Bakil

The Bakil (

. The tribe consists of more than 10 million men and women they are the sister tribe of Hashid(4 million) whose leader was Abdullah Bin Hussein Alahmar. The member tribes of the Bakil Confederation are found primarily in the far north of the country; its leaders today are the Abo Lhom family

Ancient history

Hashid and Bakil were the sons of Jashim bin Jubran bin Nawf bin Tuba'a bin Zayd bin Amro bin Hamdan. Bani Hamdan was already a well known clan in the 1st century AD and it was mentioned in Sabaean inscriptions. Therefore, Hashid and Bakil (the brothers) must have lived in the BC era. In the Middle Sabaean period (the 1st to 4th centuries CE) the Bakil confederation consisted of three sha`bs - Raydah, Amran, and Shibam.^[1]

In the 3rd century most of

.

Conversion to Islam

In the year 622, prophet

, and he was much more successful in converting the Hamdani Yemenis.

After the death of Muhammad, the Hamdan tribe remained

movement.

After Ali, power vacuum in Yemen and the Imam Hadi

The Hamdan tribe remained on the side of Ali, after the defeat of Ali and later his sons. The tribes remained on alliance to Ali but didn't oppose the Umayyads or ally themselves with the other Shias.^{[citation needed]}

At that time Yemen was experiencing a great population movement forming the bulk of the Islamic Expansion mainly settling and Arabizing North Africa/Spain. However, the majority of the Hamdan tribe remained in Yemen which later helped the Hashid/Bakil Hamdani tribes become the biggest local key player, benefiting from the departure of the bulk of the most powerful Nomadic Yemeni tribes of that time into North Africa/Spain in Wetsward movements that continued until the 13th century.

By the 10th century the Imam al-Hadi Yahya bin al-Hussain bin al-Qasim (a scion of Imam al-Hasan (as), grandson of the Prophet) who, at Sa'da, in 893-7 C.E. arrived to the Northern Highlands on invitation from the Hamdan tribe and from that time till present day the

moderate Shia teachings became dominant in north Yemen.

Modern history

Imam Yahya's campaign to subject the country, and more specifically the tribes, to his control, led him to undertake massive campaigns against their influence and power; in fact, his efforts succeeded in permanently eliminating all but two of the ancient confederations (the Hashid is the other one to survive).^{[citation needed]}

Many writers have referred to the

in the twentieth century included) complained bitterly about the tribes' inordinate political power.

See also

• Alliance of Yemeni Tribes
• Sha'r Awtar

References

Bibliography

• ISBN 0-19-922237-1

External links

• Social History of Yemen