Shammar Yahri'sh

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Shammar Yahr'ish al-Himyari
King of Saba', Dhu Raydan, Hadramawt and Yamnat
South Arabian polytheism

Shammar Yahr'ish al-Himyari, full name Shammar Yahr'ish ibn Yasir Yuha'nim al-Manou (

Himyarite king.[1][2] He was the first to have the title “King of Saba', Dhu Raydan, Hadramawt and Yamnat” and he united most of Yemen
during his rule.

Biography

Not much is known about the life of Shammar Yahr'ish. He was from the tribe of

Lakhmid ruler Imru al-Qays ibn Amr claimed to have defeated Shammar Yahr'ish in 328 CE at the borders of Najran, and the victory over Shammar is mentioned on Imru al-Qays' stone epitaph.[5] The last inscription of Shammar Yahr'ish is dated to 312 CE.[6]

Diplomacy

In 309 CE, Shammar Yahr'ish sent a diplomatic delegation to the cities of

al-Hirah. The king of the Kindites, Malik ibn Muawiyah, also pledged allegiance to Shammar Yahr'ish.[8] In 311 AD, another diplomatic delegation was sent to the Byzantine Empire.[9]

The Byzantine emperor, Constantius II, sent the missionary Theophilus to inquire if churches could be built for the Christian traders of Rome and India who were dwelling in the territory of Himyar.[10]

In Arabian folklore

Shammar Yahr'ish is glorified in the Arabian folklore regarding him. He is believed to have conquered the Levant region and even reached as far as the Northeastern Asian territories.[11] The name of the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan is said to have been formed by a composite of two words: Shammar-Kand, which means "Shammar Destroyed" (after he supposedly conquered it).[12] Later scholars have debunked all these stories, citing them as mere mythology.[13][14][15]

See also

References