Al-Yamama

Al-Hamadani

(10th century), along with some of the region's prominent settlements in pre-Islamic and early Islamic times

Al-Yamama (

Arabic: اليَمامَة, romanized: al-Yamāma) is a historical region in the southeastern Najd in modern-day Saudi Arabia, or sometimes more specifically, the now-extinct ancient village of Jaww al-Yamamah, near al-Kharj

, after which the rest of the region was named.

Only a handful of centralized states ever arose in the Yamama, but it figured prominently in early Islamic history, becoming a central theater in the

Palace of Yamamah

.

Etymology

The 13th-century geographer

domesticated pigeon") but the historian G. Rex Smith considers them unlikely. Instead, Smith holds that it is more likely the name al-Yamama is the singular form of the Arabic word for wild pigeons, yamam.^[1]

History

From the pre-Islamic period through the early centuries of Islam, the Yamama was an important agricultural production center for Arabia.^[2] It was counted as part of the Najd, the central Arabian plateau, and its principal town was historically Hajar.^[1] It was especially noted among the people of Arabia for the quality and abundance of its dates, wheat and meats. It historically provided for the wheat needs of Mecca's inhabitants.^[2] The predominant tribe of the Yamama was the Banu Hanifa, who lived a settled, largely agricultural existence . The Hanifa of the Yamama also supplied skilled laborers who found work in Mecca; the Islamic prophet Muhammad is known to have employed them for the production of clay used to build his mosque in Medina and held high opinions of the Hanafi workers.^[2]

Period of Musaylima and Muslim conquest

During the lifetime of

Thumama ibn Uthal, who had been captured by the Muslims as a result of his attack against Muhammad's emissary to the communities of Bahrayn (eastern Arabia), al-Ala al-Hadhrami, converted to Islam after being released from captivity. He returned to the Yamama where he led a garrison of Muslim fighters and stood as the principal opposition to Musaylima. Around 631, he was appointed by Muhammad as the Yamama's governor, though most of the region remained outside of Muslim control, only small numbers of the region's people having embraced Islam, while the rest was under the sway of Musaylima.^[4]

Musaylima forged a socio-religious order in the Yamama based on his claims to prophethood in the last years before Muhammad's death in 632. In addition to his Hanifa tribesmen, he gained followers from the Banu Usayyid, a small branch of the

Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl and Shurahbil ibn Hasana at the head a Muslim force to reinforce Musaylima's nearest enemy, Thumama, in the Yamama. At the same time, a self-proclaimed prophetess of the Tamim and opponent of the Muslims, Sajah, gained a substantial following among her tribesmen and targeted the Yamama.^[6] Musaylima allied with her.^[7]

Ikrima's attacks against the Hanifa in the Yamama were beaten back by Musaylima's followers and he withdrew from the region, while Shurahbil was ordered by Abu Bakr to stay to support Thumama until the arrival of a larger army led by

Battle of Aqraba, but defeated them in the fourth encounter, during which their field commander was slain. This prompted the flight of the Hanifa tribesmen, to an enclosed garden where they fought a last stand against the Muslims. The Hanifa in the garden were routed, nearly all of them being slain, including Musaylima.^[10]

Despite orders to treat the surviving Hanafite tribesmen harshly, Khalid entered a treaty with them, using one of their own who had converted to Islam, Mujja'a ibn Murara, as his intermediary with the tribe. The Hanifa agreed to embrace Islam in return for surrendering their gold, silver, weapons and armor to the Muslims, an agreement which Abu Bakr sanctioned.[11] The conquest of the Yamama enabled the Muslims to extend their control to the neighboring regions of Arabia, namely Bahrayn and Oman.^[12] Though the Muslim traditional sources indicate the wholesale conversion of the Yamama's inhabitants, the historian Al Makin argues followers of Musaylima continued to agitate against centralized rule and for regional autonomy, which fueled their support for dissident religious movements.^[13]

Najdat Kharijite revolt

During the

Ta'if and Tabalah. Divisions among his partisans culminated with Najda's assassination by his deputy Abu Fudayk in 691 or 692. By then their territory was limited to the Yamama and Bahrayn. Abu Fudayk defeated an Umayyad expedition against him that year, but was defeated and slain in 692 or 693 in a second expedition. This marked the end of the Najdat emirate.^[15]

Later Islamic history

The 10th-century geographer

Zaydi Shia madhhab ruled the Yamama at that time, and had been its rulers from long before. With their 300 to 400 horsemen, they were able to defend their realm from the neighboring powers.^[1]

Modern era

By the 19th century, 'al-Yamama' came to refer to a town in the region located in the area of al-Kharj, about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of modern Riyadh. It had about 6,000 inhabitants in 1865.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Smith 2002, p. 269.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kister 2002, p. 7.
^ Makin 2013, pp. 35–36.
^ Kister 2002, pp. 10–11, 36–37.
^ Kister 2002, pp. 21–22.
^ Kister 2002, pp. 23, 29.
^ Kister 2002, p. 25.
^ Kister 2002, p. 29.
^ Kister 2002, pp. 33–34.
^ Kister 2002, p. 47.
^ Kister 2002, p. 48.
^ Kister 2002, p. 49.
^ Makin 2013, p. 41.
^ Rubinacci 1993, p. 858.
^ Rubinacci 1993, p. 859.

Bibliography

Kister, M. J. (2002). "The Struggle against Musaylima and the Conquest of Yamama". Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam. 27: 1–56.
Makin, Al (July 2013). "From Musaylima to the Kharijite Najdiyya". Al-Jami'ah. 51 (1).
Rubinacci, R (1993). "Nadjadāt". In
ISBN 978-90-04-09419-2
.

Smith, G. R. (2002). "Al-Yamama". In
ISBN 978-90-04-12756-2
.