Tayy, Shammar,
Midhhij, Kinda, Lakhm, Judham

Kahlan septs emigrated from Yemen to dwell in the different parts of the Arabian Peninsula prior to the
Great Flood (Sail Al-‘Arim of Ma’rib Dam), due to the failure of trade under the Roman pressure and
domain on both sea and land trade routes following Roman occupation of Egypt and Syria.

Naturally enough, the competition between Kahlan and Himyar led to the evacuation of the first and the
settlement of the second in Yemen.

The emigrating septs of Kahlan can be divided into four groups:

• Azd: Who, under the leadership of ‘Imran bin ‘Amr Muzaiqbâ’, wandered in Yemen, sent
pioneers and finally headed northwards. Details of their emigration can be summed up as follows:
o Tha‘labah bin ‘Amr left his tribe Al-Azd for Hijaz and dwelt between Tha‘labiyah
and Dhi Qar. When he gained strength, he headed for Madinah where he stayed. Of his seed are Aws
and Khazraj, sons of Haritha bin Tha‘labah.
o Haritha bin ‘Amr, known as Khuza‘a, wandered with his folks in Hijaz until they
came to Mar Az-Zahran. , they conquered the Haram, and settled in Makkah after having driven away its
people, the tribe of Jurhum.
o ‘Imran bin ‘Amr and his folks went to ‘Oman where they established the tribe of Azd
whose children inhabited Tihama and were known as Azd-of-Shanu’a.
o Jafna bin ‘Amr and his family, headed for Syria where he settled and initiated the
kingdom of Ghassan who was so named after a spring of water, in Hijaz, where they stopped on their
way to Syria.
• Lakhm and Judham: Of whom was Nasr bin Rabi‘a, father of Manadhira, Kings of Heerah.

• Banu Tai’: Who also emigrated northwards to settle by the so- called Aja and Salma
Mountains which were consequently named as Tai’ Mountains.

• Kindah: Who dwelt in Bahrain but were expelled to Hadramout and Najd where they
instituted a powerful government but not for long, for the whole tribe soon faded away.

Another tribe of Himyar, known as Banu Quda'a, also left Yemen and dwelt in Samawa semi-desert on
the borders of Iraq.

Language

The Himyarite language (Semitic, but not Sayhadic) was spoken in the south-western Arabian peninsula
until the 10th century.